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The Great Book of American Trivia: Fun Random Facts & American History
Slept through high school history? Need a more entertaining refresher than a dusty textbook? Want to learn more about America and its interesting history? Pick up The Great Book of American Trivia, the ultimate compendium of American trivia and little-known facts. A quick read packed with information from cover to cover. Here you will find Which US president survived an assassination attempt - and didn’t even pause his speech?What holiday’s origin story was actually just a tall tale to unite a country at war?Where in the world can you find an American mountain range - that isn’t in America?How did an earthquake lead to the Trail of Tears?What First Lady gossip shook up an entire presidential cabinet?Overstuffed like the Thanksgiving turkey with answers to these questions and more facts - sometimes fun, sometimes serious, but always as true as we can confirm amongst America’s fables - The Great Book of American Trivia takes on the real drama behind the quaint stories we found as students in US history books. A novelty amongst trivia books, here you’ll learn the real stories, the mysteries, and the fascinating tidbits about American history from its first inhabitants to present day.Whether you know nothing about America’s past or you consider yourself an expert, you’ll learn something new and find yourself entertained as you discover or relive the nation’s troubles, mistakes, triumphs, and challenges. Dig in now and start learning the interesting stories that shaped America into what it is today.
- GenresHistoryAmazonNonfiction
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 3, 2017
346 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews
February 7, 2024
I read it for the heck of it. Some I knew about. I wonder how much is true. Some seem so farfetched. Anyway, very interesting. I didn't know this was a #2. I just saw it and it didn't have a number on it. Thankfully, Goodreads has that info. I don't know if the first one is on Kindle.
Things like "Queen Elizabeth is..." She's dead now. She was. I'm sure it was written and published when she was alive. Still interesting information.
Things like "Queen Elizabeth is..." She's dead now. She was. I'm sure it was written and published when she was alive. Still interesting information.
April 9, 2018
Dip a toe into American History
I write my reviews by hand before typing them up and was prepared to type up the review for this book and was amazed at how long it was.
So I’m going to spare you most of it? Why? Because you need to listen to the book!
What I loved about this book was the acknowledgement that there were human beings on the continent before Columbus. The acknowledgement that European settlers and subsequent governments have committed the equivalent of a genocide. Need proof?
There were 18 to 20 million Native Americans when Europeans arrived. In 2012, that number was down to just 5.2 million (just 1.1% of the total population). Many live in abject poverty on reservations, and as evidenced by Standing Rock, governments still believe in eroding what few lands and sacred spaces remain to them. If you only listened to this book for the cursory but accurate and empathetic discussion of Native Americans, it is time well-spent. The only thing I would have done differently was discussing more famous Native Americans throughout history. That they created popcorn is interesting, and revisiting Sacagawea and Pocahontas (and correcting certain commonly-held inaccuracies) was informative, but I wanted more biographical mentions in addition to Leonard Pelletier’s (who did, certainly, deserve mention).
If you remember this is a trivia book and not a history treatise, you’ll be fine. Howard Zinn’s ‘A People’s History of the United States’ is great, but not everyone has 34 hours or the patience for the narrative stories. O’Neill’s book gives you hundreds of trivia facts, leaving you with the ability to do further research if something catches your fancy.
There are a number of pop quizzes to keep you engaged and test your knowledge. I really liked these. O’Neill does arrange the book in historical periods such as Colonial Revolution or the period between WWI and Civil Rights (1918 to 1964). Some of this might be done to organize the information, but the chapters are logical. Be warned, the incidents in the chapter are not sequential in order.
As a Canadian who loves PBS documentaries, I was familiar with some things – Glass-Steagall, the Louisiana Purchase, Stonewall riots, Brown v Board of Education (Linda Brown just passed away recently), 1983’s Thriller, same-sex marriage… The list goes on and on. But there are also many, many things I was not familiar with. O’Reilly often uses dates and statistics to back up the trivia and make it more memorable.
My favourite statistic is that 95% of all Americans have watched Sesame Street – which is shown around the world in dozens of languages. Progressive often before its time, that children’s program is a true gift from PBS to the world.
One quick issue: John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. NOT John F. Kennedy JUNIOR. The president was not a junior. His father was Joseph and his older brother was Joe Jr. (died in WWII). John F. Kennedy JUNIOR was the son of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and died tragically while piloting a plane in 1999, killing him, his wife Carolyn, and her sister Lauren Bessette.
Nitpicky on my part? Maybe. But accuracy is important. I’m working on the assumption all the other facts, dates, anecdotes and statistics are correct and I hope I’m right.
Okay, on to narration. Derek Newman was a great choice. Clear, concise, and with just the right amount of either humour or gravitas, he brings this book to life. I will definitely listen to him again.
This is a great book for what it is – trivia. A quick introduction to the US. A fascinating venture into a world superpower.
