The Fascinating Book of History, from the much-loved Armchair Digest series, is a lively collection of the most compelling, bizarre, chilling, and hilarious stories from world history. In 304 packed pages, you'll read about an array of stuff that they didn't teach you in school, such as: bull; Elizabeth of Bathroy, the insane Hungarian countess and "real-life vampire" who tortured and killed more than 600 people before authorities locked her up in her own castle bull; Animals dressed up and put on trial for their crimes in the Middle Ages bull; The shortest war ever, a 38-minute face-off between Great Britain and Zanzibar bull; The mysterious Voynich manuscript, a bizarre medieval book filled with indecipherable code, drawings of plants that botanists still haven't identified, and illustrations featuring naked nymphs cavorting around bull; Hatshepsut, the lady pharaoh who ruled Ancient Egypt dressed as a man -- complete with a fake beard Written for the curious mind, The Fascinating Book of History gives you an inside look at hundreds of odd episodes and eccentric figures.