History Without the Boring Bits

History Without the Boring Bits PDF Author: Ian Crofton
Publisher: Quercus
ISBN: 1623652448
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 329

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Book Description
Conventional chronologies of world history concentrate on the reigns of kings and queens, the dates of battles and treaties, the publication dates of great books, the completion of famous buildings, the deaths of iconic figures, and the years of major discoveries. But there are other more interesting stories to tell--stories that don't usually get into the history books, but which can nevertheless bring the past vividly and excitingly to life. Imagine a history lesson that spares you the details of such seminal events as the 11th-century papal-imperial conflict, that fails to say much at all about the 1815 Congress of Vienna--and that neglects entirely to mention the world-changing moment that was the 1521 Diet of Worms. Imagine instead a book that tells you the date of the ancient Roman law that made it legal to break wind at banquets; the name of the defunct medieval pope whose putrefying corpse was subjected to the humiliation of a trial before a court of law; the identity of the priapic monarch who sired more bastards than any other king of England; and last but not least the date of the demise in London of the first goat to have circumnavigated the globe twice. Imagine a book crammed with such deliciously disposable information, and you have History without the Boring Bits. By turns bizarre, surprising, trivial, and enlightening, History without the Boring Bits offers rich pickings for the browser, and entertainment and inspiration aplenty for those who have grown weary of more conventional works of history.

History Without the Boring Bits

History Without the Boring Bits PDF Author: Ian Crofton
Publisher: Quercus
ISBN: 1623652448
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 329

Get Book

Book Description
Conventional chronologies of world history concentrate on the reigns of kings and queens, the dates of battles and treaties, the publication dates of great books, the completion of famous buildings, the deaths of iconic figures, and the years of major discoveries. But there are other more interesting stories to tell--stories that don't usually get into the history books, but which can nevertheless bring the past vividly and excitingly to life. Imagine a history lesson that spares you the details of such seminal events as the 11th-century papal-imperial conflict, that fails to say much at all about the 1815 Congress of Vienna--and that neglects entirely to mention the world-changing moment that was the 1521 Diet of Worms. Imagine instead a book that tells you the date of the ancient Roman law that made it legal to break wind at banquets; the name of the defunct medieval pope whose putrefying corpse was subjected to the humiliation of a trial before a court of law; the identity of the priapic monarch who sired more bastards than any other king of England; and last but not least the date of the demise in London of the first goat to have circumnavigated the globe twice. Imagine a book crammed with such deliciously disposable information, and you have History without the Boring Bits. By turns bizarre, surprising, trivial, and enlightening, History without the Boring Bits offers rich pickings for the browser, and entertainment and inspiration aplenty for those who have grown weary of more conventional works of history.

Economics Without the Boring Bits

Economics Without the Boring Bits PDF Author: Tejvan Pettinger
Publisher: Welbeck
ISBN: 1802790624
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
Where does wealth come from? How is it different from money? Does division of labour mean that the best people are hired to do the job? Does government intervention prevent or create crises? What is the most effective way to protect the environment? The great Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle dismissed economics as "the dismal science", yet it is at the heart of everything we do. Economics without the Boring Bits is a clear, comprehensive and richly anecdotal guide to debt, finance, trade, money, taxation, supply, demand and all the other big issues that worry us all yet relatively few truly understand. Oxford-trained economist Tejvan Pettinger takes readers on an enlightening tour of the powerful, counter-intuitive and frequently startling insights of economic research, showing us that middlemen are good, recycling is bad (sometimes) and why some people get rich and others don't. If you want to understand the wealth of nations without wading through The Wealth of Nations, this is the ideal place to start.

Science Without the Boring Bits

Science Without the Boring Bits PDF Author: Ian Crofton
Publisher: Quercus Books
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Book Description
This chronology of scientific curiosities comprises a host of cranky theories, crackpot experiments, crazed professors, questionable quacks, mischievous pranksters, deluded pundits, and a priceless host of wild and baseless speculations.

Remember the Alamo?

Remember the Alamo? PDF Author: Alison Rattle
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
ISBN: 1843178605
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
For most people the details of the American Revolution, the history of Thanksgiving and the Battle of the Alamo are sketchy at best. However, help is at hand as Remember the Alamo? contains all the American history you learnt at school and promptly forgot, and perhaps some things that you were never taught in the first place. Broken down into easily digested bite-sized chunks, this book will teach you the basics of over 150 key events from Columbus to Nixon and from cowboys to cosmonauts. Remember the Alamo? assumes no other knowledge of world history and doesn't contain anything but the most salient points so that anyone can become clued up on the history of one of the world's most developed nations. Concise and informative, yet entertaining and engagingly written, Remember the Alamo? contains everything you will ever need to know about the United States.