Note to self: look up the 1919 Boston Molasses Disaster and find out whatever happened to the lost colony of Roanoke.
Finally, I want to share one statistic that shocked me. Only 12 students and 1 teacher died at Columbine High School in 1999. (I use only judiciously because one death is too many). That massacre seemed to usher in the phenomenon of young white men bringing assault rifles into public places and opening fire. In Parkland, Florida, this year, 17 died. Columbine was a moment of awakening, but I hope O’Neill will have to update this book because things are finally going to change with these young students who are fighting back against politicians.
I write my reviews by hand before typing them up and was prepared to type up the review for this book and was amazed at how long it was.
So I’m going to spare you most of it? Why? Because you need to listen to the book!
What I loved about this book was the acknowledgement that there were human beings on the continent before Columbus. The acknowledgement that European settlers and subsequent governments have committed the equivalent of a genocide. Need proof?
There were 18 to 20 million Native Americans when Europeans arrived. In 2012, that number was down to just 5.2 million (just 1.1% of the total population). Many live in abject poverty on reservations, and as evidenced by Standing Rock, governments still believe in eroding what few lands and sacred spaces remain to them. If you only listened to this book for the cursory but accurate and empathetic discussion of Native Americans, it is time well-spent. The only thing I would have done differently was discussing more famous Native Americans throughout history. That they created popcorn is interesting, and revisiting Sacagawea and Pocahontas (and correcting certain commonly-held inaccuracies) was informative, but I wanted more biographical mentions in addition to Leonard Pelletier’s (who did, certainly, deserve mention).
If you remember this is a trivia book and not a history treatise, you’ll be fine. Howard Zinn’s ‘A People’s History of the United States’ is great, but not everyone has 34 hours or the patience for the narrative stories. O’Neill’s book gives you hundreds of trivia facts, leaving you with the ability to do further research if something catches your fancy.
There are a number of pop quizzes to keep you engaged and test your knowledge. I really liked these. O’Neill does arrange the book in historical periods such as Colonial Revolution or the period between WWI and Civil Rights (1918 to 1964). Some of this might be done to organize the information, but the chapters are logical. Be warned, the incidents in the chapter are not sequential in order.
As a Canadian who loves PBS documentaries, I was familiar with some things – Glass-Steagall, the Louisiana Purchase, Stonewall riots, Brown v Board of Education (Linda Brown just passed away recently), 1983’s Thriller, same-sex marriage… The list goes on and on. But there are also many, many things I was not familiar with. O’Reilly often uses dates and statistics to back up the trivia and make it more memorable.
My favourite statistic is that 95% of all Americans have watched Sesame Street – which is shown around the world in dozens of languages. Progressive often before its time, that children’s program is a true gift from PBS to the world.
One quick issue: John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. NOT John F. Kennedy JUNIOR. The president was not a junior. His father was Joseph and his older brother was Joe Jr. (died in WWII). John F. Kennedy JUNIOR was the son of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and died tragically while piloting a plane in 1999, killing him, his wife Carolyn, and her sister Lauren Bessette.
Nitpicky on my part? Maybe. But accuracy is important. I’m working on the assumption all the other facts, dates, anecdotes and statistics are correct and I hope I’m right.
Okay, on to narration. Derek Newman was a great choice. Clear, concise, and with just the right amount of either humour or gravitas, he brings this book to life. I will definitely listen to him again.
This is a great book for what it is – trivia. A quick introduction to the US. A fascinating venture into a world superpower.
Note to self: look up the 1919 Boston Molasses Disaster and find out whatever happened to the lost colony of Roanoke.
Finally, I want to share one statistic that shocked me. Only 12 students and 1 teacher died at Columbine High School in 1999. (I use only judiciously because one death is too many). That massacre seemed to usher in the phenomenon of young white men bringing assault rifles into public places and opening fire. In Parkland, Florida, this year, 17 died. Columbine was a moment of awakening, but I hope O’Neill will have to update this book because things are finally going to change with these young students who are fighting back against politicians.
April 18, 2018
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I enjoyed this book and the condensed trivia is pretty good. There were a few errors which made me question the rest of the book, and it can get a bit confusing because it skips between years. However, I do really like the questions at the end of each chapter.
The narration was brilliant. Derek Newman had a really dry wit that came through in his narration, and I really liked it.
I enjoyed this book and the condensed trivia is pretty good. There were a few errors which made me question the rest of the book, and it can get a bit confusing because it skips between years. However, I do really like the questions at the end of each chapter.
The narration was brilliant. Derek Newman had a really dry wit that came through in his narration, and I really liked it.
