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The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody

Will Cuppy - Henry Holt and Company

Read By: Anna_sant

Hey, hey, hey. Back again with your favorite friend: ME.

Those quotes you are seeing are from the author of this book. Quite interesting, eh? So, now you know what pet you will get later.

When I was searching for ‘fun historical books’, I did not expect I would come accross with such interesting book. A history book with some humor sprinkled on it? The most delicious recipe I’ve ever heard! And that’s why I chose this book this time. I actually plan to read other books from this author, but it seems I should try a little harder to search for the free version. Well, I’ll save it for later. 😀

Here is the content of the book:

PART I: IT SEEMS THERE WERE TWO EGYPTIANS

– CHEOPS OR KHUFU

– HATSHEPSUT

PART II: ANCIENT GREEKS AND WORSE

– PERICLES

– ALEXANDER THE GREAT

– HANNIBAL

– CLEOPATRA

– NERO

PART III: STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

– ATTILA THE HUN

– CHARLEMAGNE

– LADY GODIVA

– LUCREZIA BORGIA

– PHILLIP THE SAP

PART IV: A FEW GREATS

– LOUIS XIV

– MADAME DU BARRY

– PETER THE GREAT

– CATHERINE THE GREAT

– FREDERICK THE GREAT

PART V: MERRIE ENGLAND

– WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR

– HENRY VIII

– ELIZABETH

– GEORGE III

PART VI: NOW WE’RE GETTING SOMEWHERE

– LEIF THE LUCKY

– CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

– MONTEZUMA

– CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH

– MILES STANDISH

PART VII: THEY ALL HAD THEIR FUN

– SOME ROYAL PRANKS

– SOME ROYAL STOMACHS

READING ACTIVIES
NRDateBook's Chapter/PagesPages/WordsPlaceTime
112 November 2017Part 1: It Seems There were Two Egyptians - Cheops, or Khufu (page 1-5)5Boarding house12 mins
Comment:

I like it already. It seems that the book is a comedy book for people who work in History field. Fortunately for me, I paid attention in History class so I know some of them... kind of. I like how Cuppy makes so many footnotes which some of them are actual important information while others are just additional witty comments of his.

213 November 2017Part 1 - Hatshepsut; Part 2 - Pericles (page 6-15)8Boarding house; drugstore23 mins
Comment:

The part with Hatshepsut really amused me. Cuppy's smart choices of words make the famous figures that usually is described with good words suddenly become ordinary people just like us. It's funny to imagine those important people struggled in life just like ordinary people. I really like this book. :D

314 November 2017Part 2 - Alexander the Great (page 17-20)4BOREding house13 mins
Comment:

I love how Alexander and his bestie, Hephaestion, married women who were sisters so that their children would be cousins. It will stuck in my head for a while. Cuppy even adds a comment "wasn't that romantic?" that makes it even funnier. Oh my, Alex, you really love your best friend, eh? No homo though. This is indeed bromance in ancient Greek. Haha. XD

418 November 2017Part 2 - Part 3 : Hannibal, Cleopatra, Nero, Attila the Hun, Charlemagne (page 20-38)17Nurul Huda Mosque55 mins
Comment:

I don't know why, but the Cleopatra part cracked me up. Though it's not as amusing as the Hatshepsut one. She was the best. XD

519 November 2017Part 3 - Lady Codiva, Lucrezia Borgia, Phillip the Sap (page 39-50)12On my bed while listening to some songs on my playlist47 mins
Comment:

At this point, there is one thing that I learn from all of these historical people: they could not control their desire and popped children here and there carelessly, especially the nobles. It's so sad for me to think.

620 November 2017Part 4 - Louis XIV (page 51-55)5On campus13 mins
Comment:

I feel sad that Louis died without friends and people even rejoiced at his death.
This part tells us what a person can do when they live really long and have so much money to use.

721 November 2017Part 4 - Madame du Barry, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Frederick the Great (page 56-71)15On top of a rectangle, soft thingy with a sheet of fabric covering it (people apparently call it bed).50 mins
Comment:

What I learned: making up titles for the nobles is hard work. "The Great" is good enough for them.

Other than that, well, I guess royal families were (and are) consisted of eccentrics. They were just really bizarre. I mean, a king played dolls for hours on bed? And then another king who loved literature even though he had problems with spelling and punctuation? Yeah, those are just normal quirks for kings.

825 November 2017Part 5 - William the Conqueror, Henry VIII, Elizabeth (page 72-81)10At a rented room in a stranger's house (or what I usually call the silent hill because it's too quiet)30 mins
Comment:

While William was monogamous (his wife was rich and powerful y'know), Elizabeth and Henry VIII liked to have as much love as they could.
Henry VIII, the Old Pudding-Face, had so many wives, though sometimes he beheaded his own wives for misbehaving.
Elizabeth never married, but did have lovers in so many range of ages. She wanted to be loved for who she was. There was no such thing in those days. Poor Lizzie's young maiden heart.

927 November 2017Part 5 - Geroge III (page 82-85)4Glaring down at the floor from my position upside down on the bed9 mins
Comment:

George III, who often said 'what-what-what' at the most random time, is just an example of many 'name crisis' cases in Western royal families. I feel sorry for the History students who have to remember the same name over and over just to mix them up in the end. They could not tell who was who anymore.
"Hey, do you remember which George that likes saying 'what-what-what'?"
"I don't know. Your old neighbor George I guess? He is kinda weird."

1028 November 2017Part 6 - Leif the Lucky, Christopher Columbus, Montezuma (page 86-94)9Lying down on the cold, hard floor25 mins
Comment:

I cannot believe that Columbus liked to write fake facts to confuse historians. He was such a rebel at his youth.
Also, I don't know how to feel about Aztecs anymore. Well, drinking chocolate is fine. It tastes good, too. But eating stewed dog, frog spawn, stewed ants, and human flesh, peppered with chili is not fine at all. They even recommended youn children. Ew... I don't like spicy children. Now, I cannot enjoy their cool "earth scribbles" without getting sick.

1129 November 2017The rest of the book (page 95-106)12In front of Lab 1; home29 mins
Comment:

I thought John Smith married Pocahontas in the end, but in reality, he never married and Pocahontas married another man.

I like how some kings have a sense of humor of a brat. One liked to snatched others' wigs, another liked pull his wife's chair. They were just ridiculous. Lol.

It's unbeliavable how greedy some royals could be. In favor of their favorite food, they would do things unbecoming of kings and queens. Some even died because they eat too much of their so called favorite food. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Control your appetite.

So far, I like this book. The history is offered in sometimes snarky way that makes you cannot take it seriously. It is a simplified mode of the real history, but still pretty accurate. I wouod miss Cuppy and his fun little footnotes. :")