Urban Legends: 666 Absolutely True Stories That Happened to a Friend...of a Friend?of a Friend

Thomas J. Craughwell

Running Press, Mar 14, 2005 - Fiction - 688 pages

A fascinating, creepy, frightening, disgusting, and hilarious collection of some of the world's most popular and enduring tall tales.

With themes that run the gamut from funny to sick, risqué to informative, and frightening to disgusting, Urban Legends features fantastic yarns that are remarkable for their uncanny ability to travel the world by word of mouth. We've all heard the one about the alligators that roam New York City's sewers, or how "Mikey" of Life Cereal fame died from eating Pop Rocks mixed with Coke. And what about the flustered parents who left their baby on the car roof, or the scuba diver who was found in the middle of a forest after a fire? These classic tall tales are featured here in all of their creepy glory along with hundreds of others, and they're guaranteed to amuse, enlighten, and intrigue, but be careful: they may stick in your mind forever.

Contents

• Introduction: 13
• The Cursed Mummy and Other Supernatural Encounters: 19
• The Scuba Diver in the Forest Fire and Other Strange Deaths: 53
• Naked at His Own Surprise Party and Other Erotic Accidents: 91
• The Stolen Kidney and Other Medical Mishaps: 115
• The Murderer in the Backseat and Other Legends of the Road: 135
• Late for Finals and Other Tales from College: 165
• Aliens in Roswell New Mexico and Other Close Encounters: 183
• The Barrel of Bricks and Other Working Day Wierdness: 205
• Elviss Motorcycle and Other Celebrity Rumors: 223
• Alligators in the Sewers and Other Classic Urban Legends: 247
• The Baby on the Car Roof and Other Automotive Mishaps: 263
• The Rhino and the Crazy Glue and Other Animal Stories: 291
• John Wayne Was a Draft Dodger and Other Celebrity Legends: 321
• The Hall of Tortured Souls and Other HighTech Scares: 333
• The 250 Cookie Recipe and Other Culinary Misadventures: 349
• The HomeMade Lie Detector and Other Bizarre Crimes: 361
• The Final Spin Cycle and Other Mysterious Mortalities: 381
• The Phantom Car and Other Supernatural Encounters: 405
• The Navy Pilots Collision Course and Other OntheJob Foibles: 431
• The Hotel Reservationist and Other Tales of Revenge: 459
• Waiting for the Iceman and Other Sexual Escapades: 481
• The Jinx of the Sports Illustrated Cover and Other HighProfile Problems: 509
• The Spaghetti Orchards of Switzerland and Other Scams Pranks and Hoaxes: 527
• The Day the Supermarkets Run Out of Avocados and Other Lore for Special Occasions: 539
• The Kid Who Fell Asleep in the Casket and Other Creepy Tales: 551
• Bart Simpson Is Sleeping with Your Wives and Other Military Misadventures: 567
• Bronco Stadiums Smurf Turf and Other Tales of the Great Outdoors: 581
• The Cat in the Dryer and Other PetRelated Legends: 595
• The Deadly Laundry Chute and Other College Traditions: 607
• Every Morning at Breakfast I Spread Contraceptive Jelly on My Toast and Other Legends of Lust: 623
• The Surprise Urine Test and Other JobRelated Oddities: 633
• Bananas Can Eat Your Flesh and Other Gruesome Happenings: 647
• In New Orleans It Is Illegal to Tie an Alligator to a Fire Hydrant and Leave It Unattended and Other Criminal Mischief: 661
• Index: 677

About the author

Thomas J. Craughwell is the author of several nonfiction books including Fandex Family Field Guides: 50 States, Saints for Every Occasion, Thomas Jefferson's Creme, and Stealing Lincoln's Body, which was adapted into a documentary by the History Channel. He lives in Bethel, Connecticut.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Urban Legends: 666 Absolutely True Stories That Happened to a Friend...of a Friend?of a Friend
• Author: Thomas J. Craughwell
• Publisher: Running Press, 2005
• ISBN: 1603762639, 9781603762632
• Length: 688 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology; Fiction / Short Stories (single author)