Albert Jack

Icat Cikarma

the world's most puzzling mysteries solved

Loch Ness monsters and raining frogs

The Secret Meanings Of Nursery Rhymes

Pop Goes the Weasel

A humorous account of great inventors and their critics who predicted failure. They Laughed at Galileo takes a humorous and reflective look at one thousand years of the development of humankind: those who dreamt, those who taught, those who opposed, and those who, ultimately, did. At some point in modern history, each and every one of our inventions and discoveries was first envisioned and then developed by a single person, or a handful of people, who dreamt of the seemingly impossible. For them, the future was clear and obvious, but for the vast majority, including the acknowledged experts of their days, such belief was sheer folly. For just about everything that has improved our modern lifestyles in a way that our ancestors could not possibly imagine, there was once a lone dreamer proclaiming, “It can be done.” That dreamer was nearly always opposed by a team of “enlightened” contemporaries publicly declaring, “It cannot be done.” Well, yes it could. Marconi’s wireless radio transmissions were initially deemed pointless. Edward L. Drake’s eventual success on August 27, 1859, was called the day “the crazy man first struck oil.” Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs was considered a “ridiculous fiction.” Each of these inventions has had a profound effect on the course of human history, and each one was rejected, resisted, and ridiculed in its day. Ultimately, the innovators who brought these into existence provided invaluable contributions to science and the culture of humankind.

How the Great Inventors Proved Their Critics Wrong

They Laughed at Galileo

Albert Jack now turns his attention to the mysteries that have haunted us throughout history. Albert Jack's Ten Minute Mysteries cleverly combines his research with riveting stories and hilarious observations. All life's most perplexing questions answered: UFOs, Crop Circles and Alien invasions ? Where is the Mona Lisa? (clue: it's not in the Louvre) ? Is the Loch Ness Monster really a circus elephant? ? Will the real Paul McCartney please stand up? ? What happened to the Mary Celeste? ? Who killed Marilyn Monroe? ? What was Agatha Christie's own mystery? ? Who was Jack the Ripper? and many, many more... With enough entertaining information to fuel hundreds of pub conversations, fascinating illustrations and all kinds of discoveries to surprise even the most expert conspiracy theorist , Albert Jack's Ten Minute Mysteries is the perfect present for anybody who's ever wondered why...

The World's Secrets Explained, from the Real Loch Ness Monster to Who Killed Marilyn Monroe

Albert Jack's Ten-minute Mysteries

Mr Jack has been nimble and he’s been quick, searching through the history of nursery rhymes and he’s found out all kind of plum tales, just like little Jack Horner. He's unearthed the answers to some very curious questions... Who were Mary Quite Contrary and Georgie Porgie? How could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson? And if Ring a Ring a Roses isn’t about catching the plague, then, what is it really about? The ingenious book delves into the hidden meanings of the nursery rhymes and songs we all know so well and discovers all kinds of strange tales ranging from Viking raids to firewalking and from political rebellion to slaves being smuggled to freedom. Children have always played at being grown up and all kinds of episodes in our history are still being re-enacted today in a series of dark games (Oranges and Lemons traces a condemned man’s journey across London to his execution, Goosie Gander is about dragging a hidden Catholic priest to prison) And there are many many more... Full of vivid illustrations and with each verse reproduced, here are a multitude of surprising stories you won’t be able to resist passing on to everyone you know. Your childhood songs and rhymes will never sound the same again.

The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes

British History is the second 'best of' collection of best-selling books that reveal the origins and history of just about everything we can think of. In fact, as one wise man suggested, it is the history of everything you didn't realise you wanted to know about, until you found out about it. A must have for dinner conversations and pub chat the world over, this book of history will help to make you feel clever. In this edition we reveal the history of more of our favourite phrases and learn why blood is thicker than water, something bites the dust, we can be double crossed, what the graveyard shift is, why it can be cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey and why that Cheshire Cat grins so often. There are hundreds more tales from history that explain how the English language became so rich and expressive. Then famous urban legends also get an airing including the creepy case of a frozen Walt Disney, the legendary stolen kidney story and did Keith Moon really drive his roller into a swimming pool? These tales are hilariously explained along with many others. Then the world's great mysteries are covered in ten minutes flat and the truth about Bigfoot, who really makes Crop Circles and what really happened to Glenn Miller, among others, is revealed. As are the true stories behind Little Miss Muffet, Old Mother Hubbard, Ring a Ring a Rose's and Pop Goes the Weasel. Many more of our childhood favourite rhymes are also exposed in all of their gory glory. Then, of course, the fabulous stories of The Molly Maguires, The Green Man, The Royal Oak, The Rose and Crown and the White Hart are revealed and why they are remembered in that typically English fashion of naming a high street pub after them. Loads more of our favourite local boozers also have a tale to tell involving a historic person, or event. Then we move into the food section and we find out who Caesar was and what he did for your salad, how the people from Hamburg brought their hamburger with them from Germany, and what the French had to do with your favourite fries. The great stars from the past have also influenced our favourite foods and we find out what Anna Pavlova had to do with deserts and how Suzette flavoured our crepes. Of course such a section would not be complete until we find out how the Country Captain Chicken found its way onto the menu as America's first curry. Finally we turn to words and discover who first passed the buck and who staged the first Boycott. How the word doolally became part of our culture and the same too for the hecklers and why political rallies in Scotland first created the art of heckling. Who were the original patsy's, what is Groundhog Day and who were the first dunces? In fact, American History reveals the delightful history of just about everything, from the Anoraks to the Zombies.

Things That Even Your Teachers Didn?t Know

British History

The subject of urban myths and legends is one I have been interested in for a couple of years now. It occurred to me, one day at lunch with friends on the Isle of Dogs, that many long rambling conversations (and ours are certainly long and always rambling) will include a tall tale or two. One person will then be reminded of a story he or she once heard which is then presented as near or actual fact. The story will be introduced like this: 'That reminds me of a story I once heard . . .' or 'I remember my uncle/aunt/sister/hairdresser telling me what happened to a friend of theirs . . .' So urban legends are easy to spot and always have a ring of truth about them. The events they describe could happen or might have happened to any of us. Each of us could have been as unfortunate or stupid as the character(s) in the story, and that is one of the reasons we all enjoy urban legends so much: that the misfortune involved didn't happen to us but to somebody else. And that makes us laugh. The stories come in many different forms. Some involve ghostly goings on, some are about love found or lost. Some centre on plain stupidity and some on unfortunate coincidences, although some do have happy endings. The connecting feature is that all are told and then retold and come back around in altered forms, and all of them are passed around by word of mouth or, especially these days, via the internet, where they spread like wildfire. These 'legends' (so-called 'urban, ' although they don't need to have an urban setting) are the modern-day version of medieval folklore and all of the anecdotes in this collection can be recited the next time you are at lunch, dinner or in the pub with friends. They can make even the most unimaginative person seem interesting, I promise. They seem to be working for me, at any rate. I should point out here that many of the tales told in this collection are probably not true and that any names given, apart from when they are used to back up evidence in genuine accounts, are made up, by me. So, for example, if there really is a Peter Patsalides who worked at the World Trade Centre in New York prior to 11 September 2001 (see Caught with his Trousers Down), then I am not suggesting he was having an affair because that is also the name of a friend of mine, the one who told me the story in the first place. So please don't sue and leave me penniless if your marriage collapses as a result of something I have written. I am sure many of the stories included must be untrue, despite their ring of truth, but that is part of the fun of urban legends: any one of them could be true and it is up to us to decide for ourselves what to believe and what not to. Some well-known urban legends are bound to be missing from this book, but they may well pop up in a second volume if this one proves to be popular. It is only meant to be a little bit of fun and perhaps to provoke some thought and conversation. Anything that does that must be a good thing and also, reading this book and reciting a few of the tales might make you more popular - you never know. Albert Jack

The World's Famous Urban Legends

Urban Myths & Legends

the origins of even more phrases we use every day

Black sheep and lame ducks

From the international bestselling author of Red Herrings and White Elephants—a curious guide to the hidden histories of classic nursery rhymes. Who was Mary Quite Contrary, or Georgie Porgie? How could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson? Do Jack and Jill actually represent the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? And if Ring Around the Rosie isn’t about the plague, then what is it really about? This book is a quirky, curious, and sometimes sordid look at the truth behind popular nursery rhymes that uncovers the strange tales that inspired them—from Viking raids to political insurrection to smuggling slaves to freedom. Read Albert Jack's posts on the Penguin Blog.

After much research about (and in) pubs, Albert Jack brings together the stories behind pub names to reveal how they offer fascinating and subversive insights on our history, customs, attitudes and jokes.

The Secret Meanings of Pub Names

The Old Dog and Duck

The fun and fascinating follow-up to the international bestseller Red Herrings and White Elephants Why do people put their "skeletons in a closet," "have a hunch," "get the cold shoulder," "get dressed up to the nines," or "call a spade a spade?" These phrases are used every day, yet most people have little or no idea where most of them come from. In Black Sheep and Lame Ducks, Albert Jack takes readers on a journey through the curious- and often bizarre-origins of hundreds of their favorite idioms and expressions. For example, "wearing your heart on your sleeve" comes from the Middle Ages, when a lady would "give her heart" in the form of a handkerchief pinned to the sleeve of a knight who was about to go into battle. And calling someone the "black sheep in the family" refers to a thousands- year-old belief that a black lamb in a flock was unpopular because its fleece was undyeable and therefore less valuable. With Black Sheep and Lame Ducks, any language-lover can feel like a "Smart Aleck"-and also know exactly who that was. Albert Jack has become something of a publishing phenomenon, clocking up millions of sales with his series of bestselling adventures tracing the fantastic stories behind everyday phrases (Red Herrings and White Elephants), the world's great mysteries (Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs), food history (What Caesar did for My Salad, pub names (The Old Dog and Duck) and nursery rhymes (Pop Goes the Weasel).

The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day

Black Sheep and Lame Ducks

Když Galileo poprvé přišel s myšlenkou, že Země není středem vesmíru, tak se mu vysmáli. O rádiu ještě před sto lety kdosi prohlásil: „Ta bezdrátová hudební krabice nemá žádnou obchodní hodnotu. Kdo by platil za zprávu, která není určena jasně dané osobě!“ Něco podobného říkali o televizi: „Americké rodiny nebudou sedět okolo překližkové krabice a hodiny na ni zírat.“ Telefon byl ústy ředitele Britské pošty odmítnut jako bezvýznamná hračka se slovy: „Díky, máme skvělé poslíčky.“ Jednatel společnost IBM si myslel, že na celém světě se prodá maximálně pět počítačů. Naštěstí pro něj (i pro nás) to jeho syn viděl jinak. A tryskový motor, který změnil život nám všem, málem stál Franka Whittla ten jeho, ale on to nevzdal. Členům Beatles bylo zase řečeno, že kytarovým kapelám už pomalu odzvonilo, a Elvisovi radili, ať jde radši řídit kamion... A o tom je celá tato kniha – o tom, jak si někdo někde řekl: „Tohle by se dalo udělat líp“, a pak strávil roky vymýšlením. Někdy se už nelze dopátrat, jak to bylo, ale u spousty vynálezů víme přesně, kdo je objevil a jak. Ve čtivé, poutavě napsané knížce britského historika a spisovatele Alberta Jacka se dočtete příběhy nejrůznějších vynálezů a vynálezců, kteří navzdory pochybnostem svých souputníků uspěli a změnili svět. „Vynikající kniha o vytrvalosti tváří v tvář kritice, aroganci, elitářství a místy až zarážející neznalosti... Poučné a zábavné!“ – Booklist

Smáli se Galileovi

Have you ever wondered what phrases such as 'square meal', 'load of old codswallop', 'egg on your face' or 'in the limelight' mean? Where do they come from? Have you ever taken a moment to wonder what we say actually means? The origins of hundreds of common phrases are explained in this irreverent journey through the most fascinating and richest regions of the English language. In a book that takes you all over the world, from nautical origins to food and drink terms, once you have learnt one phrase, you will be eager to learn them all! From the drop of a hat to the bitter end - you'll be surprised and intrigued and you'll never speak English in the same way again.

Red Herrings & White Elephants - The Origins of the Phrases We Use Every Day

The English language is crammed with colourful phrases and sayings that we use without thinking every day. It's only when we're asked who smart Alec or Holy Moly were, where feeling in the pink or once in a blue moon come from, or even what letting the cat out of the bag really means that we realize that there's far more to English than we might have thought. Luckily enough, we now have Albert Jack. And rather than resting on his laurels after the enormous success of Red Herrings and White Elephants, he has continued his search around the world, exploring the origins of hundreds more phrases. The fascinating stories he has uncovered come from the rich traditions of the navy, army and law to confidence tricksters and highwaymen, from the practices of ancient civilizations to Music Hall and pubs. Determined to chase each shaggy dog story to the bitter end, his discoveries are even stranger and more memorable this time round. Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep is a compulsively readable, highly enlightening look at the phrases we use all the time but rarely consider. From the skin of your teeth to the graveyard shift - you'll never speak (or even think) English in the same way again.

Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep

Ama Page

Shed Your Debt & Start Living Life is an important book covering all of the information you need to rid yourself of worrying debt, either business or personal, in only an hour and a half's read. There are no long and boring legal sections just short, sharp impact information that will begin to lead you away from the misery of debt from the first few pages. Shed Your Debt is aimed at individuals and small traders in particular and is solely geared to remove the worry from a personal debt burden. There are standard letters that can be copied and sent to creditors and solid advice about dealing with credit card and loan companies, bailiffs, landlords, banks and mortgage lenders along with the queue of people who are applying pressure, legally or otherwise, for you to part with money you no longer have available. Shed Your Debt includes sections on: Taking immediate action and how to contact your creditors today. All of them. Pooling income and limiting outgoings. Winning a losing court case. Having debts written off completely. Reducing individual debts legally. Prevent harassment. Prioritise good debts and eliminate stressful debts. Security and sleeping well at night. Nothing to fear anymore. 'For less than the price of a Burger you can be free from the worry of debt in just one and a half hours time.' Contents Introduction 1 - The worry of debt, live without it 2 - Face up to it, creditors aren't scary 3 - Consolidation loans - you don't need them 4 - Existing debts Immediate action - starting now 1 - Contact your Creditors today 2 - Positive action 3 - Your mortgage / rent - Save your home 4 - Household costs. Gas, Electricity Council Tax 5 - Credit cards 6 - Student Loans 7 - Car / Equipment Loans 8 - Child Support Agency Income 1 - The D.S.S 2 - Pooling your income 3 - Protecting your income from creditors (armour plating) 4 - Limit your outgoings 5 - Money you didn't know you had The Law 1 - Avoid Repossession. 3 - Bailiffs 4 - Harassment 5 - Win the Court case 6 - Interest rates 7 - Writing off a debt 8 - Bankruptcy or Voluntary Arrangements. 8 - Little known Laws Assistance 1 - How to get free advice UK & USA 2 - Free legal assistance UK & USA 3 - Insurance 4 - Associations and advice centres Security 1 - Stress & worry free 2 - Sleep at nights

Albert Jack

About

Books

Join the club