When Churchill Slaughtered Sheep and Stalin Robbed a Bank

Picador

When Churchill Slaughtered Sheep and Stalin Robbed a Bank
Giles Milton
2016

The Summary
"More addictive and mind-blowing true tales from history, told by Giles Milton--one of today's most entertaining and accessible yet always intelligent and illuminating historians.

"In the second installment of his outrageously entertaining series, History's Unknown Chapters, Giles Milton shows his customary historical flair as he delves into the little-known stories from history, including when Stalin was actually assassinated with poison by one of his inner circle; the Russian scientist, dubbed the "Red Frankenstein," who attempted to produce a human-ape hybrid through ethically dubious means; the family who survived thirty-eight days at sea with almost no water or supplies after their ship was destroyed by a killer whale; or the plot that served as a template for 9/11, in which four Algerian terrorists attempted to hijack a plane and fly it into the Eiffel Tower."

The Good
Giles Milton's work is as entertaining as always in this latest addition to his series, History's Unknown Chapters.  Personally, I loved learning new things about history that I didn't know, like the rehearsal for D-Day that saw more than 900 casualties.  Or the spy who broke into Auscwitz.  Or the man who broke into Buckingham Palace and decided to hang out in the Queen's chambers.  Or Guy Gabaldon, who captured several hundred Japanese soldiers without even firing a bullet.

When Churchill Slaughtered Sheep and Stalin Robbed a Bank is pared down into manageable, bite-size sections, which makes Mileton's book both easy-to-read and accessible.  Don't want to hear about how Charlie Chaplain's grave was robbed?  Skip it!  Don't care to hear about Stalin's assassination?  Then move on to the next chapter.

This book is great if you like random facts, if you like history, or if you like learning about weird, quirky people and strange happenings across the globe.  It's highly entertaining and it's accessible, which I--and I'm sure other readers--appreciate.

The Bad
As I discovered with When Hitler Took Cocaine and Lenin Lost His Brain, When Churchill Slaughtered Sheep and Stalin Robbed a Bank is a book to be read at short intervals.  I loved the random facts, the quick anecdotes that taught me something new; however, I mostly read it in between other books or when I was waiting--like waiting for an oil change, or waiting for a seat at a restaurant, or waiting for my boyfriend to pick me up.

It's more of a short, entertaining read to be taken up at short intervals, rather than consumed in one large gulp.

The Ugly
Reality truly is stranger than fiction.