Justin Pollard

Justin Pollard’s The Story of Archeology an Illustrated History of 50 Great Discoveries is a wonderful compilation of mankind’s discoveries. It included discoveries in the 19th and 20th centuries of archeology’s Golden Age. Articles were presented with timelines, and with captivating pictures.
“From ancient Egypt to Inca Peru, from Neolithic Anatolia to Little Bighorn, Montana, and from Mycenaean Greece to 20th-century Greenland, Justin Pollard brings each site vividly and affectionately to life.”
This historical story was concise, understandable, and appealing.… (more)

An extraordinarily enjoyable and illuminative history of Alexandria, albeit with some occasional jumping in the timeline that doesn't detract from the authors' enthusiasm at sharing the story of Alexandria. Who knew (well, probably most of you) how incredibly important Alexandria was as a center of philosophy, education, and culture during its heyday? It was not just the well-known library of Alexandria, but it was a crossroads and center of learning for much of its history. The destruction of the library didn't end the city's importance-- instead the long final demise took, with a ghostly echo of modern times, the narcissistic power-hungry machinations of St Cyril whose actions so weakened the city under the guise of spreading christianity that the remaining scholars and learned were forced to flee, taking the few remaining books with them. That weakened city, no longer a cultural or scholarly center, further decayed over the following decades and eventually fell to islamic expansion.… (more)

History is written by the winners, but for every war or battle that is won, and for every monarch that makes it to the top of the pile, there are hundreds of alternative snippets of history that never see the light of day.

Pollard in this book aims to set some of the record straight in this book. He has uncovered many little stories, tales and anecdotes that fill in the gaps in the broad sweep and big picture views of most history books. He has called them secret, but they are more unknown, and cover all ages of history from the middle ages to events in the second world war. And being one of the QI elves, he has written this with wit and humour too, making it a pleasure to read.

A great book for those that want to peer in the cracks of British history.… (more)