Publication date: 29th September 2022 (Hardcover, Audio and eBook)
How the monarchs of England and Scotland met their deaths has been a wonderful mixture of violence, infections, overindulgence and occasional regicide. In Mortal Monarchs, medical historian Dr Suzie Edge examines 1,000 years of royal deaths to uncover the plots, accusations, rivalries, and ever-present threat of poison that the kings and queens of old faced.
From the "bloody" fascinating story behind Oliver Cromwell's demise and the subsequent treatment of his corpse and whether the arrow William II caught in the chest was an accident or murder, to Henry IV's remarkable skin condition and the red-hot poker up Edward II's rear end, Mortal Monarchs captivates, grosses-out and informs.
In school, many of us learned the dates they died and who followed them, but sadly never heard the varied – and oft-gruesome – way our monarchs met their maker. Featuring original medical research, this history forms a rich record not just of how these people died, but how we thought about and treated the human body, in life and in death.
Dive head first into the stinky secrets of our past, from Henry VIII’s dodgy diet to the dark depths of Victorian sewers.
Ever wondered how many Romans it took to do a poo?
Curious as to how the Tudors wiped their bums?
And how on earth does an astronaut poo in space?
Discover the funniest and foulest facts from history with Dr Suzie Edge!
All too often, historical figures feel distant and abstract; more myth and legend than real flesh and blood. These stories of bodies and its parts remind us that history's most-loved, and most-hated, were real breathing creatures who inhabited organs and limbs just like us - until they're cut off that is.
Medical historian Dr Suzie Edge investigates over 40 cases of how we've used, abused, dug up, displayed, experimented on, and worshipped body parts, including why Percy Shelley's heart refused to burn; how Yao Niang's toes started a 1000 year long ritual; why a giant's bones are making us rethink medical ethics; and the strange case of Hitler's right testicle.
Did you know that ancient Romans used wee as mouthwash? GROSS! Or that snot was behind some of history's greatest discoveries? HUH?
From French kings with boils on their bums to Victorians who liked to catch tears in special bottles, Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time features deadly battlefield diseases, disgusting dukes, beastly bacteria and slimy stories from the Egyptians to the Tudors and beyond.
Packed with fascinating facts, hilarious illustrations and the snottiest, wee-tastic tales from our pongy past, get ready to be dunked into the foulest corners of history.
Tiktok star Dr Suzie Edge is here to guide you through macabre medical firsts in all their gory and gruesome detail.
Meet the Victorian body snatchers, witness beginner's dissection and see how broken bones used to be shoved back into place. From nasty neolithic skull-drilling to rasping Roman skull-filling, Dr Suzie Edge will leave no body part uncovered in her quest to demystify medicine.
Equally fascinating and DISGUSTING, A Hole in the Head is the perfect gift for anyone fascinated by grossness in all its technicolour glory.