Swisstory: The Untold, Bloody, and Absolutely Real History of Switzerland

Other than mountains, chocolate, watches, cheese, money, and neutrality, I didn't know much about the history of Switzerland before this book. SWISSTORY: The Untold, Bloody, and Absolutely Real History of Switzerland is a great first read on the topic, though.Factual and (mostly) chronological, it covers Swiss history from prehistoric times, the Romans, medieval Europe, Napoleon, WW1-WW2, and modern Switzerland. It turns out that for a small country, Switzerland (or officially, the Swiss Confederation) has a fascinating history being landlocked and surrounded by powerful neighbors. It has 3 languages (Swiss German, French, Italian), and 26 cantons (kantons, cantones) yet the origins of the original confederacy was an alliance between Schwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden. William Tell is a legendary hero that never existed, and while Swiss neutrality is famous, Swiss mercenaries during the Middle Ages were once highly desired and even the Pope is still guarded by an elite force of Swiss Guards. Switzerland still has mandatory military (or civilian) service for all able-bodied males, and direct democracy, but shockingly, Swiss women weren't fully allowed to vote in all cantons until 1990 (!) after the Swiss Supreme Court stepped in.At 263 pages with easy to read print and fun illustrations, this was a quick and enjoyable read. My middle school age son has already started reading it too! 🇨🇭

I initially purchased one copy of Swisstory for myself. Upon reading it and thoroughly enjoying the text as well as the illustrations contained in this unique book, I purchased three additional copies for each of my young adult grandchildren. This book is particularly meaningful as I have family living in Switzerland and wanted to better understand the history of the country, but without reading a dry and unimaginative volume, which Swisstory is certainly not. This book is well researched, written, and accurate, but with a twist of sarcasm and wit that makes it a compelling and entertaining read, accompanied by humorous illustrations. I recently learned that Swisstory is the recipient of the 2020 Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) for the region of Europe, Latin America, and Africa. This is a distinguished and respected worldwide organization that honors one book per year from each region of the world. With this esteemed acknowledgment for Swisstory, I felt compelled to write this review.

Swisstory is a wonderfully illustrated history of Switzerland that's meant for kids, but it had this grown-up laughing out loud. The book offers an irreverent take on subjects both familiar and not: onion and gingerbread wars, peasant uprisings against the Habsburgs, mountain-climbing exploits (some undertaken by 19th-century women wearing dainty boots and long skirts), witch hunts, the country's "deadly" cows, awesome (yet little-known) women, cool inventions, and more. I learned that things I thought I knew (William Tell shooting the apple off his son's head) were often tales, while at the same time discovering how very much I actually didn't know about this landlocked country in the middle of Europe. The author (and illustrator) even find a light-hearted way to explain subjects like direct democracy and industrialization, while not shying away from some of the darker aspects of Swiss history. Highly recommended.

Funny and packed with very brief and digestible history about Switzerland. As the author says some of this history is admirable and some not so admirable, but it certainly was interesting.I had no idea that women in this adamantly neutral country didn't have the right vote until the 1970s, and even after most regions capitulated, two of the cantons held out until 1990s. More fascinating tidbits: how the Swiss Guard became permanent fixtures in the Pope's service, where/why Swiss mercenaries hired themselves out around the world, how the Swiss maintained neutrality and avoided invasion during WWII.The highly imaginative illustrations, add to the humor and to the enjoyment of this book.

To be expected by the way it is presented, the book is very very basic. It attempts to be pithy and succeeds at times.

I found this book to that rare combination of being both informative and entertaining. Even though I have lived in Switzerland many years I discovered a lot of history I wasn't aware of. The author sheds light on a lot of obscure and interesting subjects which kept me reading. History can sometimes be boring but the author has such a great sense of humor it made me laugh a few times along the way.

Most history books are boring. Not Swisstory. Kids (and adults!) will want to keep turning pages and learning about Swiss history in this book. With a slightly twisted sense of humor, Theurer and Meister bring Switzerland's past and present to life. You will be laughing out loud the whole time you're learning.