Free Downloads It Ended Badly: Thirteen Of The Worst Breakups In History
A history of heartbreak-replete with beheadings, uprisings, creepy sex dolls, and celebrity gossip-and its disastrously bad consequences throughout timeSpanning eras and cultures from ancient Rome to medieval England to 1950s Hollywood, Jennifer Wright's It Ended Badly guides you through the worst of the worst in historically bad breakups. In the throes of heartbreak, Emperor Nero had just about everyone he ever loved-from his old tutor to most of his friends-put to death. Oscar Wilde's lover, whom he went to jail for, abandoned him when faced with being cut off financially from his wealthy family and wrote several self-serving books denying the entire affair. And poor volatile Caroline Lamb sent Lord Byron one hell of a torch letter and enclosed a bloody lock of her own pubic hair. Your obsessive social media stalking of your ex isn't looking so bad now, is it?With a wry wit and considerable empathy, Wright digs deep into the archives to bring these thirteen terrible breakups to life. She educates, entertains, and really puts your own bad breakup conduct into perspective. It Ended Badly is for anyone who's ever loved and lost and maybe sent one too many ill-considered late-night emails to their ex, reminding us that no matter how badly we've behaved, no one is as bad as Henry VIII.
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (November 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627792864
ISBN-13: 978-1627792868
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #103,733 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #23 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Essays #239 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Love, Sex & Marriage #371 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Rich & Famous
It Ended Badly by Jennifer Wright is a hilarious yet historically accurate account of thirteen of the worst breakups in history. Very highly recommended! One of the best, most notable, books of the year!Did I mention that each of these memorable, irreverent essays is side-splitting-laugh-out-loud-funny and yet still presents all the historical facts surrounding the breakups? True. Not only are you guaranteed mirth and laughter with each breakup story you are also going to learn a plethora of facts along the way. And it is extraordinarily well written! Educational, well written, and funny: a wonderful combination!"It Ended Badly is for anyone who's ever loved and lost and maybe sent one too many ill-considered late-night emails to their ex, reminding us that no matter how badly we've behaved, no one is as bad as Henry VIII."Rather than explain the contents, look at the chapters for just a peek of the wonder that is It Ended Badly.Introduction1. If you have been replaced by a surprising choice Read about Nero and Poppaea2. If you are accomplished and independent and fierce Read about Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II3. If your family didnât like your ex and thought you could do better Read about Lucrezia Borgia and Giovanni Sforza4. If you have ever made the same mistake twice Read about Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard5. If you have started snickering at happy couples on the street Read about Anna Ivanovna6. If you believe in ghosts (and love social media) Read about Timothy Dexter7. If you have just sent your ex a very intense emotional e-mail Read about Caroline Lamb and Lord Byron8. If there were body image issues Read about John Ruskin and Effie Gray9. If it was just a sad affair Read about Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas10. If you were dumped Read about Edith Wharton and Morton Fullerton11. If you are struggling to find anyone as good as your ex Read about Oskar Kokoschka and Alma Mahler12. If you deserve an apology Read about Norman Mailer and Adele Morales Mailer13. If you want to believe it will all work out for the best in the end Read about Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher and Elizabeth TaylorEpilogue; Sources; AcknowledgmentsDisclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Henry Holt & Company for review purposes.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth would have loved this book. In fact she would have insisted that Jen sit next to her at dinner and then drop by the next day so they could continue their tear down session. Because Jen --Jennifer Wright = Jen -- cuts through all the historical 'glamour' and gets right down to calling a nasty breakup what it is; a chance to perfectly awful to one another.As for me, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was funny and snarky and after the first two chapters I decided that it was going to end far too soon. So I passed a mandate for myself that I would only read one chapter per night. Thus to make it last as long as possible.Honestly, it was like snarky gossip with your best friend. Getting down in everyone's business in the worst way. I want more.I KNOW this one won't be to everyone's taste, but it's my kind of humor and I found it entertaining as well as educational. To that end let me say that Ms. Wright has done her historical homework but this is hardly an academic tome. This is about how Caroline Lamb cut off a bit of her nether region and sent it to Lord Byron and how he wisely refrained from replying in kind.Highly Recommend.
This was a great, gossipy romp through history. Some reviewers (who, no doubt believe that history is supposed to be boring and that to make light of it borders on sacrilege) have complained about Wright's cavalier style, but I found it charming. What I really like about Wright, however, is her soft heart and keen sense of morality and compassion. She treats her subject matter tenderly, as if she is always aware of how painful love can be. I get the sense that she is constantly thinking of the heartbroken who may be reading her words and she wants them to be comforted and reassured.
You think youâre handling your breakup badly? Pick up Wrightâs witty, tongue-in-cheek historical account of breakup behavior so abhorrent, you canât help but feel better about the six-pack of empty Ben & Jerryâs cartons in your trash can, alongside the four empty vodka bottles in the recycling bin. Sure, maybe you took a Sawzall and reduced your exâs bespoke suits to ribbons, but at least you arenât Emperor Nero, who had one wife murdered, then missed her so badly he castrated a male slave who resembled her and forced him to act â in every respect â as his wife.Though you may be drowning in so many tears Kleenex has contacted you as a spokesperson, youâre not as bad as poor Russian empress Anna Ivanovna. She was so bitter about love, after losing a husband and never being allowed to remarry, that she forced a sham marriage on a young courtier and an elderly maid, then built a castle of ice and decreed that they must spend their wedding night inside of it â naked â presumably to freeze to death. They survived by allegedly bribing a guard for his coat.Wright maintains a breezy tone that keeps you from diving too deep into the waters of Lake Poor Pitiful Me, and her outlandish â yet true â tales will make any jilted lover feel a little better by comparison. If nothing else, as the author points out, you can take comfort in the fact that no matter how badly you may have handled your breakup, at least you arenât Norman Mailer.
I loved this book! I am not normally a nonfiction reader but the title of the book intrigued me especially since one of the stories was about an ancestor of mine. The writer moves quickly through the relationships engaging the reader in all sorts of interesting history tidbits. You will learn quite a bit and will be tempted more than once to look things up online just for more info!
I wasn't sure what to expect but this book is great! There were many historical references that I wasn't familiar with and enjoyed looking them up to find out more about them.All in all this was a great book! I was hoping she another book out there, but I couldn't find any.Additionally, I was surprised when she was on Andy Cohen's show. I actually knew about and her book!
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