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The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy |  | Author: Rick Beyer
Publisher: Harper
Category: Book
List Price: $18.95
Buy Used: $2.24
as of 7/29/2010 21:04 CDT details
You Save: $16.71 (88%)
New (40) Used (74) from $2.24
Seller: hiskingdombooks
Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 8163
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 7.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0060014016
Dewey Decimal Number: 909
EAN: 9780060014018
ASIN: 0060014016
Publication Date: March 1, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
History isn't always made by great armies colliding or by great civilizations rising or falling. Sometimes it's made when a chauffeur takes a wrong turn, a scientist forgets to clean up his lab, or a drunken soldier gets a bit rowdy. That's the kind of history you'll find in The Greatest Stories Never Told. This is history candy -- the good stuff. Here are 100 tales to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy: more than two thousand years of history filled with courage, cowardice, hope, triumph, sex, intrigue, folly, humor, and ambition. It's a historical delight and a visual feast with hundreds of photographs, drawings, and maps that bring each story to life. A new discovery waits on every page: stories that changed the course of history and stories that affected what you had for breakfast this morning. Consider: - The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer
- Some Roman officials were so corrupt that they actually stole time itself
- Three cigars changed the course of the Civil War
- The Scottish kilt was invented by an Englishman
Based on the popular Timelab 2000® history minutes hosted by Sam Waterston on The History Channel®, this collection of fascinating historical tidbits will have you shaking your head in wonder and disbelief. But they're all true. And you'll soon find yourself telling them to your friends.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 43
 The overlooked past brought into the spotlight September 9, 2003
J. J. Kwashnak (Monroe, LA)
73 out of 75 found this review helpful
Beyer is an author who is dedicated to making history interesting and fun, which he does so well in this collection of one page stories. I found the book especially interesting because of the background work the author had put into his research (the imprint of the History Channel did not hurt either) which raised these tidbits above the normal trivia, or potential urban legends. Beyer highlights some things that should not be lost in the mists of history, and points out historical facts that may be glossed over in many other history books. There is nothing earth shattering here, but more than a few will make you scratch your head, or share with others in conversation. A great book for dipping your toe in history - each story is about a page of text and is well illustrated. There is just enough to get you the interesting point without boring you. It's a truly fun and fascinating book.
Charming and Quirky March 31, 2003
28 out of 29 found this review helpful
I always hated history in school -- and I hardly ever watch the History Channel -- so I approached this book with great trepidation. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself paging eagerly through the well-written, highly entertaining historical vignettes (each one takes up a mere two pages, perfect for subway reading). Some of them made me laugh out loud; once I had to fight the urge to turn to the stranger next to me and ask if he knew what had killed Atilla the Hun. (I'm not telling.) Although not written for kids particularly, this is also a great book to share with older children . . . especially those who complain that history is dull.
A Fun, Easy & Educational Read for All Ages July 21, 2006
Greg Robertson (West Quincy, MA)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
What a great little book! Based on a series of History Minutes developed to air on The History Channel, every two-page spread of this little gem provides a short, easy-to-read and very interesting story-behind-the-story that most of us don't know.
The most interesting of these 100 brief stories are those in which one decision by one person ended up changing history and life as we know it, even today. Some of those include:
* Lost in Translation - where a poor word choice caused the first use of the atom bomb.
* BA-BUMP Goes the Stethoscope - about the doctor who invented it out of modesty.
* Cooking With Radar - about the invention of the microwave oven.
But the mix of story themes also keeps this book interesting, including insights into people we know by name without knowing much about them, like Proctor and Gamble, John Harvey Kellogg, Lionel of Lionel Trains fame, James Bond, and many more.
I also enjoyed it because it's easy to read 2 or 3 stories during lunch or just before dozing off at night. And, at the risk of sounding like a commercial, it's a great gift for kids who love to read because they'll have the inside scoop on many, many popular cutlure stories that their friends (and often teachers) won't know.
Enjoy.
"History would be a wonderful thing,if only it were true" November 18, 2004
J. Guild (Toronto,Canada)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
This is a fun little book for anyone from 8 to 80,who likes to read history.It is more like the kind of stuff you see in Ripley's Believe it or Not,Strange but True,Interesting Facts,etc.There are 100 stories covered in 200 pages and half of that is pictures.One can skip through this book in an hour or two without difficulty.I guess most people would find it just a light read;but there is a real good reference section for anyone who wants to see the source or basis of any of these stories.
Stories are from all over the map and cover from B.C.to the present time .Some of the things you'll find:
Saint Patrick was an Englishman by birth.
The music for "The Star-Spangled Banner" was from a popular
English drinking song.
Where did the term "boycott"come from?
Did you know a US Warship fired a torpeo at another Warship carrying President Roosevelt, missing it by about 100 yards.
How a dead man duped Hitler.
And that's just for starters!
Oh Yeah, My title was a statement made by Tolstoy;who knew a thing or two about history.Then again,who knows,maybe he didn't say that at all.
Fascinating facts November 25, 2003
L O'connor (richmond, surrey United Kingdom)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
A very entertaining collection of stories of unusual events and people from history. Arranged chronologicaly, starting with the Romans who stole time, and proceeding through such enthralling tales as the man who didn't discover America because he wanted to get home,and king Edward II' valiant but futile attempt to ban soccer (now I know why he was murdered, it was enraged footer fans). Some cherished myths are briskly disposed of, like the notion that medieval people thought the world was flat, and we learn that the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth Rock because they'd run out of beer. A few of the stories in this book were known to me already, most weren't. At $12.57, that's only about 12 cents per fascinating fact, cheap at the price I would say. Who would you say was the most unlikely person to have saved the life of Abraham Lincoln's son? If you don't know already you need to buy this book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 43
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