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What Needled Cleopatra?: And Other Little Secrets Airbrushed from History
Tarihin önemli isimleri hakkında bildiklerimiz genelde bize anlatılanlarla sınırlıdır. Bu kitap, tarihe damgasını vurmuş pek çok ünlünün bizden gizlenen gerçek yüzlerini ve bilinmeyen özelliklerini gün ışığına çıkarıyor.
• Büyük Özgürlükçü Abraham Lincoln köleliği mi savunuyordu?
• Karl Marx savunduğu görüşlerle çelişen bir hayat mı yaşadı?
• Suikasta kurban giden Amerika Başkanı Kennedy uyuşturucu bağımlısı mıydı?
• Yüzüklerin Efendisi kitaplarının yaratıcısı J.R.R. Tolkien bir eser hırsızı mıydı?
• Agatha Christie’nin on bir gün boyunca ortadan gizemli bir şekilde kaybolmasının ardında yatan gerçek neden neydi?
• Julius Caeser intihar mı etti?
• Kleopatra’nın söylendiği gibi güzel bir kadın olduğu doğru mu?
• Beethoven sağır olduktan sonra eserlerini yaratırken hangi vücut ritminden yararlandı?
• Fransız kadın kahramanı Jeanne d’Arc erkek miydi?
• Hitler Yahudi miydi?
• Büyük Özgürlükçü Abraham Lincoln köleliği mi savunuyordu?
• Karl Marx savunduğu görüşlerle çelişen bir hayat mı yaşadı?
• Suikasta kurban giden Amerika Başkanı Kennedy uyuşturucu bağımlısı mıydı?
• Yüzüklerin Efendisi kitaplarının yaratıcısı J.R.R. Tolkien bir eser hırsızı mıydı?
• Agatha Christie’nin on bir gün boyunca ortadan gizemli bir şekilde kaybolmasının ardında yatan gerçek neden neydi?
• Julius Caeser intihar mı etti?
• Kleopatra’nın söylendiği gibi güzel bir kadın olduğu doğru mu?
• Beethoven sağır olduktan sonra eserlerini yaratırken hangi vücut ritminden yararlandı?
• Fransız kadın kahramanı Jeanne d’Arc erkek miydi?
• Hitler Yahudi miydi?
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
262 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 12, 2017
Pieces of history that are not well know. A look at "behind the scene" of history. Basically it's a collection of bits from the life of some of the biggest names in history. Quick and easy to read (don't mind the time it took me to read it. I was busy with something that kept me from reading all that much).
May 16, 2015
Read in french.
although since I'm too lazy to try to add the french edition, ill do the review in english.
This book is to history what "The sun" or the" daily telegraph" is to news.
it's englo-centered, with an exception for american history. A lot of the facts were already known, so, no big surprise.
Some of the facts are wrong and apparently poorly checked (sorry, the small bit about Proust is false: there is a wonderfull filmed interview of Jean Cocteau, who knew Proust, and who visited him quite often toward the end of his life, and what he describes just doesn't match what that book says apart from the cork panneled room and Proust wearing gloves all the time(we are talking about a first hand account here)
oh and the French-bashing is a bit ennoying not to mention tiresome.
so all in all.... read this if you like to read "the Sun"
although since I'm too lazy to try to add the french edition, ill do the review in english.
This book is to history what "The sun" or the" daily telegraph" is to news.
it's englo-centered, with an exception for american history. A lot of the facts were already known, so, no big surprise.
Some of the facts are wrong and apparently poorly checked (sorry, the small bit about Proust is false: there is a wonderfull filmed interview of Jean Cocteau, who knew Proust, and who visited him quite often toward the end of his life, and what he describes just doesn't match what that book says apart from the cork panneled room and Proust wearing gloves all the time(we are talking about a first hand account here)
oh and the French-bashing is a bit ennoying not to mention tiresome.
so all in all.... read this if you like to read "the Sun"
October 12, 2021
Full of rummors or "facts" taken out of context for shock value.
December 21, 2024
I knew I was going to be disappointed in this book within the first few pages when Mr. Mason went on about Cleopatra not resembling Elizabeth Taylor in the film Cleopatra. I am over 65 so old enough to remember Taylor when she was alive but I am as likely to recall her at her chicken licking largest when married to John Warner then her Cleopatra days and even then her embonpoint reminded me (at 14 when I saw the film on TV for the first time) more of the women of mothers era then the sex goddesses most of my schoolboy friends were into. But in any case the knowledge that Cleopatra was not in anyway beautiful is hardly news - I can't remember a biography of the queen going back to that of Emil Ludwig's in the 1920's which didn't begin by pointing this out.
Whether Cleopatra was or was not a beauty is unimportant but is a perfect example of the type of 'myths' the author looks to 'demolish'. The problem is that most of these myths have been demolished again and again - when I was in grade school (primary school in the UK) in the USA in the 1960's we were taught that the Civil War was fought to preserve the Union not to free the slaves - but Mr. Mason rehashes not simply the work of historians but a great deal of rather bogus and problematic historical theorizing. For example:
1. Psychiatric evaluations of early portraits of Elizabeth I to prove she suffered abuse as a child. This sort of 'trash' history is like all those alarmist reports of various foods causing cancer or aluminium causing Alzheimer - rubbish - because it is based on flimsy or negligible evidence.
