Edward Brooke-Hitching

A truly mind-boggling and fascinating A-Z of history’s most eccentric thinkers. Filled to bursting with jaw-droppingly strange episodes from history, The Crackpot Compendium is a riotous tour of crackpot inventors, false prophets, quacks and pseudo-scientists, con-artists and impostors, and hundreds of other truly ‘outside-the-box’ thinkers. Discover stories of dinosaur espionage, earthquake-predicting plants and leech barometers, cat pianos and canine translation devices, immortal adventurers, cities spotted on the Moon and aliens living on the Sun. This colossal collection travels the world and across the millennia to take in telepathic Soviet circus clowns, Scottish abominable snowmen, Welsh prophets, ancient Chinese test pilots, invisible African mountains, and the aviator known as ‘Wrong Way’ Corrigan who accidentally flew backwards across the Atlantic. If you have ever wondered how to build a pigeon death-ray, start a snake cult with a hand-puppet, interrogate a houseplant or perform psychic surgery, The Crackpot Compendium will provide the answers (while also probably leaving you with a few new questions.)

“The world is fantastic and enormous. It’s colourful, beautiful, exciting. Sometimes it’s dangerous, and occasionally it’s disgusting. You already know all of this. But, did you know just how weird a place the world can be?” From Labrador-sized pearls to salt-and-vinegar-flavoured grass, set off with Edward Brooke-Hitching on a fact-packed mission to discover the strangest, silliest, and down-right weirdest things our world has to offer. Written by QI elf and author extraordinaire, the second book in Brooke-Hitching’s spectacular new series is extraordinarily enlightening and seriously shareable. Both information- and humour-rich, it is a glorious treasure trove of bite-sized facts for children to either snack on throughout the week or gobble up all in one go. And with a ‘Who’s the Smartest?’ quiz at the end of each section, this book is the perfect companion for children determined to know their skelf from their spitters – and that’s a fact! Also available in this series: What’s the Weirdest Thing About Animals.

A beautifully illustrated exploration of the strangest areas of music from around the world, from the author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers The Phantom Atlas, The Madman's Library, and The Devil's Atlas. Join author Edward Brooke-Hitching on a backstage tour of the most surprising and eccentric stories in the history of music. From the musical secrets of prehistoric monuments to the future of compositions by artificial intelligence, The Madman's Orchestra uncovers the most curious tales, madcap musicians, and unusual instruments lost in time. In these pages, discover answers to questions like: What does the song of a black hole sound like? Which composition requires four helicopters and a string quartet with strong stomachs to play it correctly? When should you feed your piano hay? What does the "cat organ" sound like, and is it any more pleasing to the ear than the "hog harmonium"? Fascinating, funny, and at times barely believable, this abundantly illustrated volume is a unique compendium brimming with entertaining facts, stories, and playlists of obscure music that will thrill and delight every music lover. A HISTORY OF MUSIC UNLIKE ANY OTHER: Discover the code-writing of musical cryptography, the beauty of Renaissance "eye music," musical hoaxes, lost masterpieces, fire organs and witches' flutes, compositions by the Devil, the singer who invented the "visible voice," the symphony designed to bring about the Apocalypse, and many more stories that seem too strange to be true, but are. ART, HISTORY & MUSIC BUFFS: This incredible collection will strike a chord with fans of beautiful books and bizarre history and delight every reader with its rich depth and variety of research, which celebrates the boundless creativity of our musical imagination. EXPERT AUTHOR: Edward Brooke-Hitching is the son of an antiquarian book dealer, a lifelong rare book collector, and a master of taking visual deep dives into unusual historical subjects, such as the maps of imaginary geography in The Phantom Atlas or the extraordinary history of the book in The Madman's Library. Perfect for: Music lovers History buffs Anyone interested in bizarre oddities, obscure cultural events, and the macabre

“Every species has something fascinating and bizarre about it – whether it’s worms that glow red-and-green like a traffic light or birds with claws bigger than those of a grizzly bear. Basically, the animal world is massively, wonderfully weird. But have you ever wondered just how weird things get?” From bottom-breathing turtles to fish that live in trees, set off with Edward Brooke-Hitching on a fact-packed safari to discover the strangest, silliest and down-right weirdest things our planet’s amazing animals has to offer. Written by QI elf and author extraordinaire, the first book in Brooke-Hitching’s spectacular new series is extraordinarily enlightening and seriously shareable. Both information- and humour-rich, it is a glorious treasure trove of bite-sized facts for children to either snack on throughout the week or gobble up all in one go. And with a ‘Who’s the Smartest?’ quiz at the end of each section, this book is the perfect companion for children determined to know their barking piranhas from their purring rottweilers – and that’s a fact! Also available in this series: What’s the Weirdest Thing About the World.

