The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy

History isn't always made by great armies colliding or by great civilizations rising or falling. Sometimes it's made when a chauffeur takes a wrong turn, a scientist forgets to clean up his lab, or a drunken soldier gets a bit rowdy. That's the kind of history you'll find in The Greatest Stories Never Told.

This is history candy — the good stuff. Here are 100 tales to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy: more than two thousand years of history filled with courage, cowardice, hope, triumph, sex, intrigue, folly, humor, and ambition. It's a historical delight and a visual feast with hundreds of photographs, drawings, and maps that bring each story to life. A new discovery waits on every page: stories that changed the course of history and stories that affected what you had for breakfast this morning.

Consider:

• The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer
• Some Roman officials were so corrupt that they actually stole time itself
• Three cigars changed the course of the Civil War
• The Scottish kilt was invented by an Englishman

Based on the popular Timelab 2000® history minutes hosted by Sam Waterston on The History Channel®, this collection of fascinating historical tidbits will have you shaking your head in wonder and disbelief. But they're all true. And you'll soon find yourself telling them to your friends.

History is filled with unpredictable people and unbelievable true stories. Consider:
-- The Pilgrims landed in Plymouth because they ran out of beer.
-- Annie Oakley almost shot Kaiser Wilhelm before WWI.
-- Three cigars changed the course of the Civil War.
-- The stethoscope was invented when a modest French doctor didn't want to put his ear to the lavish bosom of a female patient.
-- An Italian priest perfected the first practical fax machine in 1863.
-- Teddy Roosevelt is the father of football's forward pass.
-- And believe it or not, actress Hedy Lamar not only appeared in the movies' first nude scene, but later patented an idea that formed the basis for cell-phone encryption.

As Dave Barry would say, you can't make this stuff up.

Inspired by the History Channel series Timelab 2000 "RM," The Greatest Stories Never Told features the most startling stories ever plucked from the pages of history. The stories are accompanied by more than 200 illustrations gathered from libraries, archives, and private collections the world over.

Rick Beyer is a lifelong history enthusiast and an award-winning documentary producer whose work for The History Channel^® includes Godspeed to Jamestown, The Wright Challenge, and the Timelab 2000 series of history minutes. He lives with his wife and two children in Lexington, Massachusetts.