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About this item
Highlights
- National Geographic author Michael Farquhar uncovers an instance of bad luck, epic misfortune, and unadulterated mayhem tied to every day of the year.
- About the Author: Michael Farquhar, a former writer and editor at The Washington Post, is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the critically acclaimed Behind the Palace Doors and Secret Lives of the Tsars, as well as the popular Penguin "Treasury" series: A Treasury of Royal Scandals, A Treasury of Great American Scandals, A Treasury of Deception, and A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans.
- 480 Pages
- History, World
Description
About the Book
"Bestselling author of A Treasury of Royal Scandals Michael Farquhar uncovers an instance of bad luck, epic misfortune, and unadulterated mayhem tied to every day of the year in this engrossing compendium of history's worst moments. From Caligula's blood-soaked end to hotelier Steve Wynn's unfortunate run-in with a priceless Picasso, Bad Days in History delves into the past to present 365 delightfully told tales of historically bad days. Michael Farquhar's cleverly written entries draw from the full sweep of history to take readers through a complete year of misery, including tales of lost fortunes (like the would-be Apple investor who pulled out in 1977 and missed out on a $30 billion-dollar windfall), romance gone wrong (like the 16th-century Shah who experimented with an early form of Viagra with empire-changing results), and truly bizarre moments (like the Great Molasses Flood of 1919). Catchy headlines draw readers into each entry and 100 photographs and illustrations illuminate particularly memorable bad days including the hopeful debut ads for the Ford Edsel, the special one-finger salute Korean POW's designated for their unwitting captors, and the campaign photo that literally tanked Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign. Bad Days in History delivers true tales of these days and many more in a fascinating volume that is perfect for history lovers, trivia buffs, and anyone who thinks they might be having a historically bad day. Trust us, it gets worse"--Book Synopsis
National Geographic author Michael Farquhar uncovers an instance of bad luck, epic misfortune, and unadulterated mayhem tied to every day of the year. From Caligula's blood-soaked end to hotelier Steve Wynn's unfortunate run-in with a priceless Picasso, these 365 tales of misery include lost fortunes (like the would-be Apple investor who pulled out in 1977 and missed out on a $30 billion-dollar windfall), romance gone wrong (like the 16th-century Shah who experimented with an early form of Viagra with empire-changing results), and truly bizarre moments (like the Great Molasses Flood of 1919). Think you're having a bad day? Trust us, it gets worse.Review Quotes
"The facts of this passing parade of perfidious knaves, nasty poltroons, incompetent liars and just some unlucky folk who slipped on bygone banana peels make for leisurely reading--and it's surely a story to be continued." --Kirkus Reviews "A catalog of historical anecdotes in which the historical agents experienced very bad days indeed."
--Library Journal
About the Author
Michael Farquhar, a former writer and editor at The Washington Post, is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the critically acclaimed Behind the Palace Doors and Secret Lives of the Tsars, as well as the popular Penguin "Treasury" series: A Treasury of Royal Scandals, A Treasury of Great American Scandals, A Treasury of Deception, and A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans. He lives in Washington, D.C.Dimensions (Overall): 8.2 Inches (H) x 5.5 Inches (W) x 1.2 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.0 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 480
Genre: History
Sub-Genre: World
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Format: Paperback
Author: Michael Farquhar
Language: English
Street Date: April 18, 2017
TCIN: 51561880
UPC: 9781426218071
Item Number (DPCI): 248-24-8946
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1.2 inches length x 5.5 inches width x 8.2 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
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4.0 out of 5 stars with 1 reviews
YES, IT COULD BE WORSE DAILY READ
4 out of 5 stars
Connywithay - 4 years ago
“Finally, as you peruse this collection, just remember: No matter how lousy your day has been, you can be sure that somewhere in time someone else’s was so much worse,” Michael Farquhar pens in the introduction of his book, Bad Days in History: A Gleefully Grim Chronicle of Misfortune, Mayhem, and Misery for Every Day of the Year. ~ What ~ This four-hundred-and-eighty-page paperback is for those who appreciate a sarcastic daily read of past blunders and mistakes humans have made throughout history. After an introduction, each description that covers every day of the year runs from a half page to four pages. Black and white drawings and photographs are sporadically placed on the pages. The ending includes a selected bibliography, photo credits, index, and acknowledgments. In this book, the negatives, heartbreaks, and disappointments of life are accentuated throughout the centuries, correlating to each day of the year. The topics cover misfortunes, mishaps, and missteps as well as broken relationships, financial pitfalls, and emotional rollercoasters that are made light of and mocked. ~ Why ~ Our adult son is highly sarcastic, dark, and witty, so when we showed him this book, he immediately was interested in its contents. I like that each day’s topics are so random, jumping from centuries and subjects so they do not get boring. Some of the interesting people mention are Anne of Cleves, Richard Burton, Chevy Chase, Eddie Fisher, John Gotti, Herbert Hoover, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Kennedy, Susan Lucci, Babe Ruth, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Oscar Wilde. ~ Why Not ~ Several of the daily reads are about death and dying, so many may not appreciate their morose tone. Others may find the stories unimportant to a specific day in history, especially if it is their birthday. One of the more depressing reads was today’s, May 13th, about the last soldier to die in the Civil War which had ended a month earlier. ~ Wish ~ The book covers plenty of actors and actresses and their mistakes; I wish it had less of them and contained more historical ones. ~ Want ~ If you are down in the dumps and need a pick-me-up daily reminder that life could be worse, this will help you hopefully look toward the future by reading about the past’s often disrespected perspective. Thanks to National Geographic, Litzky Public Relations, Inc., and Bookpleasures for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.