9780061257285
Napoleons Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped share button
Tony Perrottet
Genre History
Format Hardcover
Dimensions 5.70 (w) x 8.40 (h) x 1.00 (d)
Pages 256
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date July 2008
ISBN 9780061257285
Book ISBN 10 0061257281
About Book

When Tony Perrottet heard that Napoleon's "baguette" had been stolen by his disgruntled doctor a few days after the Emperor's death, he rushed out to New Jersey. Why? Because that's where an eccentric American collector who had purchased Napoleon's member at a Parisian auction now kept the actual relic in an old suitcase under his bed.

The story of Napoleon's privates triggered Perrottet's quest to research other such exotic sagas from history, to discover the actual evidence behind the most famous age-old mysteries: Did Churchill really send condoms of a surprising size to Stalin? Were champagne glasses really molded upon Marie Antoinette's breasts? What was JFK's real secret service? What were Casanova's best pickup lines? Napoleon's Privates is filled with offbeat, riotously entertaining anecdotes that are guaranteed to amaze, shock, and enliven any dinner party.

Reviews

Paul Cartledge

"It’s refreshing to find such an entertaining writer whose history is also meticulously researched. Perrottet’s take on the past is erudite, original and witty — even, frequently, hilarious."

Norman Cantor

"The Naked Olympics presents the Greeks in all their glory, brutality, and vulgarity. It is a fascinating picture and popular history at its best."

Booklist

“Brimming with humor, adventure, anecdotal tidbits, and fascinating historical information.”

Washington Post

“A whimsical trek through classical history, famous sites and arcane trivia.”

New York Times

“An appealing...mix of the zany and the arcane.”

Boston Globe

“A terrifically funny writer; this history-cum-travelogue is as enjoyable as it is informative and twice as quirky.”

The New Yorker

“This lively account of the classical Olympics portrays them as “the Woodstock of antiquity,” and claims that the Games, while taken seriously, were also where Greeks gathered for a five-day debauch.”

Salon.com

"Tony Perrottet’s sinfully entertaining survey of perversion."

Forbes

“Required reading...a charming popular history of ancient Roman sight-seeing.”

Salon.com

“Tony Perrottet’s sinfully entertaining survey of perversion.”