Pessimist's Guide to History: An Irrestistible Guide to Compendium of Catastrophies, Babarities, Massacres and Mayhe - Softcover

Flexner, Stuart; Flexner, Doris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0380762366 ISBN 13: 9780380762361

Publisher: Avon Books, 1992

Synopsis

An updated edition covers the period from the Big Bang through the turn of the millennium, in an irreverent compendium that identifies the lighter side of history. Reissue.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

YA-- This compact volume records an astounding journey through the development of civilization, with brief stopovers at many scenes of devastation. Focusing on disasters, the Flexners start 18 billion years ago with the Big Bang and continue up to the thaw of the cold war in 1991. They handle the grim entries with amazing equilibrium, usually blended with a tongue-in-cheek approach to horrifying happenings. The chronological progression through the centuries, marked by selective annotations dealing with every imaginable catastrophe, will leave readers breathless. There is a short selective bibliography and a lengthy timeline of events recording air crashes, assassinations, battles, earthquakes, epidemics, and famines. Only optimists could view this survival account with objective fascination. It is an excellent ready reference source as it provides concise data on many major historical tragedies gathered together into one volume.
- Peggy H. Mooney, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Avon Books
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0380762366
• ISBN 13: 9780380762361
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 387