Revolutionary War spy, Nathan Hale, tells a hangman and British officer about the ironclad steam warships used in the Civil War.

What does Miley Cyrus have in common with Sacagawea? How could Steve Jobs have helped Eisenhower? What does the moon landing have to do with the Hilton sisters?
In less time than it takes to recite the preamble to the Constitution, most Americans can spout off all their U.S. history knowledge. (Hint: it starts with "In 1492" and ends with "sailed the ocean blue.") That's because most history books are as interesting as the phone book—and...

The star of Parks and Recreation and author of the best-selling Paddle Your Own Canoe pays tribute to inspiring mischief makers, from George Washington to Willie Nelson, while expounding on such topics as religion, handcrafting and meat.

Why do modern Americans believe in something called a sense of humor, and how did they come to that belief? Daniel Wickberg traces the relatively short cultural history of the concept to its British origins as a way to explore new conceptions of the self and social order in modern America. More than simply the history of an idea, Wickberg's study provides new insights into a peculiarly modern cultural sensibility. The expression "sense of humor" was...

Smarter than your old history teacher, funnier than the founding fathers, and more American than apple pie, The Mental Floss History of the United States is an almost (but not entirely) comprehensive primer on American history (or at least, the good stuff). From the editors of MentalFloss.com and mental_floss magazine-with its tagline: "Feel smart again"-comes an American History text packed with hilarious (but true!) trivia written in the smart-aleck...

This set presents a 6-episode series chronicling a century of America's funniest entertainment and its most legendary comedians.

One of the few books concerned solely with the humor of a single state, this volume includes samples of what North Carolinians have laughed at -- and with -- from 1709 to the present. It is a rich anthology of Tar Heel anecdotes, homespun quips, hilarious stories, folklore, exaggerations, and observations. In this wide range of humor, Walser has provided a valuable recording of American folklore and the social history of North Carolina.

Every baseball player from little league to the big leagues knows it is illegal to steal signs, yet every major league team assigns someone to do just that. Baseball thrives on trickery and deception. Nevertheless, as our oldest major team sport, its larcenous legacy goes much deeper than the field of play. In LARCENY AND OLD LEATHER: THE MISCHIEVOUS LEGACY OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, Eldon Hamsport's lawyer, professor, and author traces the games lesser-known,...

The Civil War was the costliest war in American history. Some 600,000 people died. As a percentage of population this would be equivalent to five million deaths in present day America. Despite the horrors of war, or maybe because of them, humor still had a place in American life. Abraham Lincoln best summed up the role of humor in the war when he said, "With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die."A brief but...

He was Sam Clemens, steamboat pilot, before he was Mark Twain, famous author. His better-known name originated with the lingo of navigation, and much of his writing was informed by his shipboard adventures on one of the world's great rivers. In this classic of American literature, Twain offers lively recollections ranging from his salad days as a novice pilot to views from the passenger deck in the twilight of the river culture's heyday. Under the...