From the bestselling author and former BBC QI Elf comes a fascinating and beautifully illustrated journey through the entire history of music. In The Madman’s Orchestra, join Edward Brooke-Hitching as he lifts the curtain on the strangest episodes from the entire history of music, taking us on a backstage tour of surprising and eccentric stories. From the musical secrets of prehistoric monuments to the future of compositions by artificial intelligence, The Madman’s Orchestra uncovers the most curious tales, madcap musicians, and unusual instruments lost in time – and answers questions including: What does the song of a black hole sound like? Which composition requires four helicopters and a string quartet with strong stomachs to play it correctly? How exactly would the ‘cat piano’ sound, and would it be any more pleasing to the ear than the ‘hog harmonium’? Discover musical hoaxes, compositions relayed by ghosts, the code-writing of ‘musical cryptography’, the pop songs smuggled past Soviet censors using X-rays, the beauty of Renaissance ‘eye music’, compositions by the Devil, the supernatural instruments played by witches, and the experimental female scientist who created the ‘visible voice’. Fascinating, funny, and at times barely believable, The Madman’s Orchestra is a unique exploration of the history of music that will strike a chord with fans of beautiful books and bizarre history, and delight with a rich depth and variety of research that ultimately celebrates the boundless creativity of our musical imagination.

Bedtime is about to get a lot more interesting.365 Amazing True Things to Read in Bed is a joyful collection bursting with wild facts, weird wonders and unbelievable-but-true stories – one for every night of the year. You’ll learn things like…Where does it rain diamonds?What does a comet smell like?Why would you keep a dog up your sleeve?Where can you find fish that live in trees?And who exactly was William Johnson Hippopotamus?From frog trousers and glass trees to lawnmowing camels and chimpanzee painters, this is a book made for curious minds and giggly bedtimes. Each bite-sized story is perfect for winding down, sparking questions and filling young heads with big, brilliant thoughts. Written by former QI writer Edward Brooke-Hitching and brought to life with whimsical illustrations by Oksana Drachkovska, this is non-fiction at its most playful and surprising. Whether read aloud or under the covers with a torch, it’s the kind of book kids will return to night after night. A brilliant gift for curious minds, and a treasure trove of facts to enjoy together or alone, 365 Amazing True Things to Read in Bed will fill your dreams with adventure – and leave you ready to wake up and make your own.

A compendium of AMAZING facts and true stories for every day of the year. 365 Amazing True Things to Read in Bed includes a true fact, anecdote, story, or question for every day of the year. Perfect for unwinding at bedtime, this indispensable companion will encourage thought and reflection and ensure some wonderfully colourful dreaming. It is the perfect bedtime read for fact-hungry readers looking to find answers to their weirdest and wackiest questions. For example . . .Where does it rain diamonds?What does a comet smell like? Why would you keep a dog up your sleeve?Where can you find fish that live in trees?And who exactly was William Johnson Hippopotamus?With this book you'll learn how to mow lawns with a camel, paint like a chimpanzee, and put trousers on frogs. Read about trees turning to glass and why you'd need a crossbow to climb the world's tallest Christmas tree. But above all, remember the most amazing thing about this book: everything you'll read is absolutely true . . . Written by fact-finder Edward Brooke-Hitching and whimsically illustrated by Oksana Drachkovska 365 Amazing True Things to Read in Bed is a true collection of the whacky, wonderful and astonishing, and appeals perfectly to the curious, question-filled minds of young readers. An ideal gift for curious minds, and a treasure trove of fascinating true facts and anecdotes to engage both younger and older readers alike. 365 Amazing True Things to Read in Bed to fill your dreams with adventures, and leave you ready to wake up and make your own--every day of the year.

