The Penguin Book of Firsts by Matthew Richardson

As this fascinating, witty and surprising book reveals, we quite often attribute firsts in world history to the wrong people. Many ‘modem’ ideas and inventions actually date back to ancient times. The use of steroids can be traced back to the Sung Dynasty, and oral contraceptives were popular in ancient Greece. A Communist revolution took place long before Lenin and Trotsky.

Within these pages, you’ll discover that many things we hold dear began outside their traditional homelands. The famous croissant comes not from France but from Austria. Canada and the US played international cricket long before Australia and England, and India ink was first made in China. India has its own firsts to add to the list: the world’s first artificial harbour is at the Harappan site of Lothal in Gujarat; Kautilya’s Arthashastra, written over 2000 years ago, is the first to mention a general anaesthetic.

The Penguin Book of Firsts identifies the major firsts in various fields: science, sport, society, philosophy, finance, food, literature, law, music, medicine, inventions, religions, politics, war, and many others. The only complete reference of its kind, this book will amaze and delight with its myriad insights into human progress.