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New edition due Jan-11
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is such a good read, made even better by the fact that it is so well researched and constructed. It could even (nay, should) be taught in schools. It has won me so many general knowledge quizzes that I could go on all day heaping praise on it. READ IT NOW!
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In this marvellous book Will Cuppy tells the life stories of some of history's most famous men and women, in his onw inimitable style. He starts with the Egyptian Pharoah Cheops, or Khufu, and goes on to discuss the female pharoah Hatshepsut, Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, Atillia the Hun, Lucrezia Borgia, William the Conqueror, and many others. His comments on the lives and habits of the people he writes about are hilarious. Discussing Henry VIII's conduct in bringing about the execution of two of his wives, he remarks "As a matter of fact, Henry merely allowed the law to take its course, but some people feel that a really thoughtful husband would have done something about it." And writing of the childhood of Peter the Great he says "his teacher permitted him to develop his own individuality, and if you have met any such children I don't have to tell you." Writing of Agrippina, mother of Nero, he says "Agrippina was a sister of Caligula. You don't get over a thing like that." Every chapter in this book is full of hilarious comments. I have lost count of the number of times I have read this book, and still find it blissfully funny every time. The illustrations by William Steig are delightful too.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first read this book from my fathers library in the late 1960's. In college I learned of the secret History underground that made knowledge of this book THE required text to understanding history.
As another reviewer has written, this book could replace whole libraries of reference material. This is because Mr. Cuppy could reduce complex Ideas and Actions into a 6 word sentence. Few people can do it as well as he could.
From time to time a writer will come out with Mr. Cuppy's style. The book, "Hail to the Chiefs", about American Presidents, is one of the best (Alas, it is out of print as well!).
Find this book and enjoy your past. Then look at a dusty old tome and the latest news from Washington and have a good laugh.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody.
I bought this book many, many years ago and loaned it to a friend. I never saw it again. Happily Amazon came to my rescue and I have been joyously re-united with what is without... Read more
Published 28 days ago by Netta
Histoire
Really a nice way of revealing bits of history......tongue in the cheek......easy humour...the author would have been good company in a pub on a rainy evening..... Read more
Published 17 months ago by John RAINONE
Human History
Fred Feldkamp writes in the introduction that Cuppy never lost sight of the fact his subjects were ultimately human. Read more
Published on 2 Jun 2005 by MtmKilljoy
I used to hate history!
My husband is a big history buff and I always hated sitting through boring television programs about everything from the Romans to WWII. Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2004 by "barrett30"
There has never been a funnier book on history
WIll Cuppy's book has more laugh-inducing material per square inch than any other book on history, easily putting much better-known books (like those of Armour) in the shade. Mr. Read more
Published on 31 May 1999
Superlative!!! Why couldn't history class be like this.
Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody is THE book for those who have found history dull and dry. Read more
Published on 24 April 1998
History for those who hate history.
Will Cuppy was a blithe original. His view of history, meticulously researched in the grand academic manner, yields results that are at first glance about 65 degrees off center. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 1998
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