Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Greatest Nobodies of History:
Find out what the ferret thinks.
Quick synopsis:
Stories told from the point of view of the people (and animals!) often overlooked in history.
Fact for Non-History People:
Yes, there used to be a position called “groom of the stool” and yes, it is what you think it is.
Fact for History Nerds:
Leonardo da Vinci was a genius but also a notorious procrastinator.
My Take on The Greatest Nobodies of History:
I’ve read hundreds of books and now I can finally confirm I’ve read one with a chapter from the point of view of a ferret. Did I ever expect to write this sentence? No. Am I glad I can? Yes, and I have Adrian Bliss to thank.
Bliss is a very well-known content creator on social media. No, don’t run away! Come back! Don’t judge the author by their fame vehicle! Thanks for coming back. Okay, hear me out.
If you spend any time on the apps (as the kids call them), then you have run into his videos. He has a distinctive voice and a very “Monty Python” way of delivering his humor. Before picking up the book, I went back and watched some of his content to remind myself what I was getting into. What I failed to pick up on first viewings is that Bliss needs to have an understanding of history for many of his videos to work. Like most comedy, you can’t get away with it for very long without some intelligence behind it.
With this in mind, I dove into The Greatest Nobodies of History and enjoyed the hell out of it. Each chapter tackles a story from history from the perspective of a “nobody.” This nobody may be a ferret, a horse, or a king’s groom. Crucially, my biggest problem with historically based comedy books is handled right away. I hate reading comedy books based in history where I am left guessing what was real and what was invented for a laugh. In this book, I found that at the end of each chapter there is a handy rundown of the actual history from the chapter. Yes, I just read about the Great Emu War from the point of view of the “Emu in charge”, but when I finished laughing, I got a full accounting of the facts in the story I just laughed through. Like Bliss’ videos on the apps, it is easy to laugh and not take anything seriously, but there is thought and real work behind the final product.
I should also point out that there is real emotion to some chapters. In fact, a story set on an isolated island is fully dramatic with no humor to be seen. It took me by surprise and the tone change didn’t ruin my enjoyment. Bliss is not a one trick pony, but I wouldn’t put it past him to play one in his next video.
The book is a great time. Give it a read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Ballantine Books.)
Verdict:
Hilarious and perfect for any audience. Buy it here!
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