Cabinet of curiosity‘s, a historical tour of the unbelievable, unsettling and bizarre by Aaron ManhkeWith a contribution by Harry Marks. I have been a big fan of Aaron Mankey ever since his lore podcast and so when I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it I started it and didn’t stop until I was done. These stories are so good from incredible coincidences like a taxi man hitting two brothers year apart with the same passenger in his backseat riding the same scooter to a mummy that has been dead for thousands of years and it looks like she is just sleeping too many and much more Stranger stories. They have stories about how the Marks brothers got their nickname Groucho Harpo Chico to Zeppo they are told and Paul Harvey fashion with a mike drop endings or I thank God that wasn’t me type ending and it all makes for one interesting read. This is quite a long book but because the stories are so interesting the time passes by quickly and I must say on one day I was even late making dinner. But once you start reading about the first wind turbine that was made thousands of years ago to how England gain possession of a popular monument and tourist attraction it is hard to put the book down. This is for anyone who loves useless but all day it interesting information to not only impress your friends but entertain yourself. It is written by a great storyteller in Aaron Mankey and is a book I definitely recommend. I want to thank Saint Martin’s press for my free art copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I loved Aaron Mahnke's Cursed Objects, so I was curious what he would come up with next. Cabinet of Curiosities did not disappoint. This book was a series of different collections of short stories of the strange and macabre. It was very easy to pick up and put down and was a quick and delightful read.

This is a very fun book to read that definitely made me remember the old Ripley's Believe it or Not books I used to get during Scholastic book order times while in elementary school. Fun way to just waste time with interesting little factoids.

Cabinet if Curiosities By: Aaron Mahnke
5 Stars!

I love the Cabinet of Curiosities Podcast, as well as the Netflix show, so I was sure this book was going to be a win for me! But, when going in with high expectations, there's always the risk of disappointment.... This book did not disappoint! It delivered exactly what I was hoping for, and I was hooked right from the beginning.

I highly, highly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the podcast, and/or the Netflix show.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book!

Anthologies can be very hit or miss for me, but I loved this one! Cabinet of Curiosities is full of intriguing and fascinating stories.

If you like bizarre stories and weird history, this is definitely one to add to the collection!

A cabinet of curiosities is a wonderous thing. And a great concept for storytelling, too. Guillermo Del Toro has recently used it for a Netflix anthology, and now there’s this book in which section after section, the readers are presented with the most incredible true stories that often are indeed stranger than fiction.
I am not a podcast person, so I’ve never heard of this until finding the book on Netgalley. It seems that it is very popular as a podcast, and it’s plain to see why. The stories are told in the sort of anecdotal, easily accessible, humorous way usually with a really cheesy gotcha groaner of a pun in the end.
According to the afterword, it seems the author has someone else do the legwork of finding the tales, which isn’t as impressive, but in then end the final product is a whimsical and wildly entertaining delight, which is really all that matters. And it's exactly as unbelievable, unsettling, and bizarre as the title promises.
Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

The 'Cabinet of Curiosities' is a collection of history's most fascinating stories. Aaron Mahnke with Harry Marks wrote this 336-page book. In each of the following topics, there are approximately a dozen stories of unbelievable, unsettling, and downright bizarre events. You will read and say just one more story and before you know it, another half hour has passed. There are a few stories you may have heard before, but there are many you probably haven't. You're going to be entertained and impressed so sit back, grab the book, and enjoy some coffee or tea.

It would be great to summarize a few stories from each of the sections, but that would result in a very long review. Below, I am going to summarize a few stories from a few of the sections. In this way, I hope you can get a sense of what to expect within its pages.

Table of Contents:

American History

Pony Up (summarized by me)

"Pony Bob" was the nickname given to Robert Haslam because he made the fastest deliveries in Pony Express history. In the Pyramid Lake Indian War, Pony Bob covered 190 miles without rest on horseback in just under nine hours. The round trip was 380 miles and was completed in under two days. The most important ride he took was in April 1861. A special delivery of Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address was made from Fort Kearny in Nebraska Territory to Placerville, California. On the 120-mile trip, he was twice shot by bow and arrow in Indian territory. What made this trip so important. California might have sided with the Confederacy at the start of the Civil War if Pony Bob hadn't made it in time.

Coincidences

Creatures

Death Defying

Events

Literature

The Plot (summarized by me)

Mary disappeared. She left a note about a last-minute trip, but then basically disappeared. According to everyone, her husband murdered her because he had a mistress and intended to divorce her. He was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. When Mary was found 230 miles away, she claimed to have no memory of what had happened. She was believed by some and disbelieved by others. The twist. In the absence of her, popular literature would not exist as it does today. She will always be known as the queen of mystery novels, Agatha Mary Christie.

