Independent | Eco-friendly | Up to 75% off

Voices From the Past

Beginning with the gladiators’ ritual ‘Hail, Caesar! They who are about to die salute you’ on 1 January, WB Marsh’s year of great quotations and the stories behind them ranges across history from antiquity to 2016. The words of participants, whether kings, revolutionaries or poets, offer intriguing and often surprising perspectives on historic events: the ‘empire on which the sun never sets’ turns out to be, not the British, but the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by Charles V from 28 June 1519.
Postscript description
Read full publisher description

RRP £25.00

£8.99

✓ In stock

Free UK delivery on orders over £25

Product information:
  • Publisher: Icon
  • Year: 2020
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 720pp
  • Illustrated: No
  • Dimensions: 232x150mm
  • ISBN: 9781785786631
  • Condition: New
  • Weight: 1kg
Product code:
516098
Product information
Full publisher description
366 quotations - one for every day of the (leap) year - each with a fascinating historical story

In a treasure trove for history buffs, W. B. Marsh fleshes out the context behind famous quotations associated with each day of the year, sending us back and forth in history from the time of the Ancient Egyptians to the world we live in today.

'You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war.' (25 April 1898) Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst urges war artist Frederick Remington to stay in Cuba while Hearst publishes lurid tales of an imaginary conflict.

'I am tasting the stars!' (4 August 1693) The monk Dom Perignon tests the result of his new techniques in the making of sparkling wine, and champagne is born.

'I did not write it. God wrote it. I merely did his dictation.' (20 March 1852) Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin, the nineteenth century's bestseller apart from the Bible.

'From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step.' (18 October 1812) Napoleon's all-conquering Grande Armee begins its slow and ignominious retreat from Moscow.
Read full publisher description
Reasons to shop at Postscript

Independent bookseller
Established in 1987, we’ve been sharing reading recommendations for decades.

Books you won’t find elsewhere
Discover new authors among our frequently changing bookshelves, along with almost-forgotten gems and a wealth of unusual titles you won’t find elsewhere.

Eco-friendly packaging
Orders are carefully packed in recyclable cardboard boxes, eco-friendly bubble wrap and solvent-free labels, paper and tape.

Condition and price
All our books are new, unused and unread, and they’re all up to 75% off RRP.

FREE monthly catalogue
Featuring over 400 handpicked titles, our unique catalogue is carefully curated and includes new and unusual titles, special features and exclusive collections.

Email newsletters
Our tailored newsletters are written by our booksellers, and we always highlight the books that we have talked about most in the Postscript office.

Footnotes blog
Some books spark ideas and conversations that our catalogue can’t contain – our Footnotes blog offers a deeper dive into a wealth of topics to inspire further reading.

Aftercare
We are all serious book people and we understand the value of reading. This is why we package our books so carefully and employ a helpful in-house customer services team to promptly resolve any queries you may have.

Delivery information - FREE UK delivery on orders over £25

UK

Free UK standard delivery on all online orders over £25

Unlimited books in one delivery charge: 

  • • Standard: £3.00 (3-5 working days)
  • • Click & Collect: £3.00 (3-5 working days)
  • • Next Day (orders must be placed before 1pm, Monday–Friday): £4.50
  • • Royal Mail Tracked48: £5.50 (2-4 working days)

Highlands and Islands delivery: standard delivery only (5-7 working days)

 

Overseas

All orders‭: ‬delivery costs for orders outside the UK are based on country of destination and product weight.

You can view your overseas delivery cost using the Summary section within the Basket‭.‬

For more information on delivery/overseas orders please refer to our Delivery Information.