You Are History: From the Alarm Clock to the Toilet, the Amazing History of the Things You Use Every Day

From the alarm clock to the toilet, discover the incredible history all around you in this hilarious and fascinating book from popular historian and podcaster Greg Jenner.
Thought history was only in museums? Think again! Join Greg Jenner as he takes you on a trip through the amazing history hidden in the things you use every day. Did you know that the first TV was made out of biscuit tins and knitting needles? Or that the humble paperclip helped lead an anti-war movement? Or that a few hundred years ago it was fashionable to style your hair with cat poo?! Find out the delightful, daft and downright deadly history of your everyday life that your teachers won’t tell you about. Bursting with humorous illustrations and entertaining true stories, this is history – but not as you know it!

Full of hilarious true stories and fascinating, unexpected facts, this book is brilliant for history fans. The Week Junior
Colourful illustrations and terrible groan-worthy jokes make it perfect to dip into. Thanks to Jenner’s ability to make history digestible, any child reading it will soon be quoting facts to amaze their family and friends. 8/10 Children's book of the Week, Independent - syndicated in the Herald (Scotland), East Anglian Daily Times, Express and Star Wolverhampton
A fun and fact-filled guide about many recognisable everyday objects. First News
hilarious and fascinating […] Full of fun, you’ll never know you’re learning cool stuff. WRD Magazine
Bursting with facts, true stories, and humorous illustrations by Jenny Taylor, it brings history into the here and now. Booktime

Greg Jenner is a historian, author and podcast host, specializing in communicating history through popular culture. He is best-known for his educational comedy podcast for the BBC, You're Dead to Me, which has had over 65 million downloads. His Homeschool History radio series won him an army of new fans when it launched on BBC Radio 4 during the Covid pandemic. As historical consultant to the BAFTA award-winning CBBC comedy series Horrible Histories, Greg ensured the factual accuracy of hundreds of side-splitting sketches. He's published several books for adults, but You Are History is his first for children. You can find more about Greg at or on twitter @greg_jenner

Jenny Taylor is an illustrator and graphic designer originally from Scotland, but now living in Preston, England. She has been drawing stories since 1997, when she first discovered what pencils and paints could really do. When not drawing, Jenny enjoys long walks in the shade with her ginger companion, “attempting” new and complicated recipes or watching her favourite animated movies. Her debut book with Walker was The Alien in the Jam Factory. You can find more of Jenny’s work at and on Instagram @jennytaylordraws

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