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One-Night Stands with American History: Odd, Amusing, and Little-Known Incidents
Respect yourself in the morning -- read One-Night Stands with American History! This collection of little-known facts and anecdotes is American history with the boring parts left out. Richard Shenkman and Kurt Reiger have uncovered numerous stories about hoaxes, inventions, secrets, and rare incidents -- many involving the most famous and powerful people in America. Even historians find that One-Night Stands with American History features fascinating stories they never knew. Now updated with facts and anecdotes from the last twenty years, this volume is a treasure trove of remarkable stories that will startle, entertain, and inform you. And the best part is that they're all true!
322 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
166 people are currently reading
579 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 4, 2016
Oh, I am SO longing to regale you with little known facts and fascinating bits of trivia, like HOLY MOLEY - chastity belts made of cacti - OUCH! But, since this is a site for booklovers, I pulled out all the little tidbits I could find about books, writers and publishing.
- The rhymes of Mother Goose, a real person, were first published in 1719 under the title Songs for the Nursery; or, Mother Goose's Melodies for Children. Her son-in-law, a printer, who was annoyed by the rhymes Mother Goose sang to his baby, published them in an attempt to embarrass her.
- Cotton Mather published more than 450 books and pamphlets during his life. The works included histories, biographies, essays, sermons, and fables and concerned theology, philosophy, science and medicine.
- When Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, the first book ever published by an American Negro, appeared in London in 1773, someone bound a copy of the book in Negro skin.
- Washington Irving coined the phrase "The Almighty Dollar" in his book The Creole Village.
- Harriet Beecher Stowe received torrents of abuse from Southerners for writing Uncle Tom's Cabin. She also received a black man's ear.
- According to Louis L'Amour, the Western-fiction writer, the red light became associated with prostitution because late-nineteenth-century train conductors who visited whorehouses often left their red lamps hanging outside.
- When Mark Twain was told in 1905 by the librarian of the Brooklyn Public Library that copies of The Adventures of Tom Sawyerand The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn had been removed from the shelves of the children's room, he replied, "I wrote Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn for adults exclusively, and it always distresses me when I find that boys and girls have been allowed access to them. The mind that becomes soliled in youth can never again be washed clean."
- This one reads like something out of Ripley's Believe It or Not!. The sinking of the Titanic on a cold April night in 1912 in the icy waters of the Atlantic stunned the world. But, did you know that fourteen years earlier, a young American named Morgan Robertson had written a novel about a similar ship, filled with fabulously wealthy passengers, which hit an iceberg in the Atlantic one cold April night and went down - a ship named Titan. The name of Robertson's novel was Futility or the Wreck of the Titan.
- Scott Fitzgerald worried that his penis was small. One day he called Hemingway into a closet for an opinion. Hemingway reassured Scott that his penis was normal, and took him on a tour of nude statues at a local museum to prove it.
- Joseph Heller had planned to call his most famous book "Catch-18,' but it so happened that Leon Uris had a book coming out that same year (1961) with that same number in the title. After much hand-wringing, his editor suggested Catch-22.
This is a fun book for history and trivia fans alike. Entries range from a few sentences to one or two pages, making this a perfect BTS (By The Shitter) book. You'll laugh, you'll sigh, you'll go "Huh" a lot, and hopefully, you'll learn something.
One more little gem . . .
This one is not book related, but a call for peace is always a good way to end a review.
- Inscription found by an American reporter at Verdun, France, in 1945:
Austin White - Chicago, Ill. --1918
Austin White - Chicago, Ill. -- 1945
This is the last time I want to write my name here.
- The rhymes of Mother Goose, a real person, were first published in 1719 under the title Songs for the Nursery; or, Mother Goose's Melodies for Children. Her son-in-law, a printer, who was annoyed by the rhymes Mother Goose sang to his baby, published them in an attempt to embarrass her.
- Cotton Mather published more than 450 books and pamphlets during his life. The works included histories, biographies, essays, sermons, and fables and concerned theology, philosophy, science and medicine.
- When Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, the first book ever published by an American Negro, appeared in London in 1773, someone bound a copy of the book in Negro skin.
- Washington Irving coined the phrase "The Almighty Dollar" in his book The Creole Village.
- Harriet Beecher Stowe received torrents of abuse from Southerners for writing Uncle Tom's Cabin. She also received a black man's ear.
