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

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Mad Men was incredibly forensic. They were so spot on with their costuming, and really impressive with reading newspapers for that month, that year. They would know exactly what was going on in February 1962. The night in Oxford was the most beautiful event I have ever done. Not just the spectacular setting (of the Sheldonian), but an unforgettable evening. If you involve historians in your creative projects, they will surprise you. As a screenwriter or a producer, if you get a historian involved, they can tell you stuff that is 100% true that you will not have thought about. It will change the dynamic, the destination, or the route your story might take, because historians are dealing with what people actually did. And sometimes those stories are incredibly unpredictable and bonkers.” Fara Dabhoiwala (18 March 2020). " Dead Famous by Greg Jenner review – a joyous history of celebrity". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 March 2020.

I fear my inner nerd is on the loose, but this book was so excellent - I absolutely loved learning about the history of (pretty boring and bog standard) household objects (including cats!) and every day items we use (cars, toilets, soap etc). On TV, he co-hosted BBC2's INSIDE VERSAILLES discussion programme for two series, and was one of the expert panellists on BBC2's THE GREAT HISTORY QUIZ (broadcast on Christmas Eve 2015), joining team captains Lucy Worsley and Dan Snow. Jenner featured as an expert on the BBC2 television programme Inside Versailles, [13] as well as for the Independent newspaper, discussing historical accuracy in television programmes. [14]As a broadcaster, Greg is the host of the chart-topping BBC comedy podcast YOU'RE DEAD TO ME in which comedians and academic historians are paired up to explore different historical subjects with a bold blend of humour and nuanced detail. The series regularly tops the Apple podcast charts, and was the number 1 show on BBC Sounds in 2021. I loved the whole atmosphere of the Oxford Literary Festival. From breakfast, alongside some of the attendees, who were talking books with each other a mile a minute, to the public event at The Sheldonian where everyone was lively and engaged – I felt I had arrived in a kind of literary heaven.

In 2021 Jenner launched an Audible Original podcast A Somewhat Complete History of Sitting Down. [21] Publications [ edit ] Richard Preston (21 February 2013). " Horrible Histories: 20 years of entertaining children". The Daily Telegraph.Jenner has worked as an historical consultant on the Horrible Histories books and television shows. [3] Jenner has accredited the success of Horrible Histories to a non-patronising approach to children’s television. [4] A Million Years In A Day: A Curious History of Daily Life, From The Stone Age To The Phone Age (2015) in which he described how routines and habits today had their genesis in the past as well as highlighting contrasts in every day routines through the ages. [22] [23] [24] This story is set in the same world as Candy’s book Bone Talk, which focuses on Samkad’s story in the Philippines set just prior to this one and while it’s not necessary to read Bone Talk before reading Wild Song, it does add an extra dimension to the storytelling and is certainly wonderful partner read. I don't know what role that would be. I will make the tea, I will do the photocopying, I will be a dog's body. But also, I think you might need a historian on this.”

He didn’t set out to teach millions of children that Incans used urine as shampoo, or that Pythagoras died whilst evading a field of beans. Greg Jenner’s original plan was to go down the academic pipeline of PHD to Professor of History. Since 2019, Jenner has presented a BBC Sounds podcast, You’re Dead To Me. Each episode sees him to talk to both a historian and comedian about a historical figure or time period. [16] As well as the streamed edition, a radio-edit version is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. In February 2023 the show won in the Best Radio Entertainment Show category at the Comedy.co.uk Awards. [17]I came away buzzing and reassured that we still have in this century a wide ranging community fascinated not just by famous authors (I’ve rarely seen so many concentrated in one place) but by challenging ideas and questions. Often as an author, I only occasionally get to meet the public who buy and read my books. The Oxford Literary Festival was a special opportunity for me and certainly one of the highlights of my career – it was an honour I will never forget. Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe.

From information on boardgames, cutlery, potato crisps to toothpaste, hair gel, and the globe. This book has many random and unusual facts about each. In fact it covers 50 different subject areas.Greg is also a regular voice on BBC Radio 4, and was resident historian on the science and history series THE ORIGIN OF STUFF, hosted by Katy Brand. In 2019 he wrote and presented a 3 hour radio documentary about historical comedy for BBC Radio 4 Extra called HILARIOUS HISTORIES in which he interviewed Stephen Fry and several other guests. He's made numerous other appearances on British national radio, TV, podcasts, and has written in numerous newspapers and magazines. We are experiencing delays with deliveries to many countries, but in most cases local services have now resumed. For more details, please consult the latest information provided by Royal Mail's International Incident Bulletin. Did you know that the first television 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. I would be doing what Rattus is doing, saying to the writers ‘no, this is genuinely true’, and we realised we needed a historian not just in the writers' room but also in the show." Vincent, Alice (25 May 2015). "14 things we learned from Greg Jenner's history of everyday life". The Daily Telegraph.