<\/p>\n
‘Charming and outstandingly nerdish’
\nROBERT WEBB
\n<\/b>
\n‘I love Jonn Elledge; I love the way he looks at the world’
\nMARINA HYDE
\n<\/b>
\n_________<\/p>\n
For over 10,000 years, we humans have been busy altering our environment and embracing ‘progress’, evolving seamlessly from hunter gatherers to the modern urban sophisticates we see ourselves as today.<\/p>\n
But what are the ideas and inventions that enabled humanity to become, by the early 21st century, a majority urban species for the first time? How did the essential infrastructure of modern life – the innovations that we barely even notice, but without which our world would fall apart – actually come to be?<\/p>\n
With his characteristic wit and boundless curiosity, Jonn Elledge invites us to join him on a fascinating and often surprising tour of the ideas and technologies that made modernity possible. From elevators to electric lighting, parks to pedestrian crossings, he guides us through the history of civilisation itself.<\/p>\n
A History of the World in 47 Borders<\/b> was The Sunday Times No 1 Bestseller April 2025<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SIGNED HARDBACK PRE-ORDER<\/strong><\/p>\n Signed Hardback Pre-Order | 31 Inventions that Built Our World<\/em> by Jonn Elledge<\/strong><\/p>\n Pre-order a signed hardback copy of 31 Inventions that Built Our World<\/em> by Jonn Elledge, the Sunday Times bestselling author of A History of the World in 47 Borders<\/em>. This fascinating non-fiction book explores the inventions that shaped the world around us, revealing the surprising stories behind everyday ideas, objects and breakthroughs.<\/p>\n Published by Wildfire, this 368-page hardback includes black and white chapter opener line drawings throughout, making it a brilliant choice for readers interested in history, geography, innovation, culture and accessible popular non-fiction.<\/p>\n Publication date:<\/strong> 27 August 2026. All signed hardback pre-orders will be dispatched as soon as stock arrives.<\/p>\n Secure your signed copy today from an independent UK bookshop. Carefully packaged to ensure it arrives in excellent condition.<\/p>\n For over 10,000 years, we humans have been busy altering our environment and embracing ‘progress’, evolving seamlessly from hunter gatherers to the modern urban sophisticates we see ourselves as today. But what are the ideas and inventions that enabled humanity to become, by the early 21st century, a majority urban species for the first time? How did the essential infrastructure of modern life – the innovations that we barely even notice, but without which our world would fall apart – actually come to be? With his characteristic wit and boundless curiosity, Jonn Elledge invites us to join him on a fascinating and often surprising tour of the ideas and technologies that made modernity possible. From elevators to electric lighting, parks to pedestrian crossings, he guides us through the history of civilisation itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[75,16428,26102],"product_tag":[26894,4184,678],"class_list":["post-119776","product","type-product","status-publish","product_cat-history","product_cat-pre-order-carousel","product_cat-signed-and-special-editions","product_tag-biography-non-fiction-prose","product_tag-historical-geography","product_tag-history-of-other-lands","pa_book_author-elledge-jonn","pa_cover-hardback","pa_dewey-901-edition23","pa_imprint-wildfire","pa_language-english","pa_pages-8261","pa_publisher-wildfire","pa_readership-general-trade-code-k","first","instock","sold-individually","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n