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A Treasury of Great American Scandals
Following on the heels of his national bestseller A Treasury of Royal Scandals, Michael Farquhar turns his attention to matters a little closer to home with A Treasury of Great American Scandals. From the unhappy family relationships of prominent Americans to the feuds, smear campaigns, duels, and infamous sex scandals that have punctuated our history, we see our founding...more
Paperback, 323 pages
Published
July 1st 2003
by Penguin Books
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Nov 18, 2011
April
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who is interested in history, or just interested in learning something new
I really liked this book. It gives people a view of things from history that they may not have known about. What I read certainly wasn't what we were taught in HISTORY class. It's very interesting to get that glimpse of history that some people might not have wanted people to know about.
In the US we tend to glorify the Founding Fathers. But I'm sure people didn't realize just how awful some of these men were.
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin treated his son like garbage? Did you know that he...more
In the US we tend to glorify the Founding Fathers. But I'm sure people didn't realize just how awful some of these men were.
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin treated his son like garbage? Did you know that he...more
i read these books because i love history, but i didnt find this one as interesting as the royalty scandals, but nonetheless it was an interesting read.
Well, it's American history, so obviously there's a level of dryness you can't get around, but the author writes in a very witty, sometimes sarcastic manner that amuses me. Educational little bits of stuff you won't find in history books. I definitely learned stuff I didn't know about and I think it was worth the read almost just for the more in-depth story on the Salem witch trials (oh my god I didn't know a bunch of jerk-ass kids were the cause of it, augh, what a messed up town.) I only recom...more
I enjoyed this book, a dollar find at a YMCA book sale. While some of the scandals were familiar, others were shocking. I loved seeing the legends debunked. Benjamin Franklin, so famous for his lightning experiment, actually let his son run around in the field during the storm, while he watched from the shelter of a barn. Reading about all the hijinks and misbehavior of our country's leaders did renforce to me that we have invented nothing. Like it says on the back cover of the book, we just hav...more
With the exception of about 3 stories, this book will definitely keep your interest. It has some tantalizingly scandalous stories. It’s as if TMZ, WikiLeaks, and Dennis Miller decided to join forces and journeyed into the past just to gather dirt on past Presidents, Congressional leaders, Generals, and their families. :) There are many juicy stories in this book; some of which are very short (1 page long). My 2 fav stories of the book were: “The Case of the Cuckolded Congressman” and “LBJ vs. RF...more
There are many good reasons to study history. There is the desire not to be doomed to repeat it, for one, which I find to be an excellent motivator. I remember watching the run-up to the invasion of Iraq and hearing the spectral voice of William Randolph Hearst screaming "Remember the Maine!" in my head. And of all the reasons to study history, that is perhaps the most important, though not necessarily the most fun.
You might also study history to just enjoy the stories. I used to hate history, e...more
You might also study history to just enjoy the stories. I used to hate history, e...more
It was ok. While there were interesting details about America's past that I'd not known, I was a bit disappointed overall. The scope of this book was too big and wasn't quite met, plus, some important details that would've given more context to the scandals were glossed over or completely ignored.
I listed to this on audio and it was a good reading. The voice actor changed inflections, even his dialect subtly, to invoke voices such as Nixon. He did a good job narrating.
I listed to this on audio and it was a good reading. The voice actor changed inflections, even his dialect subtly, to invoke voices such as Nixon. He did a good job narrating.
If you think that we have scandals in politics today, take a look back in history and you can see that we've never really changed. This book contains numerous historical figures who are commonly known as well as those who are not but have a great scandal story. I learned a lot of the background surrounding these historical figures as well. I'd recommend it to any history buffs, or just anyone who likes a good, short read that will raise your eyebrows a little.
This book is great if you are interested in American history and politics. There are many short stories of some of our great American leaders committing scandals we did not know anything about. A few of the short stories surprised me and others were just boring to read. All in all, A Treasure of Great American Scandals is a decent and easy read.
A solid punch to the face of Hagiography. Very interesting, a sober examination of those we tend to revere blindly. I was most surprised by the amount of dueling and the chapter on exhuming the dead; that was a bit shocking. They still don't know where Thomas Paine's body is after it was stolen and hauled off to Britain. Paine was stored under some nut's bed and inherited by the nut's son and then disappeared from record, which I think is a fitting legacy for Paine.
