History Through Objects

The idea of presenting popular history through objects got a boost from Tom Standage’s popular A History of the World in Six Glasses (Walker. 2005), which discusses human development from the Fertile Crescent, where they drank beer, to today’s Coca Cola–fueled society. The trend has really taken off lately, though, with readers who like a reference browse delighting in books that explore various aspects of our world and its history through…stuff. Collections of 100 items are particularly the rage, and are also fascinating. More than, say, six drinks, a compilation of 100 objects gives the author space to get a little whimsical or unexpected. Like any list that claims to be definitive, the chosen artifacts can spark some knotty discussions. Which items were chosen, and why? What’s missing? Which choices are odd, or expand the definition of the title?

~Henrietta Verma,  "The Things They Carried: History 100(ish) Objects at a Time"

In our experience, reading history books can sometimes be a little dry. That's why we've been enjoying these books which present history using objects (well, not all objects, exactly, some use ideas or people or what have you). For instance, one book has chosen 7 flowers and shown how they have "exerted power or influence of one kind of another, whether religious, spiritual, political, social, economic, aesthetic or pharmacological".*  Another tome has a linguist expert selecting words "that best illustrate the huge variety of sources, influences, and events that have helped to shape our vernacular".* How about "A book you can read straight through and also use in the kitchen...a perfect gift for any food lover who has ever wondered about the origins of the methods and recipes we now take for granted"?* It's an interesting take that makes history seem tangible - probably too simplistic for a scholar, but helpful for the layman. Consider:

A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor

The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects by Richard Kurin 

Shakespeare's Restless World: A Portrait of an Era in Twenty Objects by Neil MacGregor 

The Civil War in 50 Objects by Harold Holzer and the New-York Historical Society

A History of Food in 100 Recipes by William Sitwell

A History of Religion in 5 1/2 Objects: Bringing the Spiritual to its Senses by S. Brent Plate 

Merchant, Soldier, Sage: A History of the World in Three Castes by David Priestland 

A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps by Chris West 

American History in 100 Nutshells by Tad Tuleja 

The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites by Libby H. O'Connell

A History of Life in 100 Fossils by Paul D. Taylor & Aaron O'Dea

A History of War in 100 Battles by Richard Overy 

The Story of English in 100 Words by David Crystal  

Seven Flowers and How They Shaped Our World by Jennifer Potter 

The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors by John Gribbin


Can you think of any other histories presented in this fashion? Let us know in the comments!

*all comments borrowed from book blurbs