We've all been taught about kings and queens, great battles and the rise and fall of empires. The term historians have coined for this is 'history from above'. But what about the ordinary folk? What about almost everybody who ever existed? What about the places where no earth-shattering events have ever occurred?

We've all been taught about kings and queens, great battles and the rise and fall of empires. The term historians have coined for this is 'history from above'. But what about the ordinary folk? What about almost everybody who ever existed? What about the places where no earth-shattering events have ever occurred? This book is comprised of fascinating stories and anecdotes throughout history, such as how a Bristol merchant may have played a part in giving America its name; why a First World War naval battle was fought in a jungle, and how Sir David Attenborough helped to solve a Victorian murder mystery.