- According to Louis L'Amour, the Western-fiction writer, the red light became associated with prostitution because late-nineteenth-century train conductors who visited whorehouses often left their red lamps hanging outside.
- When Mark Twain was told in 1905 by the librarian of the Brooklyn Public Library that copies of The Adventures of Tom Sawyerand The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn had been removed from the shelves of the children's room, he replied, "I wrote Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn for adults exclusively, and it always distresses me when I find that boys and girls have been allowed access to them. The mind that becomes soliled in youth can never again be washed clean."
- This one reads like something out of Ripley's Believe It or Not!. The sinking of the Titanic on a cold April night in 1912 in the icy waters of the Atlantic stunned the world. But, did you know that fourteen years earlier, a young American named Morgan Robertson had written a novel about a similar ship, filled with fabulously wealthy passengers, which hit an iceberg in the Atlantic one cold April night and went down - a ship named Titan. The name of Robertson's novel was Futility or the Wreck of the Titan.
- Scott Fitzgerald worried that his penis was small. One day he called Hemingway into a closet for an opinion. Hemingway reassured Scott that his penis was normal, and took him on a tour of nude statues at a local museum to prove it.
- Joseph Heller had planned to call his most famous book "Catch-18,' but it so happened that Leon Uris had a book coming out that same year (1961) with that same number in the title. After much hand-wringing, his editor suggested Catch-22.
This is a fun book for history and trivia fans alike. Entries range from a few sentences to one or two pages, making this a perfect BTS (By The Shitter) book. You'll laugh, you'll sigh, you'll go "Huh" a lot, and hopefully, you'll learn something.
One more little gem . . .
This one is not book related, but a call for peace is always a good way to end a review.
- Inscription found by an American reporter at Verdun, France, in 1945:
Austin White - Chicago, Ill. --1918
Austin White - Chicago, Ill. -- 1945
This is the last time I want to write my name here.
March 25, 2017
This book is basically soundbites of historical facts. It goes from the pre-colonial period up to present day. Many of the facts in the book I had never heard of before, for example, Davy Crockett in 1830 wanted to abolish West Point. Jefferson Davis, the confederate president was the former son in law of President Polk. Puritans banned Christmas. This book is for everyone, it's not your normal stuffy history book, some things in it will make you laugh out loud. Which caused some problems when I could not put it down last night and was still reading at 3 a.m. I had forgotten how interesting this book is, I'm glad I had to re-read it for so I can use it in a paper I'm writing.
January 17, 2020
This is definitely recommended for anyone with a love of history, especially American history, and you will learn so much with its amusing yet insightful anecdotes that if one were to take the title of the book seriously, you would soon suffer from a disease...of knowledge.
(I will show myself out for the cringe of that last part, but it had to be done.)
(I will show myself out for the cringe of that last part, but it had to be done.)
June 28, 2025
It was a fun read, but nothing exactly to write home about
August 8, 2021
I was first introduced to this book in my High School American History Class. I have since purchased the book and I recommend it to anyone who likes trivia and funny trivia at that.
January 6, 2020
A lot of small pieces of history in the United States. Some of them are really funny most are bits and pieces you don't get much of in history classes. I gave it four stars so a good way to start the year off.
January 26, 2011
This book was a nerd's paradise! It was amazingly enlightening, providing information that I didn't know beforehand, or expounding upon such I already knew. It was absolutely hilarious, for some of the insights related to comical incidents or moments of irony that were so enjoyable to adsorb. Then, of course, there were my favorites...
Quotes: “There they are, cutting each other’s throats, because one half of them prefer hiring their servants for life, and the other by the hour.” – Thomas Carlyle about the Civil War
“Men have a much better time of it than women. For one thing, they marry later. For another thing, they die earlier.” – HL Mencken
“The whole country is one vast insane asylum and they’re letting the worst patients run the place.” – Robert Welch
Books To Look At Later: The Americans: The Democratic Experience
American Manners and Morals
Wit, Wisdom, and Foibles of the Great by Charles Shriner
Banned Books by Anne Lyon Haight
The Era Of Wonderful Nonsense by Laurence Greene
The Fine Art of Political Wit by Leon Harris
Bloodletters and Badmen by Jay Robert Nash
Customs and Fashions in Old New England by Alice Morse Earle
Patriots Off Their Pedestals by Wilstach
Seventy-Five Years of White house Gossip by Colman
The Wit And Wisdom of Congress by Boykin
And...the most profound data noted -
American Revolution – 25,324 lives, $149 million
War of 1812 – 2,260 lives, $124 million
Mexican War – 13,283 lives, $107 million
Civil War – 498,332
Union – 364,511 lives, $8 billion
Confederacy – 133,821
Spanish American War – 2,446 lives, $2 ½ billion
World War One – 116,516 lives, $66 billion
World War Two – 405,399 lives, $560 billion
Korean War – 54,246 lives, $70 billion
Vietnam War – 56,244 lives, $12111 ½ billion
(Dictionary of American History)
Put simply, this book was well organized and well selected. My only criticism lay in opinion, for some of the selections I found to be a bit dull. Outside of this minor issue, of course, I love the book and am so happy to add it to my library!