'Charming, hilarious, and guaranteed to make you the most interesting person at any party. Or the most annoying' - Adam Rutherford‘Weird and wonderful facts you didn’t know you needed. Full of quirky nuggets of information and trivia’ - Sun‘Joyously bizarre facts in a new book from a QI brainbox’ - Daily MailDrawn from a former BBC QI Elf's lifetime’s search for the weird and the wonderful, The Most Interesting Book in The World is a miscellany of things too strange to be true, yet somehow are. This remarkable treasury of tales and trivia will whisk you on a jaw-dropping journey through time and space, stopping off to marvel at only the obscure, the startling and the straight-up weird. In it, Edward Brooke-Hitching considers questions such as: Why is a cat technically a liquid and a solid? How did nineteenth-century scientists attempt to signal aliens? Why did the Dutch once eat their prime minister? Nowhere else will you find woven together the stories of the religious leader who attempted to build a robot messiah from a dining table, the anti-gravity ‘air-walkers’ of Victorian London, and the pirates who rode sheep; or practical advice for correctly exorcising a house and casting ancient love spells, along with recent scientific discoveries like the mould that can navigate a maze and that humans can glow in the dark. A unique hybrid of encyclopaedia, trivia and drunken-bar raconteur, all stitched together in one colossal Frankenstein volume packed full of images and photographs - this is the ultimate must-read for anyone looking to tickle the cortex of their curiosity.

Pöörasesse kunstigaleriisse sisenedes avastate ootamatu ja erilise näituse kunstimaailma suurimatest kurioosumitest. Raamatus on sadu suurepäraseid ja ekstsentrilisi kunstiteoseid: maale, illustratsioone, gravüüre, skulptuure, millel igaühel on rääkida oma veider lugu. Kogumikus on fotod teostest raamatukogude, muuseumide, kollektsionääride, kunstikaupmeeste ja galeriide salakambritest. Raamatust saame teada huvitavaid fakte: nii mõnelgi Euroopa maalikunstnikul oli sajandeid tagasi kombeks hõõruda Egiptuse muumiaid pulbriks, et sel moel oma värvidele pigmenti lisada; Jaapani kunst Gyotaku (tõlkes kalatrükk) kasutab trükiplaadina kuivatatud kala; Pariisi kunstipettus, mis sisaldab shimpansi loodud maale jmt. Raamat on täis üllatusi ja fotosid unikaalsetest kunstiteostest.

Nii... mida me siis universumi algusest täpselt teame? Meid kaua vaevanud uudishimu on põhjus, miks leiame loomismüüte kõikides maailma kultuurihällides. Selle raamatu lehekülgedele on koondatud mitmesugused maalid, instrumendid ja fotod, mis illustreerivad kosmilise näitelava astmelise dekodeerimise kronoloogiat."Taevaatlasesse" on kogutud lugusid tegelikkusele mittevastavatest astronoomilistest julgustükkidest ehk teadusfantastikast kõrvuti suurte avastuste ja valiku kultuurimüütidega.Oma põnevate lugude ja võrratute illustratsioonidega uurib see tähelepanu vääriv atlas inimkonna taevalummust nii aja-kui kultuuriloos ja vormib sellest ainulaadse taevalaotuse ettekujutuste ja avastuste kroonika.

Niikaua kui inimkond siin maailmas on elanud, on meid vallanud kinnisidee sellest, mis tuleb pärast."Kuradiatlas" on hauataguse elu atlas; teejuht "avastamata maale, mille piiridest ükski rändur tagasi ei pöördu," nagu Shakespeare seda "Hamletis" kirjeldab. Siin raamatus leidub linnu, mägesid, losse, allmaailmu, piinakambreid, joogisaale, saatanlikke koosviibimisi, kuldseid välju, verejõgesid ja tulejärvi, millest koosnevad kogu maailma religioonide ja kultuuride surmageograafiad.Edward Brook-Hitching kogus ligi kümme aastat materjale raamatukogude arhiividest ja erakogudest üle kogu maailma, et tuua lugejateni veidraid lugusid ja silmapaistvaid illustratsioone täis "Kuradiatlas", mis viib sind seiklema läbi hauataguse elu, uurides erinevate kultuuride üleloomulikke maailmu ning luues täiesti omalaadse paeluva teejuhi.

