The newspapers called him "Overshadowing Monarch Mastodon, " "Behemoth of Holy Writ" and "Prodigious Mountain." He was the main event at the greatest show on earth: Jumbo, at around 61/2 tons and almost 12 feet tall, the biggest elephant anyone had ever seen. Jumbos mere presence in the Barnum, Bailey and Hutchinson circus guaranteed an additional $3,000 a day in box office receipts. More of an exhibit than a performer, Jumbo was simply paraded around the three rings. But still the people came, just to marvel at the size of this monster pachyderm. This work traces Jumbos capture in East...

Christianity abounds with fascinating, little-known trivia. Gas station attendants, for example, enjoy their own patron saint. So do stamp collectors, truss makers and sailors in the Bolivian navy. Jesus and Judas were common names in the biblical period, and Jesus of Nazareth had a brother named Judas. The forbidden fruit was more likely an apricot than an apple, and Delilah hired a barber to cut Sampson's hair. This dictionary of miscellany combs the annals of Christian esoterica, offering the most intriguing facts that are often forgotten, overlooked or ignored. Departing from the standard...

Organized as a series of entries for each dead country, and arranged alphabetically under fifteen broad geographical headings, provides wonderfully detailed summaries of the history of the dead countries that fill in gaps and expose the hidden histories of many geographic locations throughout the world.

Taking an intriguingly innovative approach to the life and legend of actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), this biographical dictionary concentrates on Marilyn's circle of friends, acquaintances and coworkers--618 in all. Distilled from hundreds of celebrity biographies are references to, and quotes about, the iconic Hollywood sex symbol from such diverse personalities as architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Israeli diplomat Abba Eban, beat poet Jack Kerouac, novelist Somerset Maughan, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, counterculture guru Timothy Leary and evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, to name but a...

The thrilling story of Canada's aviation pioneer. Born in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, J. A. Douglas McCurdy had a unique childhood during which he assisted world-famous scientist and inventor, Alexander Graham Bell in fascinating and frequently dangerous experiments conducted with kites and airplanes. He was the first person to fly an airplane in the British Empire. Later he became a barnstormer and daredevil pilot, taking part in some of the earliest air races. He was the first person to fly out of sight of land and the first pilot to receive a wireless message while airborne. McCurdy and the...