Short chapters. Fun, if you l...more
Short chapters. Fun, if you l...more
More of a "flip through" rather than "peruse" sort of book. I enjoyed passages on Teddy Roosevelt (my favorite) and some of the shorter anecdotes, but the longer passages didn't hold my attention very well. Still, the section of quotes from Richard Nixon (who should've just been called Dick, never mind the Tricky, if you ask me) is worth a read.
Defnitely, an easy and light read that breezes over the swath of history. However, not having known previously the exhumations of Thomas Paine or John Paul Jones or the ends of Francis Scott Key's son or explorer Lewis, I got much out of this collection.
This was a light, interesting read that didn't require too many brain cells -- ideal while riding shotgun on a long car ride. I learned some American History factoids I didn't know before, which may prove useful the next time I play Trivial Pursuit.
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This was light and fun and it was an interesting visit into history. Funny, when we don't get 24 hour news feeds how many things can happen that are never heard of or rarely acknowledged. It was fun to read about the founding fathers, political icons and ?the good old days".
My wife introduced me to this book. She used it for her 5th grade history class. I liked this book. I can't remember when I was in school ever getting to read more about the scandalous side of history, politics, and government, than I did about what I like to call "boring facts" about American History. There are so many books introduced and new methods of teaching than I was aware of growing up that I feel would have benefited me in my educational interest. If I was to have read this book when I...more
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Jan 17, 2013
Austin Unseld
added it
This is and interesting book full of brief stories. I did not know about most of the things discussed in this book. A great read for anyone at all interested in American history.
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Everyone likes a good scandal. American scandals are interesting, but Mr. Farquhar's book on Royal scandals is even more interesting.
If you like the USA Today/Wikipedia of history, this might be the book for you...not very in depth and most the stories I had heard before. Too much Salem Witch Trial. The Nixon tapes piece was pretty good.
Fun history lesson on the more unique stories of my country's history and the complicated people who made up that history :)
Very interesting non-fiction account of American political figures throughout history.
Apr 27, 2008
April Helms
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
young adults (11+) and adults
Shelves:
nonfiction,
history
History buffs will love this one. It tells short stories about our leaders and their all-too-human foibles. A couple stories are actually kind of sweet (Andrew Johnson and the mice), a couple others are actually kind of sad (Ben Franklin's relationship with his son; to call it "strained" would be an understatement). But most will leave you chuckling and shaking your head in disbelief. Ultimately, though, it's almost heartening -- when we think things couldn't get worse in the present day, there'...more
This was an enjoyable light read. Lots of short stories that were new to me.
Another 'scandelous' book about our American history. Very interesting listen.
Sep 25, 2011
Emma Laymon
is currently reading it
I have never read a book like this before. I rarely have time to read, therefore, reading multiple books at once. I tell you what though, this is one interesting book!
Mar 03, 2011
Maxo Marc
added it
American history has some funny happenings.
this is a great book to read at a time when you have nothing to do,...cold night whenyou whant some light entertainment.. there is nothing shocking in here
unless you view the starange .event that inclued lincon
coffin being trasported round for forty years to stop others stealing it,???.. a senator wife going mad so he keeps her in the celler to aviod shame..
the other who called his daughter..IMA.. and burr who shot a fellow senator, after (the said senator found out burr,.. had an affair with "...more
unless you view the starange .event that inclued lincon
coffin being trasported round for forty years to stop others stealing it,???.. a senator wife going mad so he keeps her in the celler to aviod shame..
the other who called his daughter..IMA.. and burr who shot a fellow senator, after (the said senator found out burr,.. had an affair with "...more
A quick, but interesting, read.
Farquhar goodness. I liked his Royal Scandals book better, but that's only because I generally prefer European history to U.S. history. Family drama (who knew that Ben Franklin was a horrible father?), character flaws (Nixon was an anti-Semite on top of everything else?), and catty sexual scandals (like the Peggy Eaton affair) abound. I love Farquhar's style -- imagine a gossip magazine written by a scholar who doesn't dumb things down. Can't wait to read his book on liars and hoodwinkers!
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From Penguin Books:
Michael Farquhar is a writer and editor at the Washington Post specializing in history. He is the author of the bestsellers A Treasury of Great American Scandals and A Treasury of Royal Scandals. He appeared on the History Channel’s Russia, Land of the Tsars and will be featured on a forthcoming program about the French Revolution.
More about Michael Farquhar...
Michael Farquhar is a writer and editor at the Washington Post specializing in history. He is the author of the bestsellers A Treasury of Great American Scandals and A Treasury of Royal Scandals. He appeared on the History Channel’s Russia, Land of the Tsars and will be featured on a forthcoming program about the French Revolution.
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