Historical Humor

It's 1939, in New York City. Joe Kavalier, a young artist who has also been trained in the art of Houdiniesque escape, has just pulled off his greatest feat: smuggling himself out of Hitler's Prague. He's looking to make big money, fast, so that he can bring his family to freedom. His cousin, Brooklyn's own Sammy Clay, is looking for a partner in creating the heroes, stories, and art for the latest novelty to hit the American dreamscape: the comic book.

After two rollicking adventures through Western literature, resourceful literary detective Thursday Next definitely needs some downtime. And what better place for a respite than in the hidden depths of the Well of Lost Plots, where all unpublished books reside? But peace and quiet remain elusive for Thursday, who soon discovers that the Well is a veritable linguistic free-for-all, where grammasites run rampant, plot devices are hawked on the black market, and lousy books—like the one she has taken up residence in—are scrapped for salvage.

First published in 1873, The Gilded Age is both a biting satire and a revealing portrait of post-Civil War America - an age of corruption when crooked land speculators, ruthless bankers, and dishonest politicians voraciously took advantage of the nation's peacetime optimism. With his characteristic wit and perception, Mark Twain and his collaborator, Charles Dudley Warner, attack the greed, lust, and naiveté of their own time in a work that endures as a valuable social document and one of America's most important satirical novels.

Led by future Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis and legendary coach Ben Schwarzwalder, this group of hardnosed young men pushed their way to the top of college football in 1959. An improbable story with an improbable ending, where hard work and total dedication created a remarkable undefeated season.

Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be head curator, but it is Theoand only Theowho is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum. Sneaking behind her fathers back, Theo uses old, nearly forgotten Egyptian magic to remove the curses and protect her father and the rest of the museum employees from the ancient, sinister forces that lurk in the museums dark hallways.

NEWS FLASH: The Bushwhacked in Time series is complete--three Standalone Time Travel Romances that continue the legacy of the Reklaw family! Titles include Bushwhacked Bride, Bushwhacked Groom, and the newest, A Bushwhacked in Time Wedding. All at everyday low prices! From #1 Kindle Bestselling Time Travel Romance author Eugenia Riley: BUSHWHACKED BACK IN TIME TO FACE A SHOTGUN WEDDING! Lucky Lamont never knew what hit him. One minute, he was in the present, shooting up the Broken Buck Motel, where his tramp of a girlfriend had betrayed him with his best friend. The next, Lucky finds ...

Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smithworking, and bickering over the dinner table has turned into open warfare between sisters. Sides have been taken, lives are on the line, and Ainsley has no doubt which sister must be queen. She'll do whatever is necessary to take down the soulless Beatrix. Even if that means joining forces with angry battle nuns, irritating monks, and overbearing centaurs.

From the original Greek financial crisis (when the profligate Gods of Olympus were punished by Odin and the other Norse Gods for their unchecked spending) to a handy unintended benefit of cosmetic surgery; from Pope Ron (the first Australian pope, who wants nothing more than to live quietly) to a rather droll cat named Stanley to Good President Wenceslas (benevolent leader of a snowy land) - these stories are by turns funny, poignant, and deliciously wicked, each one a gift begging to be unwrapped and enjoyed again and again.

Rosie Revere is no stranger to flops and fails, kerfuffles and catastrophes. After all, she's an engineer, and engineering is all about perseverance! But sometimes, Rosie has a really important project to tackle - one that feels much bigger than herself. When Rosie's beloved Aunt Rose and her pals the Raucous Riveters - a gaggle of fun-loving gals who built airplanes during World War II - need her help, it's up to Rosie to save the day.

In New York Times best-selling author Dan Gutman's all-new series, which blends fascinating real history with an action-packed adventure, four very different kids are picked by a mysterious billionaire to travel through time and photograph some of history's most important events. This time, Luke, Julia, David, and Isabel are headed to the deck of the doomed Titanic. Their mission? Capture a shot of the sinking ship, then come right back.

“One of the wildest, funniest, and most memorable trips ever dreamed up by a novelist. Wagoner is a master story-teller.” Chicago Tribune It’s 1859, and twenty-year-old Ike Bender, eager to escape the yoke of his brutal father, runs away from his family’s hard-scrabble Nebraska farm with dreams of making his fortune in the gold-rush country around Pike’s Peak, where his older brother Kit has already fled. Ike sets out alone, armed with only his home-made wheelbarrow, a side of bacon, an old pick-ax, a few dollars, and the love of plucky, head-strong teenager Millicent Slaughter to...

"Prepare to be swept away by Admit to Mayhem (Lillian Dove Mystery Series Book 1), a thrilling blend of mystery and humor. Lillian Dove is determined to turn her life around. But her plans are derailed when she stumbles upon a house fire and becomes a witness to arson. Caught between a determined detective, a crime ring with secrets to protect, and her own shadowy past, Lillian must use her sharp wit and keen eye for detail to unravel the mystery. As she delves deeper into the case, Lillian finds herself playing a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. With each clue she uncovers, the danger ...

P.G. Wodehouse documented the lives of the inimitable Jeeves and Wooster for nearly sixty years, from their first appearance in 1915 ("Extricating Young Gussie") to his final completed novel (Aunts Aren't Gentlemen) in 1974. These two were the finest creations of a novelist widely proclaimed to be the finest comic English writer by critics and fans alike. Now, forty years later, Bertie and Jeeves return in a hilarious affair of mix-ups and mishaps.

For decades Hazie Coogan has tended to the outsized needs of Katherine “Miss Kathie” Kenton, veteran of multiple marriages, career comebacks, and cosmetic surgeries. But danger arrives with gentleman caller Webster Carlton Westward III, who worms his way into Miss Kathie’s heart - and boudoir. Soon, Hazie discovers that this bounder has already written a celebrity memoir foretelling Miss Kathie’s death in an upcoming musical extravaganza. As the body count mounts, Hazie must execute a plan to save Katherine Kenton for her fans and for posterity.

Under the Glacier represents Nobel laureate Halldor Laxness at his entertaining and brilliantly inventive best. Philosophy, theological speculation and charming wit combine to make this novel a timeless fable of modern times. A youthful emissary of the Bishop of Iceland travels to the beautiful and mysterious district of Snæfellsnes, locally known as "Under Glacier" to investigate the affairs of the parish and its enigmatic pastor.

Orphaned cousins Jane and Lucilla, both 19, receive the exciting news that their guardian is at last allowing them to leave boarding school. But their rosy future is thwarted when they find he has made some bad investments and fled, leaving them with a cottage in the English countryside and a modest bank account.

World War II, The South Pacific - Australia - Morotai - The Philippines - Submarines, and then there is Clyde and Neville, a unique pair of English plantation owners who own their own steamship (sort of) and have visions of finally having some money before the war ends.Bouncing from one problem to another, from potential disasters to real ones, Clyde and Neville deploy their unique understanding of how to win a war and have a good time doing it. Inspectors are after them, the Japanese Army is after them and the Australian government is sorry it ever heard their names. Come along and enjoy ...

THAT IS ONE ANGRY MONKEY! A.E. Williams opines on more matters of concern to thinking people, philosophers and chicken farmers. CODE MONKEY follows the trajectory set by ROCKET SURGEON, as A.E. Williams opens up a can of whoop-ass on science, technology, politics and religion. Yeah, all those uncomfortable subjects that polite people eschew during cocktail party banter are just gristle for the mill as far as Williams is concerned. Rocket Surgeon was just the first stage! Code Monkey ramps it up with a second-stage-to-orbit collection of articles, essays and unpublished works that will leave...

Fans of Maeve Binchy will love this entertaining read that transcends time with history repeating itself, proving it’s not our circumstances that define us but the power within to change. A story of life, love, loss and seeking more, three generations of women are all on a journey to change their circumstances and find the life they believe they were destined for . . . revealing a terrible secret that changes it all. In 1960s Ireland, Maggie Treacy has never felt she belongs. Determined to change her life, the transformation doesn’t come without cost, but she isn’t going to let ...

It is the dawn of the twentieth century when the beautiful, budding feminist Katherine Dexter falls in love with Stanley McCormick, son of a millionaire inventor. The two wed, but before the marriage is consummated, Stanley experiences a nervous breakdown and is diagnosed as a schizophrenic sex maniac. Locked up for the rest of his life at Riven Rock, the family's California mansion, Stanley is treated by a series of confident doctors determined to cure him.