A People's History of the Peculiar: A Freak Show of Facts, Random Obsessions and Astounding Truths

Did you know Thomas Jefferson’s grandson was an ax murderer? Do you delight in knowing that some dinosaurs were as tiny as hens? How about an ailment so surreal it’s actually named after Alice in Wonderland? In A People's History of the Peculiar, historian Nick Belardes has dug into the raw source material found in historical archives, scientific studies, and libraries the world over to find facts, lists, definitions, and astonishing information guaranteed to provide readers with the best cocktail conversation topics that are so incredibly they're hard to believe! Also found here are first-person interviews with people who can explain the unexplained, from the permanently puzzling Mothman conspiracy to secret Star Wars religious cults and the charmingly eccentric reason why British aerospace engineers sent teddy bears into space. These real-world facts are outlandish enough to sharpen the brain and occupy readers’ minds for hours of entertaining education.