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Greg Jenner

Recommended Books

Greg Jenner is a British author and public historian born in 1982 with a particular interest in communicating history through pop culture and humour.
32 books on the list
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The Blazing World book cover
The Blazing World
A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689
Jonathan Healey - 2023-04-11
Goodreads Rating
A fresh, exciting, “readable and informative ” history ( The New York Times ) of seventeenth-century England, a time of revolution when society was on fire and simultaneously forging the modern world . • “Recapture[s] a lost moment when a radically democratic commonwealth seemed possible.”—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker...
Greg Jenner
2023-02-13T15:16:04.000Z
Despite my sinus pain, I’ve been absolutely loving this fantastic book by @SocialHistoryOx - it’s incredibly detailed and capacious, but don’t be put off by its intellectual heft; it’s written with stylish wit and clear ideas. Really great stuff!      source
The Ruin of All Witches book cover
The Ruin of All Witches
Malcolm Gaskill - 2021-04-11
Goodreads Rating
In the frontier town of Springfield in 1651, peculiar things begin to happen. Precious food spoils, livestock ails and property vanishes. People suffer fits and are plagued by strange visions and dreams. Children sicken and die. As tensions rise, rumours spread of witches and heretics, and the community becomes tangled in a web of spite, distrust a...
Greg Jenner
2023-02-01T10:15:33.000Z
@MagsTheObscure @WolfsonHistory Fantastic book!      source
On Savage Shores book cover
On Savage Shores
How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe
Caroline Dodds Pennock - 2023-01-24
Goodreads Rating
Discover the untold story of Indigenous Americans who journeyed across the Atlantic to Europe in the wake of the Age of Discovery. In this groundbreaking work, Caroline Dodds Pennock challenges our Eurocentric understanding of history and sheds light on cultural appropriation, abduction, and loss; a story that has largely been absent from our collective imagination of the times. Drawing on surviving literature, poetry, and eyewitness accounts, Pennock gives us a sweeping account of the Indigenous American presence in, and impact on, early modern Europe.
Greg Jenner
2023-01-18T10:09:40.000Z
This is a fascinating, important book that will reframe how you see the 16th century👇      source
Recommended by
Adam Rutherford
The Theory of Everything Else book cover
The Theory of Everything Else
A Voyage Into the World of the Weird
Dan Schreiber - 2023-06-27
Goodreads Rating
Explore the most mind-boggling and hilarious theories with Dan Schreiber in The Theory of Everything Else. This collection delves into the biggest questions of our existence - from ghosts and time-travel to extraterrestrials and talking to animals. Schreiber presents the latest findings from researchers and self-proclaimed time-travelers alike, including Silicon Valley tech billionaires who question if the universe is a simulation. This book is a must-have for anyone who wants to expand their perspective and think outside the box.
Greg Jenner
2022-11-22T01:26:17.000Z
Absolutely loved this audiobook by ⁦@Schreiberland⁩ - I have zero interest in aliens or conspiracies, but I loved how this book found the fine line between “batshit weird” and cheery skepticism      source
Super-Infinite book cover
Super-Infinite
The Transformations of John Donne
Katherine Rundell - 2022-09-06
Goodreads Rating
Discover the story of John Donne: the poet who defied categorization in the sparkling and modern biography presented in Super-Infinite. Katherine Rundell explores Donne's many lives, from a scholar of law and sea adventurer to a priest and MP, while also highlighting his poetic legacy as one of the greatest love poets in English history. Despite struggling with his own personal demons, Donne's verse expresses breathtaking impressions of joy and love.
Greg Jenner
2022-11-18T12:00:08.000Z
This is a brilliant book 👇      source
And Away... book cover
And Away...
Bob Mortimer - 2021-09-16
Goodreads Rating
A heartwarming and humorous memoir that reflects on life, loss, and unexpected turns. Bob Mortimer shares his misadventures from burning down his childhood home to becoming a successful solicitor, and the chance encounter that led him to a career in comedy. Despite a heart condition that threatened his career, he found new success on BBC2's Gone Fishing. And Away... is a winningly heartfelt and hilarious read, full of lies and the most life-affirming joy.
Greg Jenner
2022-10-30T13:28:20.000Z
@IamRichWilson @RealBobMortimer Such a wonderful book      source
The Book That No One Wanted to Read book cover
The Book That No One Wanted to Read
Richard Ayoade - 2023-03-14 (first published in 2022)
Goodreads Rating
A quirky and genre-busting book narrated by a book itself, this story follows the life of an unwanted book with a boring cover and dry pages. However, its fate changes when it meets YOU, a curious reader. Through witty direct address and charming illustrations, this hilariously subversive book explores the nature of books and reading, while encouraging readers to find the courage to tell their own stories. Full of bookish references and laughs, this book is perfect for readers of all ages.
Greg Jenner
2022-10-24T16:20:37.000Z
I love this book so, so much - it’s so funny. Thoroughly recommended ⁦      source
The Unbroken Machine book cover
The Unbroken Machine
Canada's Democracy in Action
Dale Smith - 2017-03-04
Goodreads Rating
Explore the critical gaps in civic literacy that are killing democracy in our country with The Unbroken Machine. Dale Smith takes a deep dive into our understanding of the political system and proposes real solutions for a more effective democracy. Discover how our current proposals for "more democracy" may be making things worse, and how a better understanding of our system can lead to positive change. Designed for the lay reader, The Unbroken Machine is a must-read for anyone interested in engaging with our democracy the way it was meant to be.
Greg Jenner
2022-09-24T11:19:11.000Z
I strongly advise you to read this book - it’s enthralling, surprising, and important. It will profoundly change how you see our shared history. Black history *IS* British history      source
Recommended by
Paula Simons
Achilles in Vietnam book cover
Achilles in Vietnam
Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character
Jonathan Shay - 1995-10-01 (first published in 1994)
Goodreads Rating
Discover the psychological devastation of war in this groundbreaking book that compares the soldiers of Homer's Iliad with Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Through compelling stories and experiences, learn how combat trauma affects individuals centuries apart.
Greg Jenner
2022-09-15T08:24:50.000Z
@AsFarce @portusprince Yeah apologies if you’ve seen it before, but I read this book as a student and it was fascinating      source
The Facemaker book cover
The Facemaker
A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I
Lindsey Fitzharris - 2022-06-07
Goodreads Rating
Discover the heroic and captivating world of The Facemaker, a true story by award-winning author Lindsey Fitzharris. Step into the shoes of pioneer plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, as he rebuilds the faces of World War I’s injured heroes and revolutionizes plastic surgery. Follow Gillies as he establishes one of the first hospitals dedicated to facial reconstruction and assembles an exceptional team of practitioners to restore not only the faces of the wounded but also their spirits. Experience the incredible courage and imagination that brings light to the darkest of times in this vivid account of how medicine becomes an art.
Greg Jenner
2022-09-06T09:51:59.000Z
This is a brilliant book, I highly recommend it 👏👏      source
Rule, Nostalgia by Hannah Rose Woods
Portable Magic by Emma Smith
Losing It by Sophia Smith Galer
Devil-Land by Clare Jackson
The Greek Revolution by Mark Mazower
The Anglo-Saxons by Marc Morris
The Madman's Library by Edward Brooke-Hitching
Kindred by Rebecca Wragg Sykes
How Contagion Works by Paolo Giordano
The Beauty and the Terror by Catherine Fletcher
Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch
Origins by Lewis Dartnell
The Element in the Room by Helen Arney
Final Solution by David Cesarani
Something in the Blood by David J. Skal
Frederick the Great by Tim Blanning
The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
The Invention of News by Andrew Pettegree
Rob Delaney by Rob Delaney
Glamour by Professor Carol Dyhouse
Animal Freaks by Dr Jan Bondeson M.D.
Amelia Earhart by Doris L. Rich