At Home: a short history of private life – Bill Bryson

A trip to the attic in search of a leak in the roof of his home, an old Rectory in Norfolk, inspires Bryson to take a closer look at his surroundings. Quite often we take for granted the everyday ‘things’ that decorate our homes. The condiments that adorn the table, the light fittings, the toilet, the bath, that odd niche half way up the hall – where did they come from, how did they come to be, who came up with that idea? In looking around his own home, Bryson considers the ordinary things and in the process gives us an historical overview of … well nearly everything. When talking about the bathroom, he neatly segues to sewage, cholera, plague and the Great Stink of London in the 1830s. For every room in the house, Bryson has a wealth of information to convey, and he does it in a very accessible and entertaining way.
Highly readable, ‘At Home’ is a look at private life throughout history and covers a myriad of topics including fashion, architecture, electricity, sewage etc. and the creative and often eccentric inventors behind them.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, I heartily recommend it.

Reviewed by Jill