ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SH!T WENT DOWN

5 stars out of 5

Back in the dark ages, I took History 101 as a required course in my college major. The elderly professor, bless his pea-pickin' heart, did nothing except read from the textbook during every. Single. Class. I hated it so much that when the class was over, I ran to the registrar's office and changed my major (yes, really!) to one that didn't require another history class. What struck me most as I got into this book, then, was if this author had been my history professor, well, chances are I would have spent quite a few years teaching typing and shorthand to high school students instead of working as a university administrator.

And oh, it's not just the history part - even though the events, organized by month, are interesting, well laid out and more than occasionally chuckle-eliciting. Rather, it was the fun of learning from someone who proclaims that "those who cannot remember the past need a history teacher who says f*uck a lot." Truth be told, I was hoping to learn some new words here, but that ended up being only one (no, I'll never tell). Besides that, his promise of "no shortage" of hate for a certain orange-haired former U.S. president was nothing short of endearing to me. A word of advice: if either of these revelations bothers you, don't even bother opening this book.

It is, alas, nearly impossible to write a review of this book without spoilers; so the best I can do is offer a few insights and examples of what's between the pages. As I mentioned earlier, specific events in history are highlighted by month - some of which are quirky things you (and definitely I) somehow missed in formal history classes. Others add finishing touches that, arguably, should have been included in what we did learn; others just illuminate the importance of those we did.

I learned, for instance, how the term "gerrymander" came to be (hint: it was named after a real person). That Gutenberg wasn't the first to invent the printing press. That Grace Hopper, close to age 80, was the oldest active-duty commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy of either gender. That Jack Ruby was, technically, innocent of killing Lee Harvey Oswald. Intrigued? You should be. If you want to know more, go read the book. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to indulge in exchange for an honest review.

On This Day in History Sh!t Went Down by James Fell (Bantam, October 2023) 432 pp.