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wildbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
This book reads like a medieval tabloid. It would be a great place to dip your toes into nonfiction or if you're looking for a nonfiction read that moves quickly and has a chatty, informal style.
spoilsofwar's review against another edition
3.0
A very fun and fast read. I'm not much of a religious person so the papal stories were exceedingly jaw-dropping for me.
cancermoononhigh's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
1.75
A great introduction book. Very basic
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
This book features broad overviews of the wild activities of some notable historical figures. It was a very entertaining book.
imabrunette23's review against another edition
2.0
My second time through this book. I like little vignettes about history, and this book is nothing but vignettes. However, it is purely western European based, and that can get old quickly. Also, the continual referencing to other sections got old as well. Either tell me what you're referring to, or don't, but don't make me hunt through the book for it.
Interesting enough for a first read, but I wouldn't suggest buying it because it doesn't stand up to re-reading.
Interesting enough for a first read, but I wouldn't suggest buying it because it doesn't stand up to re-reading.
hollyevaallen's review against another edition
1.0
What an unfortunate disappointment. I saw the writer of this book mentioned during a documentary and decided to give it a try. This book is a collection of very brief looks at different historical characters and their sex lives or scandals. By the second story, I regretted renting the e-book. Farquhar describes the French King of Poland and Lithuania, Henri III, as an “ostentatious transvestite” who had friends that were “obsequious gays”. He makes the claim that Henri III was gay despite the fact that there’s plenty of evidence that he had mistresses. He also seems to draw a correlation between cross-dressing and sexuality which is inaccurate and oversimplified. Despite claiming Henri III was gay, a paragraph or so later Farquhar claims Henri III had an “almost incestuous” relationship with his mother. I’m not sure what constitutes as “almost” incestuous but the whole book is filled with vague, edgy statements like this. This book has inaccuracies and generalizations and is not presented in chronological order. I had to read to the end to get to Ancient Rome yet the book started with Catherine the Great for no discernible reason at all. I can’t really recommend this to anyone as it may give you incorrect or outlandish information.