Product Description

Search the annals of military history and you will discover no end of quirky characters and surprising true stories: The topless dancer who saved the Byzantine Empire. The World War I battle that was halted so a soccer game could be played. The scientist who invented a pigeon-guided missile in 1943. And don't forget the elderly pig whose death triggered an international crisis between the United States and Great Britain.

This is the kind of history you'll find in The Greatest War Stories Never Told. One hundred fascinating stories drawn from two thousand years of military history, accompanied by a wealth of photographs, maps, drawings, and documents that help bring each story to life. Little-known tales told with a one-two punch of history and humor that will make you shake your head in disbelief -- but they're all true!

Did You Know That:

• One military unit served on both sides during the Civil War
• The War of Jenkins's Ear was actually fought over a sea captain's ear
• Daniel Boone was once tried for treason
• A siege on Poland in 1519 gave birth to the marriage of bread and butter

Discover how war can be a catalyst for change; an engine for innovation; and an arena for valor, deceit, intrigue, ambition, revenge, audacity, folly, and even silliness. Want to know how the mafia helped the United States win World War II, when the word bazooka was coined, or how Silly Putty was invented? Read on!

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Product Details

Publisher	Harper
ISBN	0060760176
Features	ISBN13: 9780060760175 Condition: New Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Format	Hardcover
Author	Rick Beyer
EAN	9780060760175
Label	Harper
Edition	First Edition
Dewey Decimal Number	355.009
Studio	Harper
Number Of Pages	224
Title	The Greatest War Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from Military History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy (History Channel)
Release Date	2005-11-01
Publication Date	2005-11-01
Manufacturer	Harper

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Customer Reviews

Great entertainment!!!

Review by Brad Sjorlund, 2010-01-09

This book by Rick Beyers is great! Whether you are a history buff or are just into reading about history this a very entertaining and interesting book.

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The War of Jenkins' Ear?

Review by Frank J. Konopka, 2009-11-20

This interesting little book contains a lot of information about various wars that don't necessarily make it into the normal scholastic history books, even on the college level. It containbs two page vignettes of war tales from ancient Greece up to the present time; little asides to more well known war tales.

It's fascinating to read about how some very small and unusual happenings changes historical events, for better or worse (depending on your point of view). The best aspect of this book is that the snippets of information are so short that you can read a few at a time, put the book down, and come back to it later. There is not a continuous narrative so it is capable of that type of sporadic reading. It's a handy book to have around when you have a few minutes, just sitting somewhere with a bit of time on your hands (I think you know what I mean!).

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Fascinating light reading

Review by Noname, 2009-11-20

"The Greatest War Stories Never Told" is a fascinating light read, each story written on one page with the opposing page full of photos or drawings and accompanying captions. It has some well-known stories and stories my war buff, trivia loving husband didn't know.

I read it from front to back, but it's one of those books that doesn't need a bookmark. One can just pick it up and flip through at leisure. The stories needn't be read in order. It makes a nice stocking stuffer, something for the bathroom or on the nightstand.

My only problem with the book is the lack of a timeline or table of contents or index. When I want to go back into the book, I have to just flip. The stories are in chronological order, so I know whether to look towards the front or the back, it would be nice to just go to the right page.

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Great book!

Review by Amanda A. Trutsch, 2009-09-27

I got this book for my dad because he always knows random stuff and he loves watching the history channel. He's not a huge reader but he really liked this book. It's perfect because the stories are pretty short and to the point so it's not too much reading about each story.

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Quick and Enjoyable Read

Review by L. English, 2009-09-11

I enjoyed this book a great deal and was able to finish it in one reading. It is well written and holds your interest from beginning to end.

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