Karl Shaw Libros

Strange... Astonishing... Fascinating... an extraordinary collection of weird and wonderful facts and tales from around the world.

The life and death of a 19th-century circus legend.

New paperback edition - Before 'the greatest showman' P.T. Barnham there was Philip Astley, a British man who completely changed popular entertainment. This is his extraordinary story.

All in perfectly bad tastePrepare to be amazed, appalled, disgusted, and hugely entertained by this compendium of indelicate oddities. Nothing is too inane, too insane, too bizarre, or too distasteful for this incredible, seemingly impossible, but absolutely true collection of facts from across the ages and around the world.Did you know……that Pope Benedict XII was such a hardened boozer that he inspired the expression “drunk as a pope”? (From “10 Historic Drunks”)…that as a special honeymoon treat, Prince Charles read Princess Diana passages from the works of Carl Jung and Laurens van der Post? (From “History’s 10 Least Romantic Honeymoons”)…that the best-dressed gentlemen in medieval England exposed their genitals below a short-fitting tunic? (From “History’s 10 Greatest Fashion Mistakes”)…that Alfred Hitchcock suffered from ovophobia—fear of eggs? (From “10 Phobias of the Famous”)…that King Louis XIV only took three baths in his lifetime, each of them under protest?(From “10 Great Unwashed”)…that in 1930, Sears customers became enraged when the catalog was first printed on glossy, non-absorbent paper?(From “12 Magical Moments in Toilet Paper History”)

The follow-up collection features an outrageous assortment of true trivia that promises to shock and amuse readers. Karl Shaw curates a diverse range of bizarre and absurd facts, ensuring that no topic is off-limits. This entertaining compilation invites readers to explore the extremes of human experience, from the utterly ridiculous to the surprisingly profound, making it a captivating read for those with a taste for the unconventional.

This engaging history explores the scandalous and often absurd tales of Europe's royal families, revealing the eccentricities and intrigues that shaped their reigns. Through a humorous lens, it uncovers the darker side of monarchy, showcasing the power struggles, betrayals, and bizarre behaviors that characterized these dynasties. Readers will gain a newfound appreciation for democratic governance as they delve into the chaotic lives of those who once ruled with absolute power.

Over 2,000 years of epic failure and underachievement