December 9, 2017
‘This book won’t change the world, and it isn’t intended to, so hopefully any debates don’t get too out of hand’
Author Bill O’Neill has authored many books on Trivia and stands as somewhat of an expert in this field! His topics include movies, football, baseball, wars, rock music and simply random trivia facts. This volume is American trivia (a subset that grows broader my the hour these days!) To set the mood of the book Bill states, ‘The United States of America has a long and complex history—sometimes dark and sometimes colorful—full of tall tales, half-truths, and hard facts you’ll find harder to believe than the myths. The history we learn as young children is the stuff of flowery fantasy in some cases, and it gets more honest and less interesting the older we get until we finish school. But we never get to the meat of it until we enter the real world and learn life isn’t and never was that easy or perfect. No one really knows for sure when the landmass now known as the United States of America first became inhabited by people, but like most of the rest of the world, it’s not where humans originated, so all we can do is guess who they were and how long ago they came. Most well-educated guesses say the land became peopled when hunter-gatherers crossed Beringia from modern Russia into what we now know as Alaska, moving gradually south, likely in search of warmer climates. The populations we refer to as Native Americans, or indigenous peoples, may be their descendants, but in any case, they are the people who have longest resided on this land in modern history. They were the sole human residents of the landmass until Europeans arrived in the fifteenth century, and mostly from there is where the story begins, at least for this book. How the United States went from being unoccupied by humans to being one of the most populated countries in the world and the world’s greatest superpower is a long, meandering, cacophonous story that might be better addressed in a complete set of encyclopedias rather than two-hundred-word vignettes that can only serve to peek behind the curtain. This book of American trivia is meant to give a broad overview of the biggest events—admittedly with a few more trivial but very interesting tidbits along the way—in a way that delivers truth without getting into debate about bias. History can get dry, so humor is a great alleviator, but quite frankly, not all of it is very funny. Some of it is hard to hear, and some of it sparks debate, sometimes because of one’s interpretation and sometimes because the version we learned hasn’t been unlearned, and the new, not as pleasant information might come as a surprise.’
The book is divided into fascinating sections – Native American history, 1492 -1783 Colonial History through the American Revolution, 1783 – 1918 American Independence to World War I, 1918 – 1964 World War Ito Civil Rights, 1964 – NOW Civil Rights to “Oh My God, What Have We Done?”, More Pivotal Moments in United States History, American Culture, and American Geography. Bill closes his book with a particularly interesting section he calls ‘Interesting Facts – such as ‘2. The most crooked street in the world is Wall Street. — DRUMROLL! — Just kidding, it's actually the aptly named Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa, and if you get carsick, you probably shouldn't go.’
Not only is the book entertaining – it is also very instructive for every reader. Have fun, learn, and be ready for the next gathering of very smart friends! You’ll be on top.
Author Bill O’Neill has authored many books on Trivia and stands as somewhat of an expert in this field! His topics include movies, football, baseball, wars, rock music and simply random trivia facts. This volume is American trivia (a subset that grows broader my the hour these days!) To set the mood of the book Bill states, ‘The United States of America has a long and complex history—sometimes dark and sometimes colorful—full of tall tales, half-truths, and hard facts you’ll find harder to believe than the myths. The history we learn as young children is the stuff of flowery fantasy in some cases, and it gets more honest and less interesting the older we get until we finish school. But we never get to the meat of it until we enter the real world and learn life isn’t and never was that easy or perfect. No one really knows for sure when the landmass now known as the United States of America first became inhabited by people, but like most of the rest of the world, it’s not where humans originated, so all we can do is guess who they were and how long ago they came. Most well-educated guesses say the land became peopled when hunter-gatherers crossed Beringia from modern Russia into what we now know as Alaska, moving gradually south, likely in search of warmer climates. The populations we refer to as Native Americans, or indigenous peoples, may be their descendants, but in any case, they are the people who have longest resided on this land in modern history. They were the sole human residents of the landmass until Europeans arrived in the fifteenth century, and mostly from there is where the story begins, at least for this book. How the United States went from being unoccupied by humans to being one of the most populated countries in the world and the world’s greatest superpower is a long, meandering, cacophonous story that might be better addressed in a complete set of encyclopedias rather than two-hundred-word vignettes that can only serve to peek behind the curtain. This book of American trivia is meant to give a broad overview of the biggest events—admittedly with a few more trivial but very interesting tidbits along the way—in a way that delivers truth without getting into debate about bias. History can get dry, so humor is a great alleviator, but quite frankly, not all of it is very funny. Some of it is hard to hear, and some of it sparks debate, sometimes because of one’s interpretation and sometimes because the version we learned hasn’t been unlearned, and the new, not as pleasant information might come as a surprise.’
The book is divided into fascinating sections – Native American history, 1492 -1783 Colonial History through the American Revolution, 1783 – 1918 American Independence to World War I, 1918 – 1964 World War Ito Civil Rights, 1964 – NOW Civil Rights to “Oh My God, What Have We Done?”, More Pivotal Moments in United States History, American Culture, and American Geography. Bill closes his book with a particularly interesting section he calls ‘Interesting Facts – such as ‘2. The most crooked street in the world is Wall Street. — DRUMROLL! — Just kidding, it's actually the aptly named Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa, and if you get carsick, you probably shouldn't go.’
