With more than 1000 pictures and captions depicting millions of years of evolution, the rise and fall of civilisations, the top 100 battles and on the reverse, the story of the planet, life and people from the Big Bang to the present day, the What on Earth? Wallbook is an exhilarating journey through the past. The book is designed both to be read as a book and to be viewed as a poster that concertinas out to 2.3 metres. Terrifically original publishing.
The What on Earth? Wallbook of Natural History tells the complete story of natural history from the formation of the Earth to the latest breakthroughs in evolutionary science. A3 in size and comprising a remarkable 2.3 m long, fully illustrated timeline, it can either be read like a book or unfolded and stuck on a wall. On one side the 4.5 billion year timeline presents a unique illustrated guide to the past, cleverly linking subjects together from asteroids to algae. Streams of colour represent key themes, including the land, sea and sky, and provide a backdrop to all the major events of natural history. On the reverse side a second timeline identifies the people behind the science and highlights key moments in the understanding of natural science from Aristotle to the present day. Perfect for younger readers but also relevant to all ages, this comprehensive, accessible and versatile wallbook is the first ever attempt to illustrate the entire history of nature and natural science on a single piece of paper.
The wallbooks are an amazing feat of publishing. See the image below for how the books open up.
And see below where the author demonstrates his wallbooks series in this video.
Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Skipworth Press Reviews
Praise for the What on Earth? Timeline series:
"A gripping re-telling of the most extraordinary story ever told" The Independent
"Epic - this is history let out of the box" The Daily Telegraph
"Astonishing - perfect for all the family" The Sunday Times
"A truly epic undertaking, in terms of layout, typography, design and sheer scale of ambition" - Christopher Middleton, The Daily Telegraph
“I wasn't able to get to the camera to catch the moment of my 4 y/o grandson on hands and knees on the dining room table looking for dinosaurs and boats. Your heart would melt. Many thanks to you, Chris and all those that made these delightful posters.” Ted Mead (grandparent)
“I wanted to let you know how fascinated my four boys are with the Shakespeare wall chart. They love it! They are aged 10, 7 and twins aged 6, and have had no contact with Shakespeare at all up till now - but can sit with it on their laps and pour over the pictures for ages! Then they ask questions (inevitable - the gory stuff!). Helen Hughes (parent)
“I have been reading your What On Earth Happened? book and it has inspired me to rethink my history teaching. The way you link one event/invention to another is brilliant. Would you object if I borrowed some of your content for use in my History class-notes?” Alex Kirkpatrick, Bishopsgate School
“Christopher Lloyd came to our school to give a talk and it was compulsory for me to go. I really dreaded it, and thought that it would be boring. However, to my pleasant surprise the talk was one of the most interesting talks I have ever listened to. It sparked in me a real interest in history and current events, so much so that I went home and got the What On Earth Happened Wallbook and the full book. I have chosen GCSE for history and will likely go on to study it at A-level. Thanks again for what you are doing and for inspiring me.” Aidan Bartholomew (14 years old)
Author
About Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Skipworth
Christopher (pictured) graduated with a double first in history from Cambridge in 1990 and went on to become the Technology Editor for The Sunday Times. He left in 2000 to become CEO of Immersive Education in Oxford before becoming an author in 2006. His best selling history of the world, called What on Earth Happened? (Bloomsbury 2008) is now in 15 languages and has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide. He established his own publishing house What on Earth Publishing in Spring 2010 and has published a series of timelines in collaboration with illustrator Andy Forshaw covering history, nature, science, sport, Shakespeare and Magna Carta. Christopher is now in great demand as a lecturer and storyteller in schools, museums and at literary festivals throughout the UK and abroad. He divides his time between lecturing and writing.
