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A History of the World Through Body Parts

The Stories Behind the Organs, Appendages, Digits, and the Like Attached to (or Detached From) Famous Bodies

Kathryn Petras , Ross Petras

Siblings Kathryn and Ross Petras’ anatomical journey through history takes them from a Palaeolithic woman’s hand stencilled on a cave wall in the Pyrenees to astronaut Alan Shephard’s zero-gravity bladder problems. Along the way, they wonder if Cleopatra’s nose led to regime change in Rome, Charles I’s lost head gave rise to constitutional monarchy, and Kaiser Wilhelm’s withered arm caused the First World War.

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RRP £19.99

£8.99

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Product information:
  • Publisher: Chronicle
  • Year: 2022
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 256pp
  • Illustrated: No
  • Dimensions: 234x157mm
  • ISBN: 9781797202846
  • Condition: New
  • Weight: 0.8kg
Product code:
541077
Product information
Full publisher description
A grab bag of historic spleens, chins, and more, this is your ultimate literary dissection of body parts throughout history!


From famous craniums to prominent breasts, ancient spleens and bound feet, this book will bring history to life in a whole new way. With their inimitable wit and probing intelligence, authors Kathy and Ross Petras look at the role the human body has played throughout history as each individual part becomes a jumping-off point for a wider look at the times. In far-ranging, quirky-yet-interrelated stories, learn about Charles II of Spain's jaw and the repercussions of inbreeding, what Anne Boleyn's heart says about the Crusades and the trend of dispersed burials, and what can be learned about Lady Xoc's pierced tongue. A History of the World Through Body Parts is packed with fascinating little-known historical facts and anecdotes that will entertain, enlighten, and delight even the most well-read history buff.
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