A Less Boring History of the World

A Less Boring History of the World PDF Author: Dave Rear
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1446444848
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
Refreshes the parts other history books can’t reach... A bit ropy on the Renaissance? In the dark about the Enlightenment? Or, in fact, do you need a revision course on the entire history of the world and want to read a witty, irreverent, definitely not boring romp through everything that has ever happened on planet earth – from 15 billion years BC to the present day? Good. A Less Boring History of the World tells you everything you need to know from the Big Bang to Barack Obama, taking in the Byzantines, the Black Death, Bin Laden and the fall of bankers along the way, all boiled down to bite size chunks so that you can finally piece together all the different bits of history - and see how on earth we ended up in the mess we are today. A Less Boring History refreshes your memory and broadens your mind. And, if that’s not enough, it will also make you laugh. A lot.

The Little Book of Big History

The Little Book of Big History PDF Author: Ian Crofton
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
ISBN: 1782434305
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
From the Big Bang to the future of our planet, The Little Book of Big History divides history into manageable but comprehensive time frames, encompassing the cosmos, the stars, life and everything in between. Big History is the attempt to understand and condense the entire story of the cosmos, from the Big Bang to the current day. Combining methods from history, astronomy, physics and biology to draw together the big story arcs of how the universe was created, why planets formed and how life developed, this creates a unique perspective from which to understand the place of mankind in the universe. Excited by the alternative 'framework for all knowledge' that is offered by this approach, Bill Gates is funding the Big History Project, which aims to bring the subject to a wider audience around the world. The Little Book of Big History breaks down the main themes of Big History into highly informative and accessible parts for all readers to enjoy. By giving a truly complete timeline of world events, this book shines a whole different light on history as we learned it and makes us think of our history - and our future - in a very different way.

Very Bloody History of Britain

Very Bloody History of Britain PDF Author: John Farman
Publisher: Random House (UK)
ISBN: 9780099417774
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
A factually accurate and fabulously funny look at the history of Britain from the dawn of civilization to the end of the Second World War. You’ve never had a history lesson like it!

Life Without the Boring Bits

Life Without the Boring Bits PDF Author: Colleen McCullough
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780732295783
Category : Authors, Australian
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Intimately personal memoir, reflections on life and observations on modern society from Australian national treasure, Dr Colleen McCullough. 'Written with heart and humour, (McCullough) takes us on a bumpy ride full of surprises, laughs, tears and the odd lecture. She shines as a bright unquenchable spark that poverty, familial cruelty and tragedy could not extinguish, A little ripper.' Woman's Day World-famous writer and national treasure Colleen McCullough has always resisted the idea of writing an autobiography. But her mind has a life of its own. Here, finally, is its portrait. Among the personal reminiscences and thought-provoking musings lie clues as to the shaping of this extraordinary mind: the confused, impulsive, thoughtlessly cruel mother; the miserly absentee father; the far-reaching effects bureaucrats can have on the lives of strangers; the riddle of Time ...If Colleen McCullough has any lesson to teach in Life Without the Boring Bits, it is that nothing above, below, or on the surface of the Earth can keep a good mind down, let alone break it.

A Brief History Of The Sewing Machine

A Brief History Of The Sewing Machine PDF Author: Alex Askaroff
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781706898399
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
World renowned author Alex Askaroff gives us his insight into one of the most useful inventions of the 19th Century. The humble sewing machine changed how we dressed, how we looked and how we acted. The simple invention that joined cloth had a profound effect on the World. Here we take a brief journey to bring you some of the fascinating characters who made it possible.

Scottish History Without the Boring Bits

Scottish History Without the Boring Bits PDF Author: Ian Crofton
Publisher: Birlinn
ISBN: 9781780276106
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
As an antidote to more sober accounts of Scotland's history, Ian Crofon offers a colourful chronology of the eccentric, the infamous, the bawdy, the horrific and the hilarious people and events that have spattered across the pages of our nation's story. From the Royal High School riot to Marocco the Wonder Horse, from the War of the One-Eyed Woman to the MP cleared of stealing his ex-mistress's knickers, Scottish History Without the Boring Bits includes a host of little-known tales that you won't find in more conventional works of history. Ian Crofton's alternative history of Scotland looks at the country's seedy underbelly with a quizzical eye.