Curing Hiccups with Small Fires: A Delightful Miscellany of Great British Eccentrics
Registered by 
Davros-10
of Banyo, Queensland Australia on 12/20/2012
This book is in a Controlled Release!
Davros-10 of Banyo, Queensland Australia on 12/20/2012 This book is in a Controlled Release!
1 journaler for this copy...
Bought at the pre-Christmas book sales today and put aside for next year's birthday presents.
Amazon.co.uk Book Description:
"'The English aristocrat John 'Mad Jack' Mytton died a bloated, paralysed and penniless debtor in prison. His premature demise was partly due to injuries sustained while setting fire to his own night-shirt to try to cure hiccups. Just before the horribly burned Mytton slumped into unconsciousness he said, "Well, the hiccups is gone, by God."' An 18th-century French scholar attributed the British talent for eccentricity to a ‘mixture of fogs, beef and beer…aggravated by the tedium of the English Sunday’. Whatever the reason, the British Isles do seem to have thrown up more than their fair share of magnificent oddballs, the finest of which are profiled in this fast, funny celebration of over 200 aristocrats, inventors, artists and the just plain weird... * Dr Samuel Johnson is said to have shaved off all of his bodily hair, just to see how long it would take to grow back * Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire, once related an experience he had at Westminster: 'I had a horrid nightmare. I dreamed I was making a speech in the House of Lords, and woke up to find I actually was.' * Percy Bysshe Shelley once tied a cat to a kite in a thunder storm to see if it would be electrocuted"
Amazon.co.uk Book Description:
"'The English aristocrat John 'Mad Jack' Mytton died a bloated, paralysed and penniless debtor in prison. His premature demise was partly due to injuries sustained while setting fire to his own night-shirt to try to cure hiccups. Just before the horribly burned Mytton slumped into unconsciousness he said, "Well, the hiccups is gone, by God."' An 18th-century French scholar attributed the British talent for eccentricity to a ‘mixture of fogs, beef and beer…aggravated by the tedium of the English Sunday’. Whatever the reason, the British Isles do seem to have thrown up more than their fair share of magnificent oddballs, the finest of which are profiled in this fast, funny celebration of over 200 aristocrats, inventors, artists and the just plain weird... * Dr Samuel Johnson is said to have shaved off all of his bodily hair, just to see how long it would take to grow back * Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire, once related an experience he had at Westminster: 'I had a horrid nightmare. I dreamed I was making a speech in the House of Lords, and woke up to find I actually was.' * Percy Bysshe Shelley once tied a cat to a kite in a thunder storm to see if it would be electrocuted"
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Mailed to my nephew Brad for his birthday.
I hope you enjoy it Brad. The somewhat offbeat humour in this book seems to be right up your street.
Also counts towards the 2013 Never Judge A Book By Its Cover Release Challenge: Week 40 (Cover Picture that matches Title).
Thanks for checking the site out. I hope you enjoy both the book and the site. People all over the world are tracking their books through BookCrossing. While you're here, I'd really appreciate it if you'd make a journal entry for this book so I know that it's safe. You may choose to remain anonymous or to join (it's free).
If you do decide to become a BookCrosser please consider using me, Davros-10, as the member who referred you. If you are already familiar with BookCrossing, thanks for picking up the book, I hope it is one you were looking for!
Please feel free to keep this book for as long as you wish, and whenever you're ready pass it on to a friend, or leave it "in the wild" for someone else to find. Then watch its journey - you'll be alerted by email each time someone makes a new journal entry. It's all confidential, free and fun (and addictive - but in a GOOD way)!
Mailed to my nephew Brad for his birthday.
I hope you enjoy it Brad. The somewhat offbeat humour in this book seems to be right up your street.
Also counts towards the 2013 Never Judge A Book By Its Cover Release Challenge: Week 40 (Cover Picture that matches Title).
