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Histories of the Unexpected

The Fascinating Stories Behind Everyday Things
By Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Histories of the Unexpected by Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis takes you on a fascinating journey through history, highlighting the surprising connections between seemingly unrelated events and themes. The authors explore the hidden influences that have shaped the world, such as the importance of the colour pink, the significance of insects, and the role of paper. This book offers a unique and engaging perspective on history, encouraging readers to see the past in an entirely new light.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3299
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by history viewed through a lens of curiosity and surprise, exploring how seemingly unrelated objects and events are interconnected. With engaging and unexpected insights, it appeals to those who love discovering the hidden links in historical narratives, connecting the mundane with the monumental across time.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A revolutionary and fun new book that reveals how everything, from beds and bubbles to sleep and signatures, has a history.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Did you know that the history of the beard is connected to the Crimean War; that the history of paperclips is all about the Stasi; and that the history of bubbles is all about the French Revolution? And who knew that Heinrich Himmler, Tutankhamun, and the history of needlework are linked to napalm and Victorian orphans?

In Histories of the Unexpected, Sam Willis and James Daybell lead us on a journey of discovery that tackles some of the greatest historical themes - from the Tudors to the Second World War, from the Roman Empire to the Victorians - but via entirely unexpected subjects.

By taking this revolutionary approach, they not only present a new way of thinking about the past, but also reveal the everyday world around us as never before.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Histories of the Unexpected, authored by Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis, is praised for offering a refreshing and engaging approach to history. Reviewers describe it as witty, well-informed, and full of intriguing connections and trivia. It highlights history's complexity with surprising and entertaining narratives, making it an enjoyable read for those looking to explore unexpected historical insights.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786494146

Publisher: Atlantic Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 October 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Atlantic Books

Edition: Main

Illustration: 4x4pp col plates

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 35.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 437g

Pages: 480

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Dr Sam Willis Education & Reference Global History History & Archaeology History & Military In Stock Books Non-Fiction Professor James Daybell Science & Nature

About the Author

Dr Sam Willis is one of the country's best-known historians. His work takes him on adventures all over the world. He has made twelve TV series for the BBC and National Geographic, including The Silk Road, and has written fourteen books, most recently The Struggle for Sea Power: The Royal Navy vs the World, 1775-1782 and The Spanish Armada, a Ladybird Expert Book.

James Daybell is Professor of Early Modern British History at the University of Plymouth and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He has written eight books and has appeared in a number of historical BBC TV documentaries.

Also by Dr Sam Willis

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  • Histories of the Unexpected: The Tudors
    At Histories of the Unexpected, we believe that everything has a historyβ€”even the most unexpected of subjectsβ€”and that everything links together in unexpected ways. We believe that the history of the itch, the history of crawling, the history of clouds, or of lightning, or of zombies, or zebras, or holes, or perfume, or rubbish, or mustardβ€”all have fascinating histories of...
    By Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis
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    $2499
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  • Histories of the Unexpected: World War II
    At Histories of the Unexpected, we believe that everything has a history - even the most unexpected of subjects - and that everything links together in unexpected ways. We believe that the history of the itch, the history of crawling, the history of clouds, or of lightning or of zombies or zebras or holes or perfume or rubbish or mustard...
    By Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis
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  • The Struggle for Sea Power
    For the first time, Sam Willis offers a fascinating naval perspective to one of the greatest of all historical conundrums: How did thirteen isolated colonies, who, in 1775 began a war with Britain without a navy or an army, win their independence from the greatest naval and military power on earth? The American Revolution was a naval war of immense...
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Also by Professor James Daybell

View all
  • Histories of the Unexpected: The Tudors
    At Histories of the Unexpected, we believe that everything has a historyβ€”even the most unexpected of subjectsβ€”and that everything links together in unexpected ways. We believe that the history of the itch, the history of crawling, the history of clouds, or of lightning, or of zombies, or zebras, or holes, or perfume, or rubbish, or mustardβ€”all have fascinating histories of...
    By Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis
    Hardback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Histories of the Unexpected: World War II
    At Histories of the Unexpected, we believe that everything has a history - even the most unexpected of subjects - and that everything links together in unexpected ways. We believe that the history of the itch, the history of crawling, the history of clouds, or of lightning or of zombies or zebras or holes or perfume or rubbish or mustard...
    By Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis
    Hardback
    $2499
    In Stock
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