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A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be Found a Curiously Irreverent Treatment of American Historical Events, Imagining Them as They Would Be Narrated by America's Most Characteristic Contemporary Authors

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A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be Found a Curiously Irreverent Treatment of American Historical Events, Imagining Them as They Would Be Narrated by America's Most Characteristic Contemporary Authors

by Donald Ogden Stewart

EN·~2 hours

Chapters

Description

Picture American history narrated by the very writers who shaped its cultural voice. Each chapter mimics the style of a well‑known author—whether the earnest optimism of Woodrow Wilson, the homespun charm of James Whitcomb Riley, or the razor‑sharp satire of H. L. Mencken—turning familiar events into witty literary sketches. The result is a playful, irreverent chronicle that feels like a stage show where the past is performed in many distinct accents.

The mock‑serious preface explains the grand ambition: to fill the gaps left by conventional histories using only American literary flair. Listeners encounter imagined conversations between presidents, poets, and dramatists as they reinterpret milestones such as the 1912 election or the nation’s entry into World War I, all rendered in each author’s unmistakable voice. Because the humor leans on recognizable cadence and allusion, even a casual fan of early 20th‑century literature will find delight without spoiling later twists.

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Full title

A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be Found a Curiously Irreverent Treatment of American Historical Events, Imagining Them as They Would Be Narrated by America's Most Characteristic Contemporary Authors Wherein May Be Found a Curiously Irreverent Treatment of American Historical Events, Imagining Them as They Would Be Narrated by America's Most Characteristic Contemporary Authors

Language

en

Duration

~2 hours (127K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by Charles Keller, and David Widger

Release date

1998-10-01

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Donald Ogden Stewart

Donald Ogden Stewart

1894–1980

A sharp-witted American humorist and screenwriter, he helped shape the polished comedy of classic Hollywood and won an Academy Award for adapting The Philadelphia Story. His life also took a dramatic turn during the blacklist era, when politics pushed him out of the film industry he had helped define.

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