Quotes: “There they are, cutting each other’s throats, because one half of them prefer hiring their servants for life, and the other by the hour.” – Thomas Carlyle about the Civil War
“Men have a much better time of it than women. For one thing, they marry later. For another thing, they die earlier.” – HL Mencken
“The whole country is one vast insane asylum and they’re letting the worst patients run the place.” – Robert Welch
Books To Look At Later: The Americans: The Democratic Experience
American Manners and Morals
Wit, Wisdom, and Foibles of the Great by Charles Shriner
Banned Books by Anne Lyon Haight
The Era Of Wonderful Nonsense by Laurence Greene
The Fine Art of Political Wit by Leon Harris
Bloodletters and Badmen by Jay Robert Nash
Customs and Fashions in Old New England by Alice Morse Earle
Patriots Off Their Pedestals by Wilstach
Seventy-Five Years of White house Gossip by Colman
The Wit And Wisdom of Congress by Boykin
And...the most profound data noted -
American Revolution – 25,324 lives, $149 million
War of 1812 – 2,260 lives, $124 million
Mexican War – 13,283 lives, $107 million
Civil War – 498,332
Union – 364,511 lives, $8 billion
Confederacy – 133,821
Spanish American War – 2,446 lives, $2 ½ billion
World War One – 116,516 lives, $66 billion
World War Two – 405,399 lives, $560 billion
Korean War – 54,246 lives, $70 billion
Vietnam War – 56,244 lives, $12111 ½ billion
(Dictionary of American History)
Put simply, this book was well organized and well selected. My only criticism lay in opinion, for some of the selections I found to be a bit dull. Outside of this minor issue, of course, I love the book and am so happy to add it to my library!
June 22, 2009
I love trivia, and this had some pretty interesting stuff. I can't give it five stars because it has the caveat that some of the anecdotes are of questionable origin (but it doesn't say which ones), and because after the first hundred and some pages, I was about ready for something new, and because it contains my biggest personal history-related pet peeve - the claim that Ben Franklin wanted the turkey as the national bird, citing the one letter to his daughter everyone cites when they make this claim, and which was obviously a joke.
All in all, though, it's well researched, and they do some debunking too (e.g. Lincoln denied ever saying that he wanted to find what brand of whiskey Grant drank and get a case for every general, e.g.2 GHWB didn't really look in bug-eyed wonder at a regular grocery checkout scanner).
It's worth a few days reading for a trivia buff.
All in all, though, it's well researched, and they do some debunking too (e.g. Lincoln denied ever saying that he wanted to find what brand of whiskey Grant drank and get a case for every general, e.g.2 GHWB didn't really look in bug-eyed wonder at a regular grocery checkout scanner).
It's worth a few days reading for a trivia buff.
January 29, 2014
From the beginning author Richard Shenkman warns the reader that many of the stories contained within are apocryphal, and a lot are probably untrue to begin with. Why then is this book worth reading? Shenkman manages to answer this question with one of the book's own passages.
To paraphrase: two Confederate veterans were reminiscing about the battle of Paducah Kentucky, when one of them bragged, "We pushed those damn Yankees all the way back to Illinois!"
But then the other man interrupted. "I was there. The Yankees drove us out of Paducah and almost out of the state."
The first veteran muttered, "Another good story ruined by an eyewitness."
The fake history is worth repeating because it makes a good story. So goes the author's slightly disturbing view of history.
To paraphrase: two Confederate veterans were reminiscing about the battle of Paducah Kentucky, when one of them bragged, "We pushed those damn Yankees all the way back to Illinois!"
