'Since man uttered his first word he has been telling stories for entertainment, to serve as warnings and to simply pass the time'Huddled up against the end of Hadrian's Wall, the county of Tyne and Wear is known for its wealth of historical sites, for castles, the Venerable Bede, and stotty cakes. But did you know about Sunderland's brush with the greatest liar on earth, or the widespread mesmerism of the Victorian era? And what's the connection with all these Americans?This is an eclectic collection of local characters and historical oddities, of short (and tall) tales that perfectly illustrate just how weird Tyne and Wear can truly be.