The Rabbit Hole Book cover art

The Rabbit Hole Book

99 adventures into the history of stuff

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Whatever you think you know about history… think again!

The first trivia book from the team behind the hit history podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives, investigating the provenance of historical objects, real and metaphorical, with intelligence and humour


Ever fallen down a rabbit hole? Ever got lost chasing a fact, a hunch or a curious piece of cultural ephemera?

Then the Rabbit Hole Detectives – Richard Coles, Cat Jarman and Charles Spencer – are here to do the burrowing for you.

Why were eight WWII Hurricane fighter planes buried in Ukraine?

What have chimpanzees to do with the invention of toilet paper?

How many dynamite sticks should not be used to blow up a whale?

Which ancient civilisation liked a short tongue and a shaved head?

The Rabbit Hole Book follows Richard, Cat and Charles as they investigate and elucidate weird and wonderful curiosities from history, telling stories that are as often dumbfounding as they are gripping, as unexpected as they are hilarious or deeply moving.

What are you waiting for?

Welcome to the warren . . .Whatever you think you know, guess again.

'Compulsively dip-in-able' The Times

© Richard Coles, Charles Spencer and Cat Jarman 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024

 Social Sciences World

Critic reviews

Compulsively dip-in-able
I'd be amazed if you found none of the chapters interesting. My own curiosity gland was tickled by many of the entries
All stars
Most relevant
Lame, thinly research and dreadfully read. The gutteral warbling of Coles (speak up man) and the nasal bray of Spencer making this almost unlistenable 2/10 see, must try harder

All the effort went into thinking up the title

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loving the podcast I was so excited to get this book, especially on Audiobook.
however as interesting as the facts are , I found that it missed the banter and humour of the podcast, making it so dry it was a bit dull, even the subjects that were if particular interest to me sounded like they were being read by a bored teenager, in class .
I'm very disappointed to be honest.

very dry

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