Claire Cock-Starkey

How long is an ell? What is the largest size of champagne bottle? How do you measure the heat of a chilli pepper? Why is the depth of water measured in fathoms? And what is a cubit? The Curious History of Weights & Measures tells the story of how we have come to quantify the world around us. Looking at...

Discover the world beneath the waves with this magically illustrated treasury of folklore from the ocean deeps. Do you know the story of the ghost ship Mary Celeste? Or the myths behind seaquakes and tsunamis? Have you heard of Nanaue, the Hawaiian King of the Sharks? For millennia, humans have lived on and around the sea, relying on it for...

Explore the magical worlds of myth and fable with Mythology Land, and open the gates to the stories and adventures of cultures from all over the world. Mythology Land is a collection of expertly retold legends and stories that are perfect for bedtime, with each story adorned with its own illustrated map of its mythical setting. Travel to Midgard and...

Unearth the secrets of our natural world with The Lore of the Land, a richly illustrated compendium of folklore and wisdom from the land, skies, and seas. From thundering rivers to shady groves, flickering marshes to lightless caves, and from snow-capped mountains to the depths of the ocean, discover the folklore of Earth's wildest places. Stories and spirits abound in...

In our digital world, we owe much of our ability to communicate to the punctuation marks, mathematical symbols, and other glyphs that hover on the edges of our keyboard. Without these symbols, it would be impossible to convey meaning—our words would run in endless unbroken lines of letters and numbers. These marks, which have their origins in the earliest written...

Look up at the skies in wonder with this mystically illustrated treasury of folklore from above and beyond. Did you know that people used to read the future in the flight of birds? That the constellations were thought to be mythological beings set in the sky? And that eclipses were seen as demonic omens? For millennia, humans have looked to...

See nature in a whole new light with this enchantingly illustrated treasury of natural folklore and wild wisdom from around the world. Did you know that people used to believe that rabbits' ears would twitch in the direction of a thunderstorm? That lily of the valley flowers were formed from fairies' drinking cups? And that taking dandelions into the house...

The English language is rich with eponyms – words that are named after an individual – some better known than others. The Real McCoy and 149 other Eponyms uncovers the intriguing tales of discovery, mythology, innovation, and infamy behind these everyday words. The book is a perfect addition to any wordsmith's bookshelf. Encompassing eponyms from medicine, botany, invention, science, fashion,...

Bursting with quirky facts, intriguing statistics, lists, and legendary curators, this is the perfect gift for all those who love to visit museums and galleries. Which are the oldest museums in the world? What is a cabinet of curiosities? Who haunts Hampton Court? What is on the FBI's list of stolen art? A Museum Miscellany celebrates the intriguing world of...

Which is the smallest book in the Bodleian Library? Who complained when their secret pen name was revealed in the library's catalogue? How many miles of shelving are there in the Book Storage Facility? What is the story behind the library's refusal to lend a book to King Charles I? And, what is fasciculing? The answers to these questions and...

What can be found in the Vatican's Secret Archive? How many books did Charles Darwin's library aboard the Beagle hold? Which library is home to a colony of bats? Bursting with potted histories, quirky facts and enlightening lists, this book explores every aspect of the library, celebrating not only these remarkable institutions but also the individuals behind their awe-inspiring collections....