[.ca] Interesting Bits (ISBN 0719524202)

Unlike Queen Victoria, We Are Very Amused!:
"Whom are you?' he asked, for he had attended business college." If the quote above tickles your funny bone, then Justin Pollard's The Interesting Bits is the book for you! The Interesting Bits is full of little blithe, historical, anecdotes, which have been placed together in thematic chapters. Everything from "Men of the cloth" to "Bedhopping" is covered with enthusiastic relish. Pollard's book will sometimes make you exclaim, "That can't be true," and it will often make you question your own education. The Interesting Bits is not the sort of book you should read all at once, as each tantalising tidbit is laid out in such a way that after a time, one light-hearted recount may merge into the next. This would be a shame, as each factoid has its own unique humour, and more than one of the anecdotes will put the odd historical misconception to right. For example, Captain Bligh was not a Captain, there was never a ship called the HMS Bounty, and Bligh himself was actually quite a nice chap, who showed leniency to all crew members under his command. Charles Laughton and Anthony Hopkins should be ashamed of themselves, for portraying Bligh as such a cruel and dastardly villain! Even if it did not state on the front of this book that Justin Pollard was one of the writers of QI, you would have guessed almost immediately that he contributed to this popular BBC programme. The Interesting Bits has a very similar style to QI; however, you do miss Stephen Fry's cerebral wit and Alan Davies' cheeky banter. The Interesting Bits will contradict much of what you were taught in school. It will make you ramble on, for at least five minutes, about how your history teacher knew nothing of history and was, quite frankly, and probably still is, planting untruths in impressionable young minds. But, after your rant is over, you will delight in the sometimes improbable, sometimes shocking, but often amusing, chestnuts that Justin Pollard's The Interesting Bits has to offer... Enjoy!