X-Book

A Million Years in a Day

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

'A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice. Greg Jenner as is witty as he is knowledgeable' - Tom Holland

'Delightful, surprising and hilarious, this is a fascinating history of the everyday objects and inventions we take for granted' - Lauren Laverne

Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history, Greg Jenner explores the hidden stories behind these daily routines.

This is not a story of politics, wars or great events, instead Greg Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising and sometimes downright silly nuggets from our past.

Written and narrated in a chatty style by Greg Jenner, Historical Consultant to CBBC's multi-award-winning HORRIBLE HISTORIES, it is an entertaining history of all those things you always wondered - and many you have never considered. It is the story of our lives, one million years in the making.

(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group

Critics Review

Greg Jenner's magpie mind takes you through the history of who we are and what we do, answering tons of questions you never thought to ask
Al Murray
A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice, Greg Jenner is as witty as he is knowledgeable
Tom Holland
Like visiting the most wonderful and cluttered museum, each chapter like another room teetering with illuminating ideas and information
Robin Ince
bright, fun and enjoyable
HISTORY VAULT
One of my all time favourite books about history: erudite, witty and packed with things you've never thought about
Peter Frankopan
Delightful, surprising and hilarious, this is a fascinating history of the everyday objects and inventions we take for granted
Lauren Laverne
If you find yourself secretly relishing your children's Horrible History books, you will love Greg Jenner's jolly account of how we have more in common with our ancestors than we might think ... all human life is here, amusingly conveyed in intriguing nuggets of gossipy historical anecdote
DAILY MAIL
Fascinating ... [Jenner] crafts some fine aphorisms, and it would be a staggeringly learned person who could not glean anything new from this work
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Author Greg Jenner
Narrator Greg Jenner
Duration 10 hours and 47 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781409162230
Format Audiobook
Publisher Orion
Genre General and world history, Humour, Social and cultural history
Availability AU, GB, IE

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.