I found this book at the thrift store several years ago, and finally pulled it off the shelf to read.
It's been a delight. Certainly one, however, best taken in small doses, as I've discovered it's easier to laugh at this garbled history if you understand the ungarbled history beforehand. That's meant a lot of forays to Wikipedia and other sources, trying to sort things out in my own head. I should add some of the references I was already familiar with thanks to a steady diet of British television programs ranging from Yes, Minister, to Keeping Up Appearances.
Still, there are many things in this book that can be chuckled at without even a surface understanding of history, such as this gem about Copernicus:
The reign of Henry VII marks the end of the Middle Ages. These were succeeded by an age of daring discoveries such as when Caprornicus observed the Moon while searching the skies with a telescope, thus causign the rotation of the Earth, crops, etc. Emboldened by this, Caprornicus began openly discussing the topic of capricorns, for which he was unanimously put to death.
Technically, as I think of it, this might be about Galileo.
While other similar collections have been put together, what I think sets this apart is that it's not necessarily a collection of student errors, but just a amalgamation of what's been overheard on theleivsion, on the streets, in the pubs, etc., to show how the complicaed history of a country becomes garbled over time and despite the best efforts of the educational apparatus.
So enjoy the book. I know I am.
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