Category Archives: Book

ASK A HISTORIAN – Suggested Reading & Select Bibliography

SUGGESTED READING If you’ve enjoyed this book, and you’d like to know more about the subjects covered, here are some reading recommendations you might like. I’ve tried to prioritise things which are affordable, accessibly written, and available without a university library login, but sometimes the only sources I consulted were academic journal articles or PhD…

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MY NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT! The History of Celebrity

Greetings! Depending on how you felt about my first book, I come bearing good/terrible news. Yes, the fine people at Weidenfeld & Nicolson have commissioned me to write a second history book, and this one is all about… *drum roll* …The history of celebrity! Yes, given the huge pervasiveness of celebrity culture in the modern…

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A MILLION YEARS IN A DAY – BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hello, you look nice today. Have you done something new with your hair? No, seriously, it really suits you. Anyway, the reason you’re here is hopefully because you enjoyed my book and perhaps want to know more about some of the things I mentioned?  I really hope that’s the case, because that’s the raison d’etre for my entire…

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Time To Rise and Shine!! The History of Waking Up

With the exception of zombies and sleepwalkers, who are surprisingly proactive with their subconscious lurching, almost every day in our life must first begin with the simple achievement of waking up.  Biological processes aside, going from a state of slumber to a state of alertness is wonderfully simple; you set your alarm clock, go to…

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(Coinci)DENTAL: The Terrifying History of Dentistry

I’m one of those tediously uber-rational types who disavow all superstitions, pseudoscientific claims and assertions of cosmic destiny.  As far as I’m concerned, with 7 billion people bumbling around the planet, the odds of spooky ‘I-bet-you-can’t-explain-that’ stuff happening on a daily basis are actually pretty high. It’s surely just statistical probability that coincidences will fling…

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Where there’s smoke (alarm)… there’s fire! A Brief History of Sleep

I am a terrible sleeper. I’m really, really bad at it, and not through lack of practice. I’ve been putting in the requisite hours of training since the day I was born. By Malcolm Gladwell’s estimations, I should be a world-class snoozer by now, having easily clocked up way more than 10,000 hours of slumber….

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