This is a really fun read. There's a nice array of historical facts presented throughout the year. The writing is funny and uses slang to a nice effect contextualizing things in way that's thought provoking and goofy. I appreciated the glossary in the back of the book too in case any clarification was needed on the slang terms. It would have been nice to see a more global view of history and some of the facts overlapped in a way that felt a little redundant. That said I think this would be really fun as coffee table book and conversation starter; having your friends look up their birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates would be a great laugh.

If you like your history mixed with humor, this may be the book for you. Each day has a historical fact for it written in tongue in cheek style. While the humor was not my cup of tea, others may find it right up their alley. The historical facts themselves were interesting.

This was a fun romp through the annals of history by the popular Tiktokker Katie Kennedy. She gives hilarious anecdotes about the gossip of the day and little tidbits that most would overlook as trivial. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The History of Gossip by Katie Kennedy is an entertaining and unique take on history that I didn’t know I needed. The author’s wit and humor bring a refreshing, lighthearted twist to the subject matter, making history feel more accessible and fun than I ever expected. Although I may be a bit on the older side and didn’t always catch the Gen Z references, I still thoroughly enjoyed the overall tone of the book.

What truly sets this book apart from others is its ability to make history feel engaging and exciting. Kennedy’s approach is unlike anything I’ve read before, and I appreciate her ability to blend humor with historical facts. It feels like a delightful mash-up of storytelling and education that makes history come alive in a way that’s both informative and entertaining.

However, I couldn’t help but feel that the book’s broad approach left me wishing for a more focused topic. I think Kennedy’s storytelling could shine even more if she picked a specific historical subject to dive deeper into. Her ability to make history fun is evident, and it would be exciting to see her tackle a more detailed and concentrated exploration of one subject.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. If you’re looking for a fresh and funny perspective on history, The History of Gossip is definitely worth checking out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I am a firm believer in making history (amongst other things, like law) fun. It is a trial to go through pages and pages of information with not a single joke or sly remark, and I think the value of having history put across humourously also lies in people actually remembering it. I really did enjoy the day-by-day approach to the facts and information, although I did think that some had far more value than others.

My biggest criticism is that I had hoped this would be a little bit more informative and a bit more serious in some ways - sometimes the slang was so much that it took over the whole of the information, and it resulted in things feeling a bit tired. There were a couple of mistakes as well, and making history fun should really come with the proviso of full accuracy, because that's kind of part of the point.

I do think this sort of material is incredibly important, especially for young adults who don't have particularly accessible history at their fingertips, so I am hopeful that this book will achieve that purpose. In the meantime though, I think I'll stick with my slightly stuffier (but still tongue in cheek) preferences.

A big thank you to Running Press for this ARC!

This is history made accessible for quite literally everybody. At times I wish I got a little more information, but thats what the internet is for. Katie did exactly what she promised, a little history for everyday in a funny, clever and interesting package. I could have easily read this in a day, without getting bored. Even historians (with a sense of humour) should be able to appreciate this book. History teacher should take notes, they’d be fired, but at least their class would have been fun. Even the syntax at the end made me giggle. I would 100% read another book by Katie. Amazing.

My thanks to NetGalley and Running Press for an advance copy of this book that looks at events throughout history with an eye towards being both informative and funny, proving that history is not only a circle, but is very much like getting hit in the face with a pie.

Many think of history as a dry recitation of facts. 1492 Columbus set sail to the find Asia, and found something in between. 1776 America begins a war with England for freedom. 1812 America does it again, this time over trade. History however is much more than that. Without understanding the past, one really can't understand the present. The same old hatreds, the same racism, the same stupid reasons constantly come up again and again. Another thing is history is also weird, and as weird as things are getting, well the past might say hold my beer. The Propellerheads had a great song called History Repeating with these lyrics:' {S}ome is good, some is bad and the joke is rather sad, that its all just a little bit of history repeating.'. Well in this book none of the jokes are bad, though they might get a little ribald. The History Gossip: A Slice of Ye Olde Scandal for Every Day of the Year by author and Tik Tok-er Katie Kennedy, illustrated by Martin Hargreaves, is a book of days dealing with events from throughout history, from the far past to the birth of pop stars, with many other odd, weird, and sad occasions in between.

The book is set up like an almanac, or a book of days, starting with January, with each day having a section discussing what happened that day, from the far past to the birth of Taylor Swift. Katie Kennedy, aka The History Gossip has made a credible list full of events both key to the growth of civilization, ie Taylor Swift, and things that might one go hmm, that seems odd. The beheading of the villain Oliver Cromwell, in retribution for the death of his king, though Cromwell had to be dug up from his grave of seven years to do so. The many assassination attempts on Queen Victoria, who wondered how that people loved her so to try and kill her. Actually Queen Victoria makes quite a few appearances here. War, pestilence famine and lots of death especially the weird kinds that history seems to be full pop up a lot. Along with events like the stopping of Niagara Falls, and a few stories about pets.

Each day offers a snarkily told snippet, along with a bit of fictional dialogue that might be what was really said, but would never be shared by historians. However added in the dialogue, Kennedy is sure to keep the event real, not making anything up, letting what happens happen. Kennedy can be what some would call crass, and British. This caused me to look up a few words that were new to me, and probably darning my Google search to some watchlist somewhere. Humor can be subjective and what makes one guffaw out loud, make make another just chuckle, or even worse put on a prune face. So many think that history can't be fun, can't be amusing, and must be as dull as possible. This misses much of why history is so alive. Times have been tough since the first fish crawled on land. And we are still here. I use this to keep me going in these dark times of colossal stupid we live in. Though I am sure we are only one day from digging up FDR and cutting his head off for giving us Social Security.

A funny book that might get people interested in the past, make them think about the future, and try to make it better that what is currently. The humor can be a little much, but older teens might snicker, and think hey this isn't just facts, and not just people put on pedestals. These people were real, and sometimes pretty stupid. Just like all humans. I enjoyed this book, and look forward to more.

I absolutely loved this book and the way history was presented in it. I think many people believe non-fiction books on history need to be stuffy and super formal, but books like these that are tongue-in-cheek and humorous just makes history more approachable. I loved the format of it being a historical fact for every day (hey, Katie, is there a calendar in the works because that would be so fun!) along with quotes and other tidbits.

Such a highly enjoyable read, and quite informative!

That being said, I do think this book will likely have a niche audience.

I had to DNF this book about halfway through (July 15th). I don't think the humor and slang was for me. I also didn't appreciate some of the fat-shaming in the book. You don't have to like Queen Victoria, but do you have to call her lard-arse every time you mention her? I think this book was a great idea, the execution was just a downer for me. Hopefully others will find this book funny, and I will say some of the facts were interesting!

Thank you to Katie Kennedy, Running Press, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Laugh-out-loud funny and filled with a balance of history and humor, this book was such an entertaining read. Recommended for fans of programs like Drunk History, Kennedy provides historical tidbits in the style of 'this day in history', covering a wide range of topics, including well-known people and events, along with some interesting little-known historical information.

It did help to be savvy in pop culture knowledge and lingo. The quick and funny historical summaries will put you in the mind of a gen z kid trying to explain something to their boomer grandparent.

If you want to have a competitive edge at the next pub trivia night but shudder at the thought of having to pick up a boring tome that doesn't even cover a wide range of topics, definitely pick up this book instead. It's hilarious, engaging, with fun breaks and illustrations scattered throughout, along with a helpful dictionary at the end for the aforementioned boomer grandparent that doesn't know what half of the slang used in the book means.

For me, I am a far more likely to remember things if the manner in which I learned it was entertaining enough, and this book certainly delivers.

thank you to netgalley, running press and author, katie kennedy for the arc copy of this book.
this book will be out may 6, 2025.
i have mixed feelings.
firstly, the premise is phenomenal. i think there was a good range of history but it seemed mostly white focused and pretty known history- i don’t think there’s anything super ground shaking in anything that i read.
i also didn’t like the rhetoric when talking about some of the women in the book- even if we are talking about the historical people as characters, and to be comedic- they were still people with stories that impact us today.
great idea. middle execution for me.

Not necessarily something you sit down and read all in one sitting, but definitely cute for a little fact/story a day. The authors voice is not my favorite but the stories are fun.

Thank you Netgalley, Running Press, and Katie Kennedy for sending me this advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a really fun book. I can see it being one I keep in the kitchen to read every morning while getting my coffee ready.

It was snarky, delightful, and I learned all sorts of interesting tidbits.

This book is a cleverly written group of completely random historical facts. I’m sure there’s a niche market for this type of tome.