Obscure Events that Shaped the World

Pocket History

by Joseph Cummins

Obscure Events that Shaped the World is part of the series-a conveniently portable, stylishly packaged and eminently collectible set of six books that each open a window onto a selection of remarkable stories, characters and themes from the past.

Obscure Events that Shaped the World will open your eyes to significant places, events and peoples that have been largely excluded from the standard histories we learn yet have directly affected our history. These stories come from far-off lands and little-known places and are as engaging as they are important. History fans will be captivated by the chronicles of events that led to monumental changes in the global geo-political landscape.

From the Cadaver Synod, one of the strangest trials ever, in which one pope, Stephen VI (VII), exhumed the body of a predecessor, to plague that struck in the polite parlours of Victorian America, in the heart of downtown San Francisco, readers will witness firsthand the unheralded seeds of the modern age.

Genres: History

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2010

About the author

Joseph Cummins is the author of numerous books, including Anything for a Vote: Dirty Tricks, Cheap Shots and October Surprises in U.S. Presidential Elections; A Bloody History of the World, which won the 2010 Our History Project Gold Medal Award; and the forthcoming Ten Tea Parties: Patriotic Protests That History Forgot. He lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this whole little series of books. A great amount of information but concise enough to not be too bogged down - a perfect amount to motivate you to research more in depth information if you desire!

[Martin Willoughby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little nuggets that get forgotten.

[harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘waiting in reception’ kind of book but it probably shouldn’t have been. I think from the title I was expecting a bit more from the fun and interesting side. the /essays/ were alright

[Meredith Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little-known historical events that have affected history, more like random historical events. Some context as to the reason for their inclusion in such a collection probably would have enhanced its value.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. Some of the stories I failed to see how they shaped the world, but interesting nonetheless.

[Hilde Helseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

'A book with more than 20 letters in its title'