From the author of the critically acclaimed The Phantom Atlas and The Madman's Library (Sunday Times Literature Book of the Year) comes a magnificent new illustrated work. From prehistoric carvings and ancient Egyptian statues, to medieval spell books and Victorian code-writing, this unique collection gathers a wealth of curious objects and surprising stories to trace the story of love through the ages. Discover the royal marriage that crossed the boundary of death in 14th-century Portugal, the judicial duels between husbands and wives in Early Modern Europe, the love spells found in medieval manuscripts, and the romantic codes hidden in some of art's greatest masterpieces. Meet the feared ancient Greek army regiment comprised entirely of male couples; the French pirate queen avenging her murdered husband; the first woman to sail around the world; and the quack sexologist who conned 18th-century London with his musical mechanical bed. Here are ancient gods, mythical monsters, the Elizabethan portraits of smiling men on fire and the erotic paintings hidden beneath the ash of Pompeii, as well as Nigerian wedding chains, Welsh love spoons, cryptic postcards and the centuries-old cartographic tradition of mapping the heart. A curiosity cabinet of romantic treasure, Love: A Curious History in 50 Objects draws on a wide range of sources to form a collection perfect for fans of beautiful illustrated works and curious history, while also forming the ideal romantic gift. 'A glorious cornucopia of a book, celebrating love from the hilarious to the divine - as always, Brooke-Hitching's encyclopaedic knowledge shines through.' Fern Riddell, author Sex: Lessons From History

Enter The Madman's Gallery and discover an extraordinary, illustrated exhibition of the greatest curiosities from the global history of art, featuring one hundred magnificently eccentric antique paintings, engravings, illustrations, and sculptures, each with a fascinatingly bizarre story to tell. Brought to light from the depths of libraries, museums, dealers, and galleries around the world, these forgotten artistic treasures include portraits of oddballs such as the British explorer with a penchant for riding crocodiles, and the Italian monk who levitated so often he's recognized as the patron saint of airplane passengers. Discover impossible medieval land yachts, floating churches, and eagle-powered airships. Encounter dog-headed holy men, armies of German giants, 18th-century stuntmen, human chessboards, screaming ghost heads, and more marvels of the human imagination. A captivating odditorium of obscure and engaging characters and works, each expertly brought to life by historian and curator of the strange Edward Brooke-Hitching, here is a richly illustrated and entertaining gallery for lovers of outr art and history. A GLOBAL SURVEY: Here are European painters who used ground up Egyptian mummies as pigment, examples of the antique Japanese art of Gyotaku (fish stone rubbings) using dried fish as printing plates, a Parisian art hoax featuring paintings actually created by a chimpanzee, and much more. ODDITIES ABOUND: Depictions of the demon worms believed to cause toothaches carved into human molars: Check. A nude version of the Mona Lisa painted by the "bad boy" apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci: Here it is. The most admiring portrait of a cannibal likely ever produced: Presented in full color. EXPERT AUTHOR: Edward Brooke-Hitching is a master of taking visually driven deep dives into unusual historical subjects, such as the maps of imaginary geography in The Phantom Atlas or ancient pathways through the stars in The Sky Atlas, imaginative depictions of heavens, hells, and afterworlds in The Devil's Atlas, and the strangest books imaginable in The Madman's Library. Perfect for: Fans of beautifully illustrated works, art history, and unusual world atlas collections Readers of quirky history such as Schott's Miscellany, Atlas Obscura, and the wildly popular QI series (for which the author is a writer and researcher) Gift for a graduate, teacher, or student of world history, art history, library science, archeology, sociology, or any discipline engaged in the exploration of curiosities and human nature

Nekotorye vidy sporta izvestny i ljubimy. Nekotorye prochno zabyty. A nekotorye prosto ne dolzhny byli suschestvovat. Detskij boks i lyzhnyj balet, drevnerimskie instsenirovki morskikh srazhenij i shotlandskij golf v temnote, okhota na ptits s dvukhmetrovym ruzhem i zhivoderskie razvlechenija s koshkami... Na protjazhenii svoej istorii chelovechestvo pridumalo mnozhestvo kureznykh, udivitelnykh i vozmutitelnykh sposobov provesti dosug i prodemonstrirovat udal. V svoej knige Edvard Bruk-Khitching daet kratkie opisanija bolee chem 90 vidov sporta i pokazyvaet, na chto sposobna chelovecheskaja izobretatelnost, chasto granichaschaja s zhestokostju i bezrassudstvom. Edvard Bruk-Khitching - pisatel, avtor bestsellerov "Biblioteka sumasshedshego" (kniga goda 2020 po versii Sunday Times), "Nebesnyj atlas" (2019), "Zolotoj atlas" (2018) i drugikh. Avtor populjarnoj teleprogrammy QI (Quite Interesting) na BBC, chlen Korolevskogo geograficheskogo obschestva.Perevodchik: Panajotti D.