Not only is the book entertaining – it is also very instructive for every reader. Have fun, learn, and be ready for the next gathering of very smart friends! You’ll be on top.
January 14, 2018
History, as it is taught in schools, is rather boring. In order to make it a bit more exciting, one needs to either hype up the drama or chop it up into bite-sized bits - and that's exactly what this book did. However, in chopping it up into such small bits, there wasn't that much discussion on each topic (and there were quite a few of them). Just, here's one paragraph or so of what happened and here's another or two of why it's important. It was also kind of amazing to see which topics got an extra paragraph and which didn't even get a single mention at all (or, just a brief mention in the after-the-chapter list of factoids).
This shouldn't be studied as any serious guide to history. Perhaps it's best left in the restroom for quick bits of something interesting to read while you're in there doing your thing.
This shouldn't be studied as any serious guide to history. Perhaps it's best left in the restroom for quick bits of something interesting to read while you're in there doing your thing.
March 4, 2018
This book was great. Derek Newman narrates it with a dry humor at times that seemed to be exactly what the author wanted. I love history, love culture, and the book was just great. There were times I fell out laughing by the way the author chose to discuss certain topics that could be sensitive with dry humor. Or, maybe it was sarcasm. Either way it was funny and fun. Though I knew most of it, I did find out a few things I didn't know. But, I never tire of history especially when it's delivered in a fun and engaging way. It was presented in a way that was blunt and straightforward. This one is a fun one.
December 14, 2017
Random Facts
O'Neill's book The Great Book of American Trivia is As the title suggests random. It is an easy read and a good starting point for anyone interested in the American culture or history. It would have been improved if historical events had been less random, more chronological.
O'Neill's book The Great Book of American Trivia is As the title suggests random. It is an easy read and a good starting point for anyone interested in the American culture or history. It would have been improved if historical events had been less random, more chronological.
January 7, 2019
Presenting opinion as fact.
Interesting at times but flawed. There are many instances where the author puts forth opinion as fact. Perhaps it’s just me but when I read a trivia book and can demonstrably illustrate many errors of fact, I have to wonder what research skills the author possesses.
Interesting at times but flawed. There are many instances where the author puts forth opinion as fact. Perhaps it’s just me but when I read a trivia book and can demonstrably illustrate many errors of fact, I have to wonder what research skills the author possesses.
July 17, 2019
I liked how he took a lot of the important events in history and made short stories to explain them and when appropriate he added some humor.
He made one major mistake when writing about 9/11. He stated that 2 planes went down in a field, which is incorrect and he made no mention of the plane which hit the Pentagon
He made one major mistake when writing about 9/11. He stated that 2 planes went down in a field, which is incorrect and he made no mention of the plane which hit the Pentagon
May 4, 2018
Audible:I enjoyed these facts about American history.I learned a few things.It is worth the listen!Derek Newman was a fine narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
January 25, 2018
A pretty fun read. The history of america told in a very condensed way with some extra tidbits and fun facts thrown in.
January 30, 2018
This book has some too information! But I did see several mistakes!
February 3, 2018
Good trivia book. Would be useful for a teacher or at home for game night.
February 11, 2018
Fun!
Fast and fun! The topics chosen are generally those highlighted in high school history classes, but with a fun twist.
Fast and fun! The topics chosen are generally those highlighted in high school history classes, but with a fun twist.
February 19, 2018
Great ESL read
Gave my Brazilian boyfriend great insight into our history and brevity made it easier for ESL speakers. I'd highly recommend as a refresher for anyone!
Gave my Brazilian boyfriend great insight into our history and brevity made it easier for ESL speakers. I'd highly recommend as a refresher for anyone!
May 7, 2018
Trivia & History = This book
If you love American history and love trivia, then this book is for you. I loved all the little bits that make up this great and unique country.
If you love American history and love trivia, then this book is for you. I loved all the little bits that make up this great and unique country.
September 28, 2018
Wrong dates for very recent history
Timothy McVeigh was executed in 2001, not 1997.
Paris Peace Treaty (American Revolution) was signed in 1783, not 1793.
Bad history.
Timothy McVeigh was executed in 2001, not 1997.
Paris Peace Treaty (American Revolution) was signed in 1783, not 1793.
Bad history.
January 12, 2018
A book of trivia
It is a great second to the big book of facts. Though it is in a more of a story format instead of lists.
It is a great second to the big book of facts. Though it is in a more of a story format instead of lists.
April 7, 2018
The Great Book of American Trivia: Fun Random Facts & American History by Bill O’Neill was a great book. This was a great guide to many different facts about American history.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews