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More of Paul Harvey's the Rest of the Story
Mystery Stories That Really Happened!
In the million-copy bestseller, Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story, you read about the cocaine in Coca Cola - about the insane wife patriot Patrick Henry kept chained in the cellar - about the little girl Adlai Stevenson shot dead - and much, much more!
Now - in More Of Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story - you'll learn things you won't believe about people you thought you knew!
Don't tell me HE was a hopeless drug addict!
Don't tell me HE had a sex change!
Don't tell me SHE had affairs with all those men!
Don't tell me HE actually died twice!
Oh Yes They Did! And wait until you discover who they are, in...More of Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story.
In the million-copy bestseller, Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story, you read about the cocaine in Coca Cola - about the insane wife patriot Patrick Henry kept chained in the cellar - about the little girl Adlai Stevenson shot dead - and much, much more!
Now - in More Of Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story - you'll learn things you won't believe about people you thought you knew!
Don't tell me HE was a hopeless drug addict!
Don't tell me HE had a sex change!
Don't tell me SHE had affairs with all those men!
Don't tell me HE actually died twice!
Oh Yes They Did! And wait until you discover who they are, in...More of Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story.
195 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 6, 2011
I ran across this old thing in our neighborhood book exchange and I've had fun working my way through these short pieces from the old radio program. Beginning in 7th grade I had to start riding the bus to school. Our bus driver always had the radio set to Paul Harvey News and Comment, so for me his voice will forever be associated with middle school bus rides. "Paul Harvey...Good Day!" An indelible brain tattoo for sure.
When it wasn't news, it was 8-track tapes of the Steve Miller Band, so I also know exactly when to clap my hands in that there "story 'bout Billie Jo and Bobbie Sue." How the driver got away with having an 8-track player on the bus is a mystery, but it was a different era, a different world.
When it wasn't news, it was 8-track tapes of the Steve Miller Band, so I also know exactly when to clap my hands in that there "story 'bout Billie Jo and Bobbie Sue." How the driver got away with having an 8-track player on the bus is a mystery, but it was a different era, a different world.
March 7, 2016
Another good edition. I really enjoy these stories and trying to guess who they are about. Some of them had me doing additional research to find out more!
June 4, 2024
[3.5 stars]
if there’s one thing i learned from this book, it’s that in order to be president of the united states, you need to have a crazy backstory.
p.s. thanks to the person who gave this book to me while on vacation, i never would have known the rest of the story without reading this book
if there’s one thing i learned from this book, it’s that in order to be president of the united states, you need to have a crazy backstory.
p.s. thanks to the person who gave this book to me while on vacation, i never would have known the rest of the story without reading this book
July 31, 2020
This is the second volume of Mr. Harvey’s short radio broadcasts. I read and reviewed the first back in 2009. So in addition to his daily five-minute “news and comment” programs (typically at noon) in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Mr. Harvey also had these little snippets, typically around 5:30 PM, taking only a couple of minutes and with a “twist” at the end. For someone like myself who had listened to the broadcasts, with his unique voice, reading these books has been like listening to him all over again. As I said in my previous review, Mr. Harvey’s conservatism sometimes grated on me, but by and large I found his programs enjoyable and a nice break during the day.
This book contains 101 such stories, most two or three pages, easily used for brief “palate cleansers.” Among my favorites are: Two separate stories about Navy officers, one who played poker and the other involved in the cleanup of a nuclear mishap; the most popular silent movie star ever; the thirteen-year-old boy from a foreign country who wrote a letter to the US President; the woman who helped institutionalize Mother’s Day; a newspaperman who suggested a sex change, not for himself but for a fellow named Otto; how the ninth President rebelled against his rich, entitled upbringing, to tragic consequences; one of Lincoln’s surprisingly closest and most supportive friends; and a young man named Joey Barrow, who was teased unmercifully for playing the violin and who, with the help of a “rough” friend, was encouraged to change the direction of his life.
Not high literature, but certainly a few moments of entertainment. Four stars.
This book contains 101 such stories, most two or three pages, easily used for brief “palate cleansers.” Among my favorites are: Two separate stories about Navy officers, one who played poker and the other involved in the cleanup of a nuclear mishap; the most popular silent movie star ever; the thirteen-year-old boy from a foreign country who wrote a letter to the US President; the woman who helped institutionalize Mother’s Day; a newspaperman who suggested a sex change, not for himself but for a fellow named Otto; how the ninth President rebelled against his rich, entitled upbringing, to tragic consequences; one of Lincoln’s surprisingly closest and most supportive friends; and a young man named Joey Barrow, who was teased unmercifully for playing the violin and who, with the help of a “rough” friend, was encouraged to change the direction of his life.
Not high literature, but certainly a few moments of entertainment. Four stars.
June 16, 2021
What a fun read. I always enjoyed his radio show and the book is just a reminder of how much fun the show was. Plus, I even learned a thing or two.
October 17, 2020
Note: Rating of 5 stars applies only to the stories that I read. I cannot vouch for the others.
June 23, 2018
I've always loved Paul Harvey's news and comment, and my brain read each of these stories in his voice.
In the mid-nineties I had the opportunity to visit a local radio station and was in the booth with one of the DJs. On the shelf above all the equipment was a cassette that was labeled: Paul Harvey ROTS. I was horrified and called the DJ to task about it (he was a friend) - and he patiently explained that 'ROTS' was the acronym for Rest Of The Story... my bad!
In the mid-nineties I had the opportunity to visit a local radio station and was in the booth with one of the DJs. On the shelf above all the equipment was a cassette that was labeled: Paul Harvey ROTS. I was horrified and called the DJ to task about it (he was a friend) - and he patiently explained that 'ROTS' was the acronym for Rest Of The Story... my bad!
November 12, 2018
What a fascinating book: to learn little secrets that no one else knows is a guilty pleasure!
June 27, 2026
Initially, I thought reviewing this book was impossible. It contains over 100 short stories, so ranking them all would take way too much time. Furthermore, each story centers around a plot twist, which makes it hard to discuss without spoiling everything. I’ll just mention my five favorites (along with my least favorite).
Most Thrilling: “Meltdown”. Talk about suspense! I was so captivated, I almost forgot to breathe. The main character disassembled a nuclear reactor, absorbing an entire year’s worth of radiation in mere minutes. Not only did he survive, he lived to be over 100. What a legend!
Funniest: “Dreams of Ivy Island”. In which poor Phineas becomes the victim of a ten-year-long practical joke. My favorite line is, “Young Phineas made a point of playing with the neighbors’ children, saying magnanimously that his wealth would never go to his head. It did.”
Biggest Plot Twist: “McCarthy Era”. Revisiting the infamous campaign of Joseph McCarthy. If you think you know where this is going, trust me, you don’t.
Humble Pie: “Savior”. As a huge fan of the Broadway musical Hamilton, I thought I already knew everything about the guy on the $10 bill. Apparently not. A soldier saves Hamilton and his crew from getting captured during the Revolutionary War. Their stories remain tragically intertwined.
Most Profound: “If”. This story puts you in the role of a doctor. Two women, Caterina and Klara, come to you seeking advice on whether they should get abortions. Caterina is an impoverished teenager who had a one-night stand, while Klara comes from a family marked by close-kin marriages, health problems, and childhood deaths. I already knew one of these women’s true identities, but the other one stunned me.
The One I’d Replace: This collection would have gotten five stars instead of four if “The Cabinet in the Nursery” hadn’t ruined it. The author took one of my all-time favorite Paul Harvey stories, “Bob’s Nightmares”, and sucked all the enchantment out of it. “Bob’s Nightmares” felt like witnessing black magic: here is a gravely ill man, plagued by horrible visions since childhood, writing up a frenzy - 10,000 words a day for almost a week! The words themselves were lush and decadent. I can’t imagine why he ever burned the first draft.
And then “Cabinet in the Nursery” reduces that to: “So back in 18th-century Scotland, this guy built cabinets, but he also robbed a bunch of people. Everyone called him ‘Deacon’, but he wasn’t a real deacon, because that word means something completely different in Scots. A teenager wrote a play about him, and then twenty years later revisited the material for a short story. The End.” To make matters worse, everyone and their brother has turned that story into an absolute joke. In fact, Looney Tunes did so twice!
Most Thrilling: “Meltdown”. Talk about suspense! I was so captivated, I almost forgot to breathe. The main character disassembled a nuclear reactor, absorbing an entire year’s worth of radiation in mere minutes. Not only did he survive, he lived to be over 100. What a legend!
Funniest: “Dreams of Ivy Island”. In which poor Phineas becomes the victim of a ten-year-long practical joke. My favorite line is, “Young Phineas made a point of playing with the neighbors’ children, saying magnanimously that his wealth would never go to his head. It did.”
Biggest Plot Twist: “McCarthy Era”. Revisiting the infamous campaign of Joseph McCarthy. If you think you know where this is going, trust me, you don’t.
Humble Pie: “Savior”. As a huge fan of the Broadway musical Hamilton, I thought I already knew everything about the guy on the $10 bill. Apparently not. A soldier saves Hamilton and his crew from getting captured during the Revolutionary War. Their stories remain tragically intertwined.
Most Profound: “If”. This story puts you in the role of a doctor. Two women, Caterina and Klara, come to you seeking advice on whether they should get abortions. Caterina is an impoverished teenager who had a one-night stand, while Klara comes from a family marked by close-kin marriages, health problems, and childhood deaths. I already knew one of these women’s true identities, but the other one stunned me.
The One I’d Replace: This collection would have gotten five stars instead of four if “The Cabinet in the Nursery” hadn’t ruined it. The author took one of my all-time favorite Paul Harvey stories, “Bob’s Nightmares”, and sucked all the enchantment out of it. “Bob’s Nightmares” felt like witnessing black magic: here is a gravely ill man, plagued by horrible visions since childhood, writing up a frenzy - 10,000 words a day for almost a week! The words themselves were lush and decadent. I can’t imagine why he ever burned the first draft.
And then “Cabinet in the Nursery” reduces that to: “So back in 18th-century Scotland, this guy built cabinets, but he also robbed a bunch of people. Everyone called him ‘Deacon’, but he wasn’t a real deacon, because that word means something completely different in Scots. A teenager wrote a play about him, and then twenty years later revisited the material for a short story. The End.” To make matters worse, everyone and their brother has turned that story into an absolute joke. In fact, Looney Tunes did so twice!
November 7, 2025
I enjoyed most of the 101 stories. My favorite was about Mr. Spock, the dolphin, who swallowed a dangerous screw. It was a very ingenious way to get the screw out. This was before X-ray was widespread. The Presidents were also mentioned quite a lot. Harry Truman was a favorite of mine. O. J. Simpson was mentioned before he was accused of murdering two people. It perhaps gave us insight into the childhood of the man. The lady who founded Mother's Day was also interesting. A few to me were far-fetched. But most were hard to believe until we heard the "rest of the story."
June 10, 2019
Some interesting twists; liked the stories of successful people overcoming challenges and seemingly having their life set upon unexpected set backs that led to a path bound for greatness; most stories are outdated and I had to look up the person mentioned and their contribution to history; a story about O.J. Simpson that was obviously written before his downfall.
January 27, 2023
This is the second book by his son on The Rest of The Story. Amazed every time! Some you will be able to guess. However, like me there are some you have probably never heard of the person or situation, but it is no less amazing. 101 stories, 2-3 pages long so ideal for those short times you need something to fill in a few minutes!
March 29, 2021
Very enjoyable reading from Paul Harvey, an American icon. Short stories that leave you guessing about what the outcome will be or who he is writing about.
September 14, 2022
I definitely enjoy Paul Harvey's stories
October 2, 2016
An enjoyable read. Further research shows a few of his facts are a bit off, but not enough to ruin the stories. Like someone else noted, it's fun to figure out who he was talking about in each story before you get to the end - I had to cover it with my hand more than once so I wouldn't notice the name before I got there!
April 11, 2017
Once again I am fascinated by these stories.
October 30, 2017: Each time I read this book, I am enriched. After reading a story, I often search for more information about the story which leads me to more hidden treasures, including books, movies, quotes, etc. I highly recommend this book!
July 21, 2017: I just finished reading this book again...and loved it again. I plan to start reading it again tomorrow. :)
I loved these 101 stories. I read one each day for the last 101 days--I laughed, I cried, I exclaimed, "Oh my!" and often shared them with someone else, usually my husband. I look forward to reading more stories by Paul Harvey. I had actually read them all a LONG time ago, so it has been a delight to revisit them.
October 30, 2017: Each time I read this book, I am enriched. After reading a story, I often search for more information about the story which leads me to more hidden treasures, including books, movies, quotes, etc. I highly recommend this book!
July 21, 2017: I just finished reading this book again...and loved it again. I plan to start reading it again tomorrow. :)
I loved these 101 stories. I read one each day for the last 101 days--I laughed, I cried, I exclaimed, "Oh my!" and often shared them with someone else, usually my husband. I look forward to reading more stories by Paul Harvey. I had actually read them all a LONG time ago, so it has been a delight to revisit them.
April 18, 2012
The book I actually read was called "Destiny and 102 Other Real-Life Mysteries" by Paul Aurandt, but Goodreads doesn't have that title so I borrowed this one. It's a compilation of Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" Series, published in 1983. I liked the stories. But I didn't know many of the people or events so I started skipping to the end of each section to see if I knew the name or event and only then would I read the story.
July 7, 2008
This has been fun to read. I always try to guess who he is talking about, and I'm right quite a bit of the time. It's also sometimes hard not to glance down the page to see who or what he's talking about. Great light read.
November 30, 2012
Each of these stories is only a page or two long so it's perfect for little reading "snacks" when you don't have a lot of time. I enjoyed all the little tidbits of history that I normally wouldn't know about!
March 2, 2008
so many things you never knew that are cool to know
March 5, 2008
G- rated. Interesting little snippets, and hard to put down. It makes a great bathroom reader.
April 16, 2008
Fun book....Great for finding out odd little facts about famous people.
I always loved Paul Harvey's radio show and reading this book, I can imagine the stories in his voice.
I always loved Paul Harvey's radio show and reading this book, I can imagine the stories in his voice.
March 2, 2009
I read this whole thing and hell yes I enjoyed it. Haters gonna hate
January 18, 2010
Read this when I was 12 or so, and it still bears re-reading. Addictive and fascinating.
March 4, 2010
His "The rest of the story" books are so entertaining! I love how some of the stories are so unusual. It's like "who would have known?"
August 24, 2011
Not as good as the original, but still quite enjoyable. I truly wish there were more to found....
June 1, 2013
Liked the first one so much, had to read this one out loud to the family too!
June 4, 2015
The only thing better than reading these true stories would be to hear Mr. Harvey read them! A must have read aloud for upper elementary! Captivating, factual, short, and just about perfect!
July 10, 2015
Another interesting collection of short vignettes that entertain and provide little known details.
January 19, 2016
Very interesting book of short stories. Some I had heard on the radio and some I had not.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews