Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States
Encyclopedia
Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States is a 1989 book by humor columnist Dave Barry
. In a style typical of the humorist, yet also reminiscent of the English classic 1066 and All That
, Barry satirizes, mangles, and, when necessary, just plain makes up famous events in United States history. One running joke through the entire book is, in an effort to simplify history, all important dates are set to October 8. For example, the birth of the nation is given as October 8, 1776 (not July 4
).
Many of the events and places in the book have been exaggerated to a drastic extent, such as when Barry mentions thousands of troops landing on the island of Grenada
, "despite the very real danger that they might sink it." He also skips over sections such as the Treaty of Ghent
because they seem "Pretty boring" and, at one point, seems to obsess over the Hawley-Smoot Tariff while never actually explaining it. On multiple occasions he makes fun of maps through certain sections such as when he mentions the decision to "Make Alaska smaller and put it in a little box next to Hawaii
."
Dave Barry
David "Dave" Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author and columnist, who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor and parody, as well as comedic novels.-Biography:Barry was born in Armonk, New York,...
. In a style typical of the humorist, yet also reminiscent of the English classic 1066 and All That
1066 and All That
1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, comprising all the parts you can remember, including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates is a tongue-in-cheek reworking of the history of England. Written by W. C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman and illustrated by John Reynolds, it first...
, Barry satirizes, mangles, and, when necessary, just plain makes up famous events in United States history. One running joke through the entire book is, in an effort to simplify history, all important dates are set to October 8. For example, the birth of the nation is given as October 8, 1776 (not July 4
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
).
Many of the events and places in the book have been exaggerated to a drastic extent, such as when Barry mentions thousands of troops landing on the island of Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
, "despite the very real danger that they might sink it." He also skips over sections such as the Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
because they seem "Pretty boring" and, at one point, seems to obsess over the Hawley-Smoot Tariff while never actually explaining it. On multiple occasions he makes fun of maps through certain sections such as when he mentions the decision to "Make Alaska smaller and put it in a little box next to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
."
See also
- America (The Book)America (The Book)America : A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction is a 2004 non-fiction book written by Jon Stewart and other writers of The Daily Show that parodies and satirizes American politics and worldview...
- 1066 and All That1066 and All That1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, comprising all the parts you can remember, including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates is a tongue-in-cheek reworking of the history of England. Written by W. C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman and illustrated by John Reynolds, it first...