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A review by ncrabb
When Hitler Took Cocaine and Lenin Lost His Brain: History's Unknown Chapters by Giles Milton
3.0
If I refer to this as a bathroom read, you’re likely to think I’m panning it. I’m not. But I remain convinced it’s a great bathroom read for those who engage in such behavior, and from my childhood memories of a “Reader’s Digest” or some other book tucked obscurely in a bathroom, I’m not convinced it’s all that uncommon. Maybe more so now since we’re using electronic devices to read with.
So why am I labeling this a bathroom read? Because the vignettes are short and amusing. Essentially, the book is a short collection of historical facts engagingly written. You’ll read not only about Hitler’s cocaine habit but about a man who survived both nuclear bombs on Japan and lived into his 90s. There’s an entertaining bit about a Japanese soldier who didn’t surrender from World War II until 1974; if you’re old enough, it will immediately bring to mind a “Gilligan’s Island” episode where the castaways find a similar soldier.
If there’s anything wrong with this book, it is that the material won’t likely stay with you long. From now on, when I think of brain candy, I’ll put this book at the top of that list. It’s a fun read. It’s something you should do just to enjoy the experience. At under six hours normal speed, you’ll blow through it like a hurricane through a Lego rendering of the U.S. Capitol. In short, it’s quick, it’s fun, it’s largely forgettable. But it’s also highly readable.
So why am I labeling this a bathroom read? Because the vignettes are short and amusing. Essentially, the book is a short collection of historical facts engagingly written. You’ll read not only about Hitler’s cocaine habit but about a man who survived both nuclear bombs on Japan and lived into his 90s. There’s an entertaining bit about a Japanese soldier who didn’t surrender from World War II until 1974; if you’re old enough, it will immediately bring to mind a “Gilligan’s Island” episode where the castaways find a similar soldier.
If there’s anything wrong with this book, it is that the material won’t likely stay with you long. From now on, when I think of brain candy, I’ll put this book at the top of that list. It’s a fun read. It’s something you should do just to enjoy the experience. At under six hours normal speed, you’ll blow through it like a hurricane through a Lego rendering of the U.S. Capitol. In short, it’s quick, it’s fun, it’s largely forgettable. But it’s also highly readable.