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platoniciris's review against another edition
funny
informative
fast-paced
3.75
Hilarious history facts that I had to look up to make sure they were actually true. I still don’t fully believe most of these because they’re baffling.
voodoo_x_valentine's review against another edition
5.0
Like many people, I became aware of The Captain through his social media presence. I vaguely knew that he had written books, but I didn't give much credence to it until I saw a post discussing the upcoming, updated F*cking History.
I'm only going to continue this review if we can all come to the agreement that history is not my jam. Okay? Okay. That said, I found myself Googling names from the book. No big deal to history buffs, but to a person whose historical knowledge post-high school has come from Indiana Jones, this is huge. We're not talking about a cursory Google to fact-check; no, my friends, this is a deep dive to determine the best methods to incorporate historical weirdness into current habits without going to jail (or, you know, dying). If nothing else, the book should provide a conversation piece because I don't normally read about history unless there's the promise of a paycheck (or the threat of academic failure). I found myself unable to put this down. When it was inconvenient to physically read the print book, Audible to the rescue.
Full disclosure: I have both the audiobook and the print version. So far. I'll probably buy the e-book too. You know, complete the set.
Throughout the book, The Captain reminds us all that we're writing our own story every day; the message is especially relevant in the uncertain time that is 2020, but it feels more like a pep talk with a friend than pandering (or therapy). The lessons are long enough to be engaging, but short enough to leave the reader wanting to know more. In between giggle fits, I looked people up. I've also told my child (a recent high school graduate) that he's going to read this book. In the days that I've owned the book, I've finished the print version once and the audiobook twice. It's a pick-me-up in these uncertain times, and on more than one instance an inspiration to get out and DO something. If there was ever a testament to the general weirdness of humankind, the eternal fortitude of womankind, or the lengths to which people will go for sex and love, it's this book.
I'm only going to continue this review if we can all come to the agreement that history is not my jam. Okay? Okay. That said, I found myself Googling names from the book. No big deal to history buffs, but to a person whose historical knowledge post-high school has come from Indiana Jones, this is huge. We're not talking about a cursory Google to fact-check; no, my friends, this is a deep dive to determine the best methods to incorporate historical weirdness into current habits without going to jail (or, you know, dying). If nothing else, the book should provide a conversation piece because I don't normally read about history unless there's the promise of a paycheck (or the threat of academic failure). I found myself unable to put this down. When it was inconvenient to physically read the print book, Audible to the rescue.
Full disclosure: I have both the audiobook and the print version. So far. I'll probably buy the e-book too. You know, complete the set.
Throughout the book, The Captain reminds us all that we're writing our own story every day; the message is especially relevant in the uncertain time that is 2020, but it feels more like a pep talk with a friend than pandering (or therapy). The lessons are long enough to be engaging, but short enough to leave the reader wanting to know more. In between giggle fits, I looked people up. I've also told my child (a recent high school graduate) that he's going to read this book. In the days that I've owned the book, I've finished the print version once and the audiobook twice. It's a pick-me-up in these uncertain times, and on more than one instance an inspiration to get out and DO something. If there was ever a testament to the general weirdness of humankind, the eternal fortitude of womankind, or the lengths to which people will go for sex and love, it's this book.
anxiouslygoodvibes's review against another edition
4.0
The history in the book was quite interesting, and has equipped me with numerous facts to harass my loved ones with. The only major complaint I have with this book is the fact that for a lot of the stories, they were incredibly brief and lacked detail, and the introductions or "life lesson" parts were often times longer than the history itself. Overall, the book was entertaining, just not as educational as anticipated
mybookcorner's review against another edition
2.0
I was sent this finished copy by Tarcher Perigee for an honest review.
This was entertaining, but mostly irritating. I never gravitate towards books that claim you didn’t learn X amount in school/your life/etc because...a lot of the time I have to be honest! This book did have some historical facts that I was not familiar with, but the majority of them I did. It was like a mini Wikipedia page with illustrations, the historical fact and a lot of F bombs/comparisons to the modern dating age/sex/penis’ and always ended with a moral or a “life lesson”. I understand what the author was trying to do, but it came across as tedious and downright obnoxious and smart-ass-y. And a lot of the morals didn’t really make any sense when compared with historical figures or stories. There are too many examples to name. But I’d say this is a shortened history book for bros. There’s not much substance at all. It’s a good try, but it was a miss for me.
This was entertaining, but mostly irritating. I never gravitate towards books that claim you didn’t learn X amount in school/your life/etc because...a lot of the time I have to be honest! This book did have some historical facts that I was not familiar with, but the majority of them I did. It was like a mini Wikipedia page with illustrations, the historical fact and a lot of F bombs/comparisons to the modern dating age/sex/penis’ and always ended with a moral or a “life lesson”. I understand what the author was trying to do, but it came across as tedious and downright obnoxious and smart-ass-y. And a lot of the morals didn’t really make any sense when compared with historical figures or stories. There are too many examples to name. But I’d say this is a shortened history book for bros. There’s not much substance at all. It’s a good try, but it was a miss for me.
bitchburgerbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Super fun read with pertinent life advice and fascinating history lessons!
tinyelephants's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, bite-sized history nuggets. I enjoyed the read and learned some things!
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