Inventions

Mysteries

Origin Stories

People

Places

More Than Human

The Little Giant (summarized by me)

At the turn of the century, Adam Rainer of Austria was quite small. His 4' 6" height prevented him from enlisting in the German army during World War I. Despite this, his hands and feet grew at an abnormal rate. By 21, Adam had grown 3' taller. It was determined that he had acromegaly. His growth continued. He was 7' 8" tall when he died at the age of 51. As the only man in history to have lived both as a dwarf and as a giant, Adam was unique.

True Crime

War

The book is certainly quite interesting. In general, each story is between three and five pages long. In general, I enjoyed reading the book. This is a book I recommend.

I actually didn't realize Aaron Mahnke had another podcast besides "Lore until now. However, it's not as if my prior ignorance negatively impacted my enjoyment of this book. If anything, it helped it quite a bit! I went in not knowing what to expect, and so far it's been an absolute delight. Every time I have opened it, I've just skipped into a different section and just read on until my heart's content. It's proven to be the perfect book for when I just want something both light and interesting but without having to get deep into any overarching narrative or arc.

I love the podcasts so I already had high hopes for the book, and it did not disappoint.
It's a wonderful book and I loved every minute of reading it.

People who enjoy the author’s popular podcast will find much to enjoy here. An enjoyable read for those who love the weird and unexplained

Thank you NetGalley and Aaron Mahnke for the ARC version of this book.

I have been a long time listener of all Aaron Mahnke's podcasts from Lore to Cabinet of Curiosities and everything in between. I love the unique style he uses to tell stories and talk about weird and interesting things. I am a bit of a D&D nerd so when I came across Cabinet of Curiosities I knew this would be one book I needed. I love using Aaron Mahnke's podcasts and other books to help inspire weird places, events or items into my D&D games. They always spark a conversation.

This book is amazing and I loved every second of it. I love reading about all the weird and unexplained. I feel like I might have had a unique experience when reading the book due to the fact I love listening to the podcasts. I read this book with Aaron Mahnke's voice narrating the book in my head.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who like the strange and unexplained, or if you are a fan of any of the podcasts.

I fell in love with the authors unique voice and easy way of telling stories. I lived his podcast LORE, and the latter amazon series. I see Aaron's name and just immediately jump on it for the creepy or weird

The cover of this title drew me in, and then I realized I see it all the time in my list of podcasts. I listen to Aaron Mahnke's podcasts, and I always find them interesting. This book didn't disappoint at all. I almost reminded me of Paul Harvey's style (if you are old enough to remember him.)
The book is structured so that you can read it straight through (as I did) or skip around depending on your mood.
The information was unique, and I shared quite a few of the stories, which not in as eloquent manner as the author did.
Whether you are a fan of the podcasts, or not...if you like to learn new, quirky, interesting things, you'll love this book.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and author Aaron Mahnke for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a long time listener of Aaron's other podcast, Lore , I was IMMENSELY excited and delighted to have a chance to read this book. No one tells a story quite like Aaron Mahnke; he weaves a tapestry with research, with, and humanity. Each story feels like a campfire tale, except these are real!! Weird history comes to life on the page, just waiting for you to uncover the strange but true stories of the past.

I am so happy to say that Aaron's iconic style of storytelling translates just fine to paper, and Cabinet of Curiosities would be a wonderful gift for history buffs and lovers of oddities.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. This book reminds me a lot of the old tv show "Ripley's Believe it or Not" as each short story usually ends with a revelation that makes you think wow or amazing. I enjoyed it greatly as it brought up this old childhood memory. I also found almost everything in the book to be new to me. Bodies in Benjamin Franklin's basement? Count me interested!

Aaron Mahnke's intriguing collection of bite-sized oddities of history makes for excellent "pick up and put down" reading. A cab driver who hits and kills two brothers exactly one year apart. A lock-picking orangutan. The odd fate of the men aboard the Hunley, which sank the Housatonic in the Civil War in the first torpedo attack. How the croissant got its shape and name. The man who was a dwarf when young and a giant as an adult. A nuclear bomb dropped on South Carolina.

Each vignette is a 2-3 minute read, usually presented with the vital piece of the information withheld until the end: the troubled West Point cadet was Edgar Allan Poe, Tsar Alexander's body wasn't in the coffin, you might know Samuel better as Mark Twain, etc. The others have a pithy moral or a "dad joke" at the end.

The pieces are grouped into topics like inventions, literature, and war, and they span prehistory to current events. My interest in the volume rose and fell in accordance with the subject; sometimes it just didn't interest me and other times--especially historical mysteries--they were too speculative to be satisfying.

The format makes this book an easy one to pick up and read a few capsules, which is a pleasant way to consume these oddities in a light, breezy, fun manner.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC in return for an honest review.