Books I've read this week - Strange But True, America

Strange But True, America: Weird Tales from All 50 States ©2009 by John Hafnor. Illustrated by Dale Crawford

From the book cover:
New finds from America’s history “attic”.
U.S. President skinny-dips in the Potomac – every day!
America’s real headless horseman
Oops – student cuts down world’s oldest tree
Mosquito bite secures statehood for Florida
U.S. presidents killed by their own physicians

"John Hafnor launched the “strange history” book phenomenon in 1982 with Black Hills Believables. Hafnor taught history at National College, and hit the lecture circuit with humorous “Hidden Histories.” He authored best-selling books for Colorado and South Dakota and the German-language Wahres aus dem Wilden Western.

Hafnor’s acclaimed Strange But True, America is a 50-state tour de force of every oddball fact missing from standard history books.

Dale Crawford’s drawings breathe virtual life into America’s forgotten past. Crawford is famed for his unique illustration style as found in over 30 books and numerous magazine articles. Always historically accurate, Crawford captures the personalities of heroes and outlaws alike. You will relish 70 Crawford originals created especially for this book. "

Like the blurb says, this book contains some wacky, little-known, history trivia. It's a good sized paperback, 10.5" x 7.5", and two pages are devoted to each state with one page of text and another with illustrations. There are more pages in the back with shorter trivia tales about each state and an excellent index. The stories are interesting and the drawings are well done. This is not a younger child’s book but one that older kids and adults will find fun to read. Mr. Hafnor has also developed individual state postcards with the same information as the book. These cards will be sold at truck stops and gift shops. You can also visit http://www.strangetrueus.com/ for more unpublished tales.