From diesel to gerrymandering, the English language is rich with eponyms—words that are named after an individual. The many histories behind these words are often mesmerizing—a word named,
For a zitty face: take urine eight days old and heat it over the fire; wash your face with it morning and night. In late medieval England, ordinary people, apothecaries, and physicians gathered up pra
Veronica is your average hippopotamus with a big dream: she wants to become famous. But with so many hippopotamuses wallowing in the cool mud and swimming and splashing in the clear water along the ri
“Without a revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement.” So wrote Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution and founder of the USSR. Lenin was profoundly aw
This beautifully illustrated book showcases the highlights of the Tolkien archives held at the Bodleian Library. From J. R. R. Tolkien’s childhood in the Midlands and his experience of the First
Heath Robinson (1872–1944) is Britain’s “Gadget King”—master of the art of creating madcap contraptions that made use of ropes, weights, and pulleys to perform relatively
Q is the Quadrille, danced at our partyR is for the Reindeer, of Santa Claus heartyW is for waggon laden with hollyX is for Xmas tree all light and toys jollyThe celebration of Christmas throughout hi
Every child knows that costumes are magical. Put on the right hat, add some imagination, and you can be anyone.That's what happens to a little boy in The March Wind. Finding a large black hat lying in
How is ink made? What is the bestselling book of all time? What are the oldest known books in the world? And how does one make sense of the colors found on Penguin paperbacks? The answers to these que
