A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Daily Life

A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Daily Life

by Greg Jenner (Author)

Synopsis

'A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice. Greg Jenner as is witty as he is knowledgeable' - Tom Holland Who invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? How old are wine and beer? Which came first: the toilet seat or toilet paper? What was the first clock? Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. Structured around one ordinary day, A MILLION YEARS IN A DAY reveals the astonishing origins and development of the daily practices we take for granted. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history Greg Jenner explores the gradual and often unexpected evolution of our daily routines. This is not a story of politics, wars or great events, instead Greg Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising and sometimes downright silly nuggets from our past. Drawn from across the world, spanning a million years of humanity, this book is a smorgasbord of historical delights. It is a history of all those things you always wondered - and many you have never considered. It is the story of your life, one million years in the making.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 368
Edition: First Edition. Hardback. Dust Jacket.
Publisher: W&N
Published: 29 Jan 2015

ISBN 10: 0297869787
ISBN 13: 9780297869788
Book Overview: A popular history of everyday life and social rituals, from the Stone Age to the phone age, brought to you by the historical consultant for the HORRIBLE HISTORIES TV series.

Media Reviews
Greg Jenner's magpie mind takes you through the history of who we are and what we do, answering tons of questions you never thought to ask -- Al Murray A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice, Greg Jenner is as witty as he is knowledgeable -- Tom Holland Like visiting the most wonderful and cluttered museum, each chapter like another room teetering with illuminating ideas and information -- Robin Ince bright, fun and enjoyable HISTORY VAULT One of my all time favourite books about history: erudite, witty and packed with things you've never thought about -- Peter Frankopan Delightful, surprising and hilarious, this is a fascinating history of the everyday objects and inventions we take for granted -- Lauren Laverne A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice. Greg Jenner as is witty as he is knowledgeable -- Tom Holland
Author Bio
Greg Jenner is the Historical Consultant to CBBC's multi-award-winning HORRIBLE HISTORIES and its various spin-offs. As well as contributing sketches and song lyrics, and co-writing Stephen Fry's links, Greg has been solely responsible for the factual accuracy of nearly 1,200 comedy sketches that span the entirety of human history. He studied at the University of York and, after dropping plans for a PhD, has also spent the past decade making historical documentaries and dramas for television. He is slightly obsessed with Twitter. www.gregjenner.com @greg_jenner