But then the other man interrupted. "I was there. The Yankees drove us out of Paducah and almost out of the state."
The first veteran muttered, "Another good story ruined by an eyewitness."
The fake history is worth repeating because it makes a good story. So goes the author's slightly disturbing view of history.
December 31, 2013
There must be over a thousand bizarre facts, stories and odd information ranging from the days of the Colonies until 2002. This is a good book to have on a coffee table or nightstand, where you can pick it up, read a few pages and then go on to something else.
I liked the fact that almost every fact had a source cited – though a few of the more extraordinary items (e.g. a racist remark by Sam Rayburn and a bizarre tale about LBJ) were sourced as “personal conversation with [the author]”.
Overall, a good book that will have you shaking your head in disbelief.
I liked the fact that almost every fact had a source cited – though a few of the more extraordinary items (e.g. a racist remark by Sam Rayburn and a bizarre tale about LBJ) were sourced as “personal conversation with [the author]”.
Overall, a good book that will have you shaking your head in disbelief.
April 10, 2017
Here's what most teenagers don't realize: American history, while occasionally dull, has its dark dirty secrets. If you know where to look, you can find things that will turn your teacher's ears red. One-Night Stands with American History is like the gossip magazine of American history. It's organized well and the facts are quick and yet still detailed. There are some dirty things, some funny things, and some odd things. Give it a chance! You just might become a believer...
November 30, 2008
I like trivia and I like American History, so I liked this book. Very digestible nibblets of knowledge. But, for some reason I got the sense not all of the "facts" were facts. Maybe it was that they listed the source citation after each and every one? Like they were trying to convince me? Still, a good time.
January 17, 2009
There were a few interesting anecdotes in the book but most of them just weren't interesting. It didn't help that many were about people who were extremely minor players in history.
There are many other books that do a much better job of exploring some of the lessor known stories of American history.
There are many other books that do a much better job of exploring some of the lessor known stories of American history.
October 1, 2012
The book was given to me as a gift from a thrift store and I hadn't had the chance to read it until now. It's an interesting read with various vignettes and tidbits of events that occurred in history. I recommend this to any history buffs.
March 2, 2009
This is a pretty fun read. Good for a history buff.
January 12, 2010
Oh history... normally American history is full of propaganda that sickens me, but this book was full of lulz! :D
January 18, 2010
Totally awesome for American history dorks like me.
September 19, 2023
Fun and easy to read.
February 9, 2011
Just what the full title said. Not really a history, just a collection of amusing anecdotes about American history.
July 23, 2012
A wonderful assortment of American history trivia, entertaining throughout.
September 23, 2013
Short stories, with a fun twist on history.
December 3, 2014
I like to see fresh perspectives on American History but I've read so many reviews saying that this book is b.s., it's hard to know what to believe.
July 9, 2014
Interesting book with little tidbits of information.
April 27, 2015
A really fun little trivia book. I read it quickly and was sad when it was over.
December 28, 2016
Amusing
April 4, 2021
This book is filled with tasty bits and bites of American history appropriately sectioned chronologically in 9 chapters. Even the most inveterate researchers, students, or historians will probably find a number of nuggets to enjoy. For example, who knew that FDR was related to 11 other presidents? (But then again, if you go back far enough, aren't we all?)
This is a quick read that is written without any particular slant or bias and is, therefore, an enjoyable experience.
This is a quick read that is written without any particular slant or bias and is, therefore, an enjoyable experience.
August 18, 2017
Although this Book is truly a RE-READ for me (as I read this originally in 1980). I always appreciate History's little know facts (and many, many, and many, there were is this book). I'm actually 1/2 through it already and still HIGHLY recommend this as a Good Read, especially for those of you who truly love history.
January 6, 2019
A collection of historical anecdotes from two decades ago, fascinating for how the tone has changed regarding this information. The book presents stuff like revoked suffrage or presidential bigotry with a wink when it’s really a catalogue of injustices.
August 21, 2019
When judged by 1980s standards, it’s not too awful but any reader today will find it dated, sketchy, and full of more yikes than it was worth. Most of the tidbits don’t hold up well under scrutiny either.
September 30, 2019
Cannot be 5 stars because it’s not a thematic book, but man it was fun. I’m a nerd. Not a buff. Just a history nerd. And I really enjoyed these short anecdotes!! A fantastic piece to read through, learn some interesting nuggets, and bring up at a dinner party
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews