How long is an ell? What is the largest size of champagne bottle? How do you measure the heat of a chilli pepper? Why is the depth of water measured in fathoms? And what is a cubit? "The Curious History of Weights & Measures" tells the story of how...

The punctuation marks, mathematical symbols and glyphs which haunt the edges of our keyboards have evolved over many hundreds of years. They shape our understanding of texts, calculations and online interactions. Without these symbols all texts would...

Which are the oldest museums in the world? What is a cabinet of curiosities? Who haunts Hampton Court? What is on the FBI's list of stolen art? "A Museum Miscellany" celebrates the intriguing world of galleries and museums, from national institution...

What can be found in the Vatican's Secret Archive? How many books did Charles Darwin's library aboard the Beagle hold? Which library is home to a colony of bats? Bursting with potted histories, quirky facts and enlightening lists, this book explores...

Ever wondered how ink is made? Or what is the bestselling book of all time? Or which are the oldest known books in the world? Highbrow to lowbrow, all aspects of the book are celebrated and explored in "The Book Lovers' Miscellany". From a list of u...

Which is the smallest book in the Bodleian Library? Who complained when their secret pen name was revealed in the library's catalogue? How many miles of shelving are there in the Book Storage Facility? What is the story behind the library's refusal t...

Who said "I should have drunk more champagne"? Did Nelson really utter "Kiss me Hardy" from his deathbed? Which statesman was, at the end, "bored with it all"? Which king begged, "Let not poor Nelly starve..." An extraordinary number of deathbed say...