2. Revelations that Stalin was a spy for the Tsarist Okhrana. This rumour, presented as 'fact' by Mr. Mason has been around since the 1950's (and possibly earlier - I seem to recall that it was common in White Russian exile circles in Paris in the 1920's). Mason relies on one book by Roman Brackman which is long on revisionist history but almost totally free of any evidence beyond the the circumstantial.
None of this would matter except that he also includes, in a mild way, stories about Roosevelt and the origins of WWII which come directly from the more insane, unattractive, antisemitic and right wing conspiracy nuts. He is particularly virulent in his demolition of Lincoln and Gandhi but provides no context or understanding. When he deals with Winston Churchill he tells tales of his incompetence and drunkenness that are well know and are presented with a degree of indulgence. Needless to say he doesn't touch on Churchill's racism or responsibility for the Bengal famine - far more egregious failures.
The book is ridiculously anglo-centric, the bit on Proust is just silly, but then so is his paragraphs on W.B. Yeats and Beethoven.
I could go on for paragraphs pulling apart the fallacies and pointing out the errors, inconsistencies and shallow theorizing in this book but it doesn't deserve such attention. I've given it more than it deserves. A bad book.
Whether Cleopatra was or was not a beauty is unimportant but is a perfect example of the type of 'myths' the author looks to 'demolish'. The problem is that most of these myths have been demolished again and again - when I was in grade school (primary school in the UK) in the USA in the 1960's we were taught that the Civil War was fought to preserve the Union not to free the slaves - but Mr. Mason rehashes not simply the work of historians but a great deal of rather bogus and problematic historical theorizing. For example:
1. Psychiatric evaluations of early portraits of Elizabeth I to prove she suffered abuse as a child. This sort of 'trash' history is like all those alarmist reports of various foods causing cancer or aluminium causing Alzheimer - rubbish - because it is based on flimsy or negligible evidence.
2. Revelations that Stalin was a spy for the Tsarist Okhrana. This rumour, presented as 'fact' by Mr. Mason has been around since the 1950's (and possibly earlier - I seem to recall that it was common in White Russian exile circles in Paris in the 1920's). Mason relies on one book by Roman Brackman which is long on revisionist history but almost totally free of any evidence beyond the the circumstantial.
None of this would matter except that he also includes, in a mild way, stories about Roosevelt and the origins of WWII which come directly from the more insane, unattractive, antisemitic and right wing conspiracy nuts. He is particularly virulent in his demolition of Lincoln and Gandhi but provides no context or understanding. When he deals with Winston Churchill he tells tales of his incompetence and drunkenness that are well know and are presented with a degree of indulgence. Needless to say he doesn't touch on Churchill's racism or responsibility for the Bengal famine - far more egregious failures.
The book is ridiculously anglo-centric, the bit on Proust is just silly, but then so is his paragraphs on W.B. Yeats and Beethoven.
I could go on for paragraphs pulling apart the fallacies and pointing out the errors, inconsistencies and shallow theorizing in this book but it doesn't deserve such attention. I've given it more than it deserves. A bad book.
December 1, 2025
This book is basically a compilation of not well known stories about famous people throughout history (mainly men). I'd say 95% were men and 5% were about women. Some of the stories were interesting and ones I'd never heard, some I had. It's laid out in chapters such as politicians, Royalty etc. The thing that I find really strange is that the book opens with Cleopatra's 'secret' which was that apparently she wasn't beautiful. And apparently this 'needled her'. For me, this made me instantly think 'who gets to decide who's beautiful or not?' and I'm sure Cleopatra had far more interesting secrets than what she looked like. And then to top it off, out of all the stories mostly about men the book, this is what Mason decides to name the book? Why is this 'story' the main focus? I just think it's weird. Beauty standards change through history and if she was described as beautiful then so be it. The rest of the stories were interesting. It reminded me of an adult Horrible History book without the great illustrations.
February 13, 2025
It was OK. Had some interesting facts. My favourite being that Winston Churchill used to conduct business in bed with his two cats sprawled out whilst he balanced a Sponge on his head so that his budgie sitting atop it wouldn't shit directly onto his head. Beyond that, it was mostly about British prime ministers being drunks, famous musicians being depressed and insane and early American presidents (notably Abraham Lincoln) being racists
July 20, 2013
Nothing like some scandal and gossip-mongering! Enjoyable titbits on the less savoury parts of heroes and icons' lives and character, the truth behind many Pr myths.
January 3, 2015
Not that bad.
French title is 'les testicules de Jeanne d'arc'
Same kind of stories then napoleon Hemoroids....
French title is 'les testicules de Jeanne d'arc'
Same kind of stories then napoleon Hemoroids....
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews