The Forgotten Past

I adore little known parts of history! So, of course, this book was perfect for me. Some I had read of before, but quite a bit was new to me. If like me you're a fount of useless knowledge, then this might be right up your alley! I always say that I know a little about everything, but not much of anything in particular! My thanks to Andrew Vinken, his publisher's, and Netgalley. Recommended!

This book was extremely interesting and filled with nuggets of facts that I had never heard before. This is one that I recommend to anyone that loves history!

I’ve always been fascinated by, as the author Andrew Vinken terms it, the history from below: the stories and lives of everyday people from the past that are untold and so oft-forgotten. Taking the famous and important characters from history, and making them secondary to the characters that history neglects is such a wonderful idea!

This was just a really cool read if you’re a fan of history. I learned some very interesting little-known facts.

Learn history from the bottom up. The "little guy" has done more to influence history than you might think. And there are interesting historical stories from places where nothing spectacular has ever happened. Yes that's counter-intuitive, but you will read them in this book. A rather quick read compared to other books I've read recently, but that's due to it being a well-flowing book that's difficult to stop reading.

What a delightful surprise this book featuring interesting curios, anecdotes and little known facts from history turned out to be. The author, Andrew Vinken is keen to point out the difference between his history emanating from ordinary people and the ‘history from above’ approach that most of us learnt in school focusing on the rulers and not the ruled. Comprising of short readable chapters there is an eclectic range of subjects including a macabre unsolved murder, a regicidal hermit, a mysterious manuscript and a phantom dog.

Too be honest once I read one chapter I was so intrigued by the heading of the next one that I literally could not put the book down and was through it in no time at all. I have always been interested in the little known and unusual and found the easy going often humorous prose most appealing. There are also photographs to accompany the text.

If you have a liking for history told from a slightly different perspective and like to be entertained as well as educated then you can do a lot worse then to read this charmingly eccentric and engaging book.

The first book I finished in June was an e-arc which was released recently and focuses on aspects of history that are often forgotten such as the true inventor of flight (years before the Wright brothers), an audacious conman and Hermann Goring's brother who was such an incredible person (unlike his brother) to the most decorated solider of the first world war who was an extremely brave stretcher bearer, strange coincidences throughout history, the grave robbing of royal tombs and much more.

If you've read my previous book reviews and wrap-ups then you might know that history centric non-fiction reads that focus on a very specific or niche topic are some of my favourite books to read and this one from Andrew Vinken ticks so many boxes. I loved the quick, short chapters each looking at a different event/individual/topic and the easy writing style, although I think it was a little too cheesy and casual at times. I thought it would be a little more academic or formal in it's tone which was disappointing but I would recommend it as an easy and unusual non-fiction read.

I found this book to be sweet and charming in a way I did not expect at all. It’s filled with little-known anecdotes from history, each chapter only a few pages long. But the key to this book is imagining it narrated by your kind, probably nonexistent, old British grandfather, with glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and a deep, rumbling voice. Maybe like Stephen Fry or David Attenborough (one of the stories is actually about Sir David, so maybe go with that). Imagine sitting by the fire, sipping tea, and listening to these little cheerful anecdotes.

Now, the reason I say this is because this book isn’t told like a regular history book - there will be no formal academic language, no historiographies, no in-text citations here. Initially, I expected all of the above - after all, this is supposed to be a history book. I was unpleasantly surprised in the first few chapters when I discovered the informal tone and exclamation points everywhere. As a history major, I would have been publicly humiliated had I put a single exclamation point in any of my papers. However, within a few chapters, you come to reorient your expectations and appreciate the book for what it is. Vincent cares more about making history fun and interesting rather than factual and boring. He adopts a tone for the people, just to inform you, not to put you to sleep. Here’s an example that I pulled at random - found in an anecdote about how the word “mortgage” comes from the French for “death contract.” “Fortunately, the death bit refers to the demise of the contract, upon either the final repayment, or seizure of the property through foreclosure, rather than to the expiration of the borrower. I am, however, reminded of one or two tightwads I have known down the years who would probably have regarded snuffing it mid-mortgage as something of a result!” Is that not the most old-British-guy humor you’ve ever heard?

In addition, many of these stories could be completely untrue. There are no citations and Vinken often says that he found out any given piece of information just by “doing some research.” But, this quote sums it up perfectly: “Unfortunately, there is no primary source of historical evidence to verify this tale, but never let the truth get in the way of a good story, I always say!” I have to admire that attitude.

Individually, none of the stories are groundbreaking or life-changing, but together, you’ll come away from this book with at least a dozen fun “did you know?” anecdotes to pepper into dull conversations or make you more interesting at parties. Here are just a few: Did you know that, contrary to popular belief, “America” was probably not named after Amerigo Vespucci, but was instead name after the Welsh financier Richard Amerike? Or that the Wright Brothers were actually not the first-ever people to achieve powered flight - that honor should have instead been given to Gustave Whitehead (he just didn’t get the recognition because there was no photographic evidence of his flight). Or how about this one: the truly evil founder of the Gestapo and commander of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, had a brother named Albert Goering who was a strong anti-Nazi dissident, arrested many times for refusing to acknowledge Hitler’s power or giving the Nazi salute. He saved over a hundred people from concentration camps by procuring travel documents or directly intervening with his brother, Hermann.

This book is truly a delight and would put a smile on the face of any history lover who is completely aware of the unhistorical nature of the book. It’s a fun and charming romp through time and forgotten bits of the past.

This was a fun little book but I found myself wanting more details out of each story and less exposition. It seems a little lower grade level than I was initially anticipating, however, it would be a great book for middle grade to high school kids. I really wanted to like this more but the use of exclamation points and relatively fluffy voice wasn't ideal for me, personally.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. This is a fun little book with a number of stories from little known side characters with the big events in the background. Easy to read although occasionally the conversational style seems a little forced and becomes a distraction.

A fun and lively collection of tales from the lesser-known side of the history of the western world.

This was a quite entertaining read, even if the writing style was sometimes a little too chatty. Still, the anecdotes were all interesting and easy to read, and I especially enjoyed the sections where events were cross-referenced with each other.

A fun read for history buffs.

I highly enjoyed this charming romp through history trivia. Vincent takes a unique approach in that the stories he tells in this book are about “the history from below,” or the lives and stories of every day people who are too often forgotten. He has a knack for making famous and important figures from history seem secondary to the characters that stories usually neglect.

I love trivia and The Forgotten Past did not let me down in that area. Every story was engaging and taught me something new. I loved the obvious passion in the writing and I appreciated that the author let his voice show. Nothing noted in this book is ground breaking or too in-depth, but I gained so many new and valued perspectives from the way these stories were told. Better yet, I had so many fun facts and stories to share with the people around me.

I would definitely, and have already, recommend The Forgotten Past to my friends who love history and even those who don’t. It’s a fun read that “never lets the truth get in the way of a good story.” Enjoy.

Written by Andrew Vinken, I have found myself recommending this book to everyone I know. The Forgotten Past is filled with stories, both true and theories based on truth. If you enjoy history, or even if you don't, this is a really great book!

Hands down one of my favorite non-fiction reads, this was easy and moving and had SO MUCH I didn't know about.

Well written, this is written in more in a narrative style than the traditional dry non-fiction style that so many people avoid. Honestly, a really great book for people who don't usually like to read non-fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.
As someone who enjoys history, but sometimes finds a hugh tome a bit of a struggle to get through, i found the bite sized format and variety of subjects covered,much easier to digest.
This is the sort of book that I enjoyed dipping into , and it gives you many interesting facts that you weren’t aware of.
I would recommend this to anyone as a gateway into history reading

Interesting book. The author writes in a way that is like having a personal conversation with you over coffee. This book offers interesting parts of history that the textbooks forgot! Great for history lovers like myself.

I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this as there were tons of interesting stuff that I wasn't familiar with.

An interesting book looking at the byways of, mostly, English history. It's a great book to dip into when you need a quick refreshing break. Vinken writing style is pedestrian but humorous.

The majority of the chapters deal with just one person or event and each is illustrated with pictures and photographs. A few chapters cover a collection of similar events, such as strange wars.

It was fun to read and would be a good book to keep on the nightstand.

The Forgotten Past.

For people who don't know me: I enjoy knowing things. I am that one Tyrion quote that says "I drink and I know things", but instead of drinking it's eating. I own several books like this, spanning from the whacky kings and queens of England to two separate books on weirdly funny deaths.
That said, I really enjoyed this book. Vinken has a very entertaining writing style and his chosen stories were interesting to read. While I did know several of them beforehand (I may or may not have written a 2k essay on the Winchester house just because I could a few years ago), others were entirely new to me.
So, if you enjoy knowing things just for the sake of knowing, this book may just be the thing for you.


Thanks to Netgalley and Matador for providing this ARC!

It purports to be a book about little known historical facts. Unfortunately it seems like most of the author's research took place on Google, and I don't mean Google Scholar. The sourcing and actual "fact" status of a lot of these is questionable. His writing style is pretty pleasant when he's not find himself to include weirdly chatty asides like "What do you think?" that make more sense on a blog where you have commenters than in a book. Although I was muttering at it a lot so there's that. 2.5/5 sheep, if you have nothing better to do and can get it for free/cheap it's mildly entertaining and will save you the trouble of finding out what silly theories the internet has put out about things yourself.

The Forgotten Past was a fun book to read. The tidbits included are exactly the type of history I love and several of the subjects sent me down rabbit holes of my own research. The chapter “The Nice Herr Goering” was particularly interesting to me as it was a side note of an era of history I studied in depth as a history major in college.

It is not a book or in depth, purely historical stories from our past. Some of the chapters are as much hearsay as they are factual but it’s fun to read. This could be a good read for an older child with an interest in “weird” history.

This is not a book for a history purist nor is it a primary source. However, it’s a fun read that’s suitable for a variety of ages and the chapters are fairly short in length. The author includes all of his sources linked in the ebook version, making it pretty easy to do your own digging, which I enjoy. Consider these stories appetizers to whet your palate.

I received this ARC for free via NetGalley to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Matador, for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book, it ought to be a series! I felt I was sitting in an old time pub with an exccentic uncle who knew far too much and loving every minute of his non-stop one sided conversation. The collection of stories were very entertaining and made me laugh out loud more than once and the more sober stories broke my heart. A very easy book to read in manageble chapter chunks that you can put down and come back to. I have already decided to purchase a few copies of this book for Christmas stocking fillers for those whom I know will love it as much as I did.

One of the nicest things about this book is Vinken's writing style, he has very personable voice which made each chapter a genuine pleasure to read. The sections are varied and cover a lot of ground, from the real inventor of flight to con men, murder mysteries, and dreadful poets.

As a proud owner of McGonagall's collected works of poetry, it's always a treat to see him remembered, even if it is as a figure of fun.

Recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Este libro es perfecto para los amantes de lo inusual, lo irreverente y lo curioso. Una colección de historias tan atractivas que es imposible creer que a pocos les puedan interesar.

This book is perfect for lovers of the unusual, the irreverent and the curious. A collection of stories so appealing that it's impossible to believe that few may be interested in them.

Full review to be publsihed on August 3: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2019/07/resena-review-forgotten-past.html

The forgotten past is a lighthearted look at history. Vinken provides brief lesser-known narratives of the past complete with related illustrations. The interesting and engaging stories are filled with history trivia and quirky details. This is a great resource for history lovers!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I received a free copy of this 'The Forgotten Past' by Andrew Vinken from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The book is a eclectic collection of little known stories from the annals of History, two stories I particularly enjoyed reading were, The Phantom Doggie of Logeriat Parish and The world's worst poet

I found this book really easy to read and I enjoyed the conversational style of writing.

As the book is a collection of stories it was easy to dip in and out of and there was need to read from front to back.

All the stories are engaging and taught me something new some, the stories would also make great conversation starters at parties.

Would recommend this book to history lovers and people who love reading trivial.

A nice easy read that sheds light on varied historical happenings throughout the world and time. I found his tales at time familiar and at times illuminating.

This book is perfect for all types of history buffs and even for those that consider themselves not "history people!"

Have you ever wondered about the people who only receive maybe a footnote in history? Or worse the ones that are lost to history for being peasants, the common folk, etc etc? Then this book is for you! Peppered with colorful characters, Andrew Vinken offers short chapters on interesting anecdotes throughout history. Every thought of who came up with selling mineral water? There's a story on that. What's wife selling? There's a story for that too!

In the end the book makes you think more about everyday history, etymology, and more! You'll have plenty of fun facts at your next book club to share.

I love books that offer little tidbits of lesser-known history especially if they are facts about everyday lives and people. "The Forgotten Past" offers this in abundance. Although I was aware of a few of these facts, there was enough new information to keep my interest. This is definitely a good read if you want to learn something that may not be in most history books.

History nerds and lovers of ephemeral minutiae take note; Andrew Vinken has written the perfect book for you. This delightful little cabinet of curiosities unveils antique treasures which fell through the cracks. Here can be found tales of overlooked pioneers, troublesome spirits, siblings of the rich and powerful, and ancient relics. I particularly enjoyed the sections on the origins of words and phrases and a retelling of a spooky mystery from my neck of the woods; Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I found this a quite entertaining read, even if the writing style was sometimes a little too chatty. Still, the anecdotes were all interesting and easy to read, I could have used a little more detail on some but still recommend it

A fascinating look at the alternative side of history. Always find the unsung stories from the past to be the most interesting and this just did not disappoint.

I thought this was an interesting read and I read it rather quickly. I did not know a large portion of the stories but a few I had some knowledge about. If you are interested in history and trivia then you will probably enjoy this book. A fast and entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book and will be seeking more of this author's work. I love history so it was right up my street. Highly recommended.

Thank you #NetGalley for the review copy of #TheForgottenPast

This was an amusing read with a collection of brief stories about an assortment of "lesser known" historical events that are not necessarily all going to be brand new to readers, but are told in an engaging way. It's very easy to read for a short time before putting the book down again, so this book would be great for your coffee table, travel bag, or nightstand. Given the length of each part, it's nowhere near a comprehensive history book with full descriptions of the context and details of each situation, but readers can learn an assortment of trivia by reading this and there's always the option to look up anything one wants to learn more about.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brilliant
A history book with a difference, this book looks at the forgotten stories, the ones that didn’t make it into the mainstream books
I totally loved this book, there were so many different stories that I didn’t know, that had previously passed me by, and reading it bought me closer to the unknown side of the story. Sorry, just realised how wooly that sounds! In short, this book educates and challenges the reader, with some popular and but mostly unknown stories that make up our history
The writing style drew me in and each page caught my attention even more and I think I loved that about it. Each chapter is a different story so it’s easy to drop in and out and there is something in there for everyone
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy something different, who want to learn but also be totally engaged in what they are reading

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.