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Who, or Why, or Which, or What...?: A Global Gazetteer of the Instructive and Strange [Hardcover]

John Oldale (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £16.99
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Book Description

Publication Date: 29 Sep 2011

WHO...was the only modern leader to return fire during an assassination attempt?

WHY...is kissing on trains banned in France?

WHICH...island used to be home to a crocodile that jumped on its prey from trees?

WHAT...was the first song to be sung in Outer Space?

With a reasonable claim to be the most useful book ever written, John Oldale's Who, or Why, or Which, or What...? is a cornucopia of history, travel, politics, wildlife, language - indeed, a celebration of everything which makes this planet so fascinating.

With an entry for every country, from the impenetrably immense (China) to the most completely marginal (San Marino - although it has stiff competition), this beautifully illustrated book is jammed with the most peculiar, fascinating and surprising information.

Whether you are interested in man-eating catfishes, the use of wizards to influence archery contests or the location of the Land of Hum, this is the book for you.

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Who, or Why, or Which, or What...?: A Global Gazetteer of the Instructive and Strange + A World of Curiosities: Surprising, Interesting, and Downright Unbelievable Facts from Every Nation on the Planet
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Particular Books (29 Sep 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1846143365
  • ISBN-13: 978-1846143366
  • Product Dimensions: 16 x 2.8 x 24 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 380,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's John Oldale Page
John Oldale
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Product Description

Review

Bona fide facts, presented with a refreshingly earnest charm ... an information-compendium of ... infinite fascination about every country on our sweet earth ... Oldale organizes his ceaseless flow of facts in a droll, inviting way that reveals as much about his own sensibilities as it does about the subjects themselves (Wall Street Journal )

About the Author

Dr John Oldale is a scientist by training, a lawyer by profession and an explorer by passion. His life can be summarized as a four-decade struggle between sound career advice and following his heart. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, speaks five languages and has travelled some half a million miles, visiting over ninety countries. He has outrun knife-wielding brigands (twice), been rescued from a sub-Antarctic beach, faced down a charging buffalo and breakfasted on thirty-seven sorts of mushroom in a Korean monastery. He lives with his family in a former village pub in Hampshire.

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Customer Reviews

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4.8 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Absorbing! 4 Oct 2011
By JCP
Format:Hardcover
What a fascinating book! It is impossible to dip into for 5 minutes. You get ensnared. I almost missed my train stop home as I was totally absorbed. The graphics sit perfectly with the text. Everyone should have a copy on their bookshelves or in their bag.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for the coffee table and settling general knowledge arguments! 4 Oct 2011
By BRC
Format:Hardcover
Fascinating book. Lots of interesting, unusual facts cleverly brought to life by the illustrations. Easy to dip in and out of although I did find myself reading "just one more page"...
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Who or Why or Which or What -What a fascinating read ! 4 Oct 2011
By Philly B
Format:Hardcover
Every page is full of curious & amusing facts . The perfect answer to what to get your brother in law for christmas . Can't recommend it enough.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating facts - love it! 12 Oct 2011
By PCH
Format:Hardcover
This is such an interesting read, so many facts and so well written - this is going to be the Christmas present solution for 2011! Something for all ages.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating global gazetteer 5 Oct 2011
By Mikeypot
Format:Hardcover
The book is a cross between a global gazetteer and a compendium of bizarre facts. There is at least a page covering every country on earth. Very entertaining and amusing as the author demonstrates a good sense of humour, and informative and educational at the same time. Ideal to dip into from time to time. Lots of facts to discuss with friends and colleagues. Nothing really quite like it - definitely improves and has widened the scope of the 'miscellany' genre. Great gift for teenagers.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Quite a good read 31 Dec 2011
By Krishna J
Format:Hardcover
saw this at the iconic Waterstone's at Piccadilly - at first glance seeing the old fashioned font and black and white graphics it looked like a twentieth century re-print of an old book and i went on to more attractive reads.

At my next perusal when i had some time to kill - picked up the same and was quite intrigued by the coverage of all countries and curious facts which the book threw up - definitely a great read for anyone who looks bizarre and curious information inspite of the mundane graphics - a better get-up will attract more readers
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