Natural Hemorrhoids Treatment

From Publishers Weekly
In this collection of historical anecdotes, author Mason illustrates how the smallest details may have far-reaching historical consequences-or at least that seems to be the idea; in execution, there is no commentary, causal connection or even source identification that legitimizes any of Mason’s data (he’s known as a massive gatherer of “cuttings and books chronicling the weird and the strange”), so while numerous stories are amusive or remarkable, they’re little better than gossip. Despite a repetitious format, Mason writes well, and readers looking for pithy historical trivia to share with friends will be satisfied. Aimed at a U.K. audience, Mason have a tendancy toward topics like British royalty and the subtle differences in meaning or opinion or attitude of cricket, but there’s sufficient conversational ammunition here for a cocktail party on either side of the Atlantic.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
“Mason writes well, and readers looking for pithy historical trivia to part with friends will be satisfied.” (Publishers Weekly )

About the Author
Phil Mason has amassed one of the world’s greatest private collections of cuttings and books chronicling bizarre stories. He is the author of Mission Accomplished!, Napoleon’s hemorrhoids, and How George Washington Fleeced the Nation. He lives in England.

An astonishing book that reveals how our most famous incidents, best loved works of art, and most accepted historical outcomes are plainly a twist of fate.

What were Albert Einstein’s last words? What was Hitler’s real name? What famous artisan was mistakenly thought to be stillborn? What sport did Fidel Castro closely play in a professional manner in America? These questions and more are answered in Napoleon’s Hemorrhoids, a roller coaster of historical information. Napoleon’s painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield. Hitler’s father’s name was in truth Shicklgruber, but when his mother remarried, he took his stepfather’s name—Hitler. Fidel Castro almost became a baseball player. Picasso was stillborn until his uncle revived him by blowing cigar smoke in his face. And…no one in truth knows Einstein’s last words. They were in German, a language his nurse did not speak.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #404303 in Books
• Published on: 2010-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .76″ h x 6.22″ w x 8.22″ l, .57 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Napoleons Hemorrhoids Events Changed History Picture

Napoleons Hemorrhoids Events Changed History Image

Napoleons Hemorrhoids Events Changed History Pic

Napoleons Hemorrhoids Events Changed History Photo

Napoleons Hemorrhoids Events Changed History Picture

Napoleons Hemorrhoids Events Changed History Image

Napoleons Hemorrhoids Events Changed History Pic

Napoleons Hemorrhoids Events Changed History Pic

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Amusing, light hearted approaches to history
By Robert C. Ross
Phil Mason’s thesis is that “the impression of history we get from our school teachers and our history books is one of logical progression and reason. Things happen for a reason. Big things happen for big reasons. Napoleon’s Hemorrhoids explodes this myth. Much of history turns out to be the consequence of small acts of fortune, accident or luck, good or bad.”

Mason has collected hundreds of examples of small events (many with a British slant) which he argues “determined” the course of future events. He is obviously an advocate of what was once called “The Great Man” theory of history, and it is great fun to think about “what if” in many of his examples.

A few of many decisive small events:

Napoleon had an attack of haemorrhoids that intervened with his usual battlefield surveillance.

Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they ran too low on fuel.

A Canadian blacksmith threw his hammer at a fox and missed, but found a gigantic vein of silver.

Charlton Heston was cast as Moses in “The Ten Commandments” because his broken nose made him look like Michelangelo’s

Einstein’s last words were in German; his nurse did not understand German.

Winston Churchill might have died on the Western Front in World War I with his orderly during an artillery attack; instead he was ordered to meet with his corps commander three miles away.

Fidel Castro failed his tryout with the Washington Senators in 1947.

Ronald Reagan’s application to become a member of the American Communist Party in 1938 was rejected because his vetters “thought he was a feather brain…a flake who couldn’t be trusted with a political opinion for more than 30 minutes.”

A great deal of speculation is involved, of course; how would things be different if we knew Einstein’s last words; how many other near misses did Chruchill (or Hitler for that matter) experience; did great events really turn on such small events?

But as a source of gossipy events (did they really happen, the book is short on footnotes), it can be great fun to read and speculate on the events described here. The book is well indexed and divided into ten chapters covering history, politics, chance beginnings, business, the arts and sports, etc. That makes it easy to point to the particular passage when you are challenged for your authority for some outrageous statement you make to a friend or neighbor.

Robert C. Ross 2010

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Interesting/Amusing Insights
By Robert Britt
Another reviewer called this a ‘bathroom book’ and I would agree, except that was not considered praise especially. I love it when you can pick up a book and open it to any given page and get an insight into history. some of the insights are trivia, some are known, some are hard to believe, but most of them were interesting to most members of my household (ages 16 to “old enough to know better”) I picked this up thinking it was going to be a few ‘novellas’ strung together, but enjoyed the fact that it is more like a Guinness Book of World Records type of format. Yeah, you’re not using this as a source in your dissertation, but it sure is fun.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
ok, not bad, fluffy and very British
By D. H. Richards
This is, pardon the expression, bathroom reading. Short little essays on weird or interesting bits of history. Many are concerning bits of British history and British sports (lots of Cricket and Footbal (Soccer) references here). Get this for the beach house or guestroom.

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