Ask a Historian

Why is Italy called Italy? What's the history of curry? Has the Pope ever not been a Catholic? Why did ancient Egyptians mummify cats but not dogs? What was the stupidest reason for a war? What did the Flintstones get right about the Stone Age? Who gets to name historical eras, and what will our era be called in 100 years' time? In Ask a Historian the author, podcaster and public historian Greg Jenner answers some of the burning questions you have always wondered about, but didn't know who to ask. Through 57 crowd-sourced questions Greg takes you on a magical tour through history, revealing the best and most surprising stories, facts and historical characters throughout the ages. Bouncing through a wide range of subjects, from overrated monarchs to who invented biscuits, and spanning the Stone Age to the Swinging Sixties, this is an entertaining and informative delve into the curiosity cabinet of history, answered one question at a time.