A treasure trove filled with fascinating anecdotes about the tiny ripples that have caused big waves in history, will cure you of two misconceptions: the first being that history is relentlessly boring and the second that significant historical events are caused by significant and great causes. Here you’ll unearth a multitude of facts you never knew were true. You’ll learn some unbelievable things about some of the most prominent figures in history (Picasso was stillborn until his uncle revived him by blowing cigar smoke in his face!). You’ll discover facts about some of the most famous wars in history (Japan actually manufactured balloons carrying deadly diseases, which they attempted to send over the Pacific Ocean to the United States). Other strange facts include: The career Fidel Castro almost chose over his leadership of Cuba Where Eli Whitney got the idea for his invention of the cotton gin What almost happened during the Wrights brothers’ first successful flight Why certain literary works almost never saw the light of publication What day should have really been designated Independence Day The truth behind Winston Churchill’s daring escape from a Boer War prisoner-of-war camp Franklin Roosevelt’s campaign cover-up The behind-the-scene beliefs of Isaac Newton And many more! It is true that many things you hear should be taken with a pinch of salt; nothing proves this so much as , where you will discover the outrageous secrets history has tried (and failed) to keep. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history—books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.