Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History

By: Phil Mason

Narrated by: LJ Ganser

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield. You'll learn that an irate blacksmith threw his hammer at a fox and missed, hitting a rock and revealing the largest vein of silver ever discovered, thus changing the finances of Canada forever. Interestingly, Charlton Heston was cast as Moses in The Ten Commandments because his broken nose made him look like Michelangelo's famous sculpture of Moses. Finally, no one knows Einstein's last words. They were in German, a language his nurse did not speak.

©2010 Phil Mason (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

A list would have saved me time, annoyance and a dose of unnecessary homophobia.

Perhaps other reviews can address the later 2/3 of this hurried and poorly connected manner in which these facts are revealed. There is little structure to theme and the author adds in armchair commentary that is perhaps intended to add humor but falls flat.

After some reading, I eventually decided to quit as I felt the author added unnecessary commentary and wordage to suggest certain orientations or consensual actions as objectively reprehensible rather than something seen as frowned upon at the time.

fantastic

ill be listening to this again. fantastic source of information that can make you the star at any party

This book will make you irritating

This is one of those books that fills your head with so many interesting facts and stories that you will drive your friends crazy repeating them all.. The book contains hundreds of tales about little unknown instances that helped shape history for better and for worse. There are many unsung heroes in this book from the German soldier who saved Paris to the British spies who tricked FDR into going to war with a counterfeit map.

You have to really focus to listen.

It’s good information, but the narrator doesn’t take a break in between “snippets” of information and can get confusing. It sounds like run together.

An interesting list

This is a great list of little things that changed history. It was intriguing but a bit tiresome. Not something I was itching to finish.

Fun and quirky facts

I enjoyed the very short stories from history, and the wide range of topics covered: from the arts to sports to war.

Fun Factoids

This book was a nice break from my typical diet of 40-hour long war history audiobooks.

Solid and entertaining

Informative. Some accounts are as hilarious as they are sad. Luck giveth and luck taketh away.

Very Interesting

Great listen for those who enjoy history and even for those who don’t. Who knew?

Short snippets

Book is a bunch of short examples, like the kind of book that would be on the back of your toilet. Interesting but very quick.