You can make almost anything a laughing matter, so why not look at the funnier side of history’s despots and dictators for a good laugh? The team here at Readro dug into our collection of ebooks and audiobooks to bring you the following fun facts:
Delicious dairy. Fidel Castro held a tight grip over Cuba, ruling first as Prime Minister then as President, although many considered him to be little more than a dictator throughout. But Castro held more than just a tight grip over his people, he also held a deep love for all things dairy, especially ice cream. In fact, Castro had a breed of cow genetically engineered from two other breeds that would be resistant to Cuba’s heat and would produce plenty of milk.
A lover of the Opera. Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s enigmatic Supreme Leader from 1994-2011 was actually born Yuri Irsenovich Kim in 1941 in the Soviet village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk. A strict dictator by most accounts, Kim Jong Il had a softer side too, one that included a great love of opera. In fact, Il actually wrote six operas himself while in office.
A second career. Known primarily as the fascist dictator of Italy, Benito Mussolini had a reputation for being harsh and occasionally cruel. But before his life in politics Il Duce had a brief career in journalism, and even wrote a romance novel. Yes, a romance novel. Entitled The Cardinal's Mistress, the historical romance novel can still be ordered online to this very day, although it is apparently quite awful.
Looking for a good laugh? Visit our online library at Readro for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.
