It all started with Columbus,: Being an unexpurgated, unabridged,and unlikely history of the United States from Christopher Columbus to John F. ... read another (A Bantam pathfinder edition)

By Richard Armour

Book Overview

IT ALL STARTED WITH COLUMBUS A Merry Mangling of American History From Columbus to Nixon by Richard Armour lavishly illustrated by Campbell Grant 1971 Softcover 8 x 5 1/4 inches 129 pages McGraw Hill This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Unknown Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0007EEUF0
• Release Date: January 1965
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 119 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A humor classic -- still funny after all these years.

I read this decades ago and needed a few laughs in this humorless time domestically, in the present clime. It's still as clever and funny as it was when it was published. Please note: you have to KNOW US History to appreciate its spoof.

Very funny

Although not as good as his "Twisted Tales from Shakespeare" and "The Classics Reclassified," this volume is still a funny overview of American History.

When History Cross-breeds with Humor

This book is, quite simply, a masterpiece of American humor. However, the same can be said of most of Richard Armour's books, including such classics as "It All Started With Marx," "English Lit Relit," "Twisted Tales From Shakespeare" (with its classic description of Hamlet entering 'with his nose in a book, perhaps to keep his place'), and of course "The Classics Reclassified." This is the cream of the crop, which is saying a lot given the quality of the crop. Starting with Christopher Columbus and working his way into the twentieth century, Armour has combined great scholarship with a wild sense of humor (Explorers returned with "Chinaware from China, Indiaware from India, and Underware from Down Under") to make an indelible mark on the study of history. And it will contribute to the reader's knowledge, because you will grasp obscure facts better by virtue of Armour's jokes. This has been one of my favorite books for many years, and it is WELL WORTH finding in a library or a book-finding service; the history buff will want to re-read it frequently for a good laugh!

American Hystery

If you are a History fan, you MUST read this, and any of the other books by Richard Armour. You will DEFINITELY look at America in a Whole NEW light...even if this book IS out of print! Maybe we can start a movement to have his stuff brought back! It is a CLASSIC in the True sense of the word. I especially love the description about Davy Crockett.. "He wore a Coonskin Cap and Bucksin Coat -but it never says wether or not he wore pants..."

Very very funny

This book has got to be one of the funniest history books around. I enjoyed history in school, but I like Armour's version even better. This book has become a family classic.