Human History on Drugs - by Sam Kelly (Paperback)

About the Book

"A lively, hilarious, and entirely truthful look at the druggie side of history's most famous figures, including Shakespeare, Queen Victoria, and the Beatles, from debut author (and viral historical TikToker with nearly 100K followers) Sam Kelly Did you know that Alexander the Great was a sloppy drunk, William Shakespeare was a stoner, and George Washington drank a spoonful of opium every night to staunch the pain from his fake teeth? Or how about the fact that China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, ingested liquid mercury in an (ironic) attempt to live forever, or that Alexander Shulgin, inventor of no less than 230 new psychedelic drugs, was an employee of the DEA? In Human History on Drugs, historian Sam Kelly introduces us to the history we weren't taught in school, offering up irreverent and hysterical commentary as he sheds light on some truly shocking aspects of the historical characters we only thought we knew. With chapters spanning from Ancient Greece ("The Oracle of Delphi Was Huffing Fumes") and the Victorian Era ("Vincent van Gogh Ate Yellow Paint") to Hollywood's Golden Age ("Judy Garland Was Drugged by Grown-Ups") and modern times ("Carl Sagan Got Astronomically High"), Kelly's research spans all manner of eras, places, and, of course, drugs. History is rife with drug use and drug users, and Human History on Drugs takes us through those highs (pun intended) and lows on a wittily entertaining ride that uncovers their seriously unexpected impact on our past"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A lively, hilarious, and entirely truthful look at the druggie side of history's most famous figures, including Shakespeare, George Washington, the Beatles, and more

Did you know that Alexander the Great was a sloppy drunk and William Shakespeare was a stoner? Or how about the fact that Steve Jobs believed taking LSD helped him create the Apple computer, or that Sigmund Freud loved cocaine so much he took it all the time and prescribed it to his patients?

In Human History on Drugs, Sam Kelly introduces us to the history our teachers never told us, offering up irreverent and insightful commentary as he sheds light on some truly bizarre aspects of the historical characters we only thought we knew. With chapters spanning from Ancient Greece ("The Oracle of Delphi Was Huffing Fumes") to modern times ("Carl Sagan Got Astronomically High"), Kelly's research covers all manner of eras, places, and, of course, drugs.

History is rife with drug use and drug users, and Human History on Drugs takes us through those highs (pun intended) and lows on a witty and entertaining ride that uncovers their mind-boggling impact on our past.

Review Quotes

"Sam Kelly makes a promise to readers that he doesn't glorify the use of drugs or alcohol here, a promise he's kept inside "Human History on Drugs." Instead, he's honest about how such substances have affected history. He's fun, flippant, and playful about it, and he invites readers to engage in that pure lack of stuffiness.... Readers will be sympathetic while enjoying some of the stories here, astounded at others, and gleeful at the ones that are humorously, wonderfully outrageous." --Bookworm Sez

"The book covers 40 historical figures and their penchant for getting stoned, high and hammered." --New York Post

"A nonstop, eye-popping panorama... Besides serving up a multitude of entertaining stories, Kelly provides genuine food for thought about the medical and spiritual applications of psychedelics. Brimming with enthusiasm for history's nooks and crannies, this charms." --Publishers Weekly

"Human History on Drugs brings famous historical figures and eras to life in a way we've never seen them before. You'll never look at history the same way again." --Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Sam Kelly, a history grad from Stanford University, is on the autism spectrum and his interest and passion for history has become an almost physical compulsion. He loves to dig up forgotten and weird stories from the past and spends hours uncovering every last stubborn detail. As a deep believer that history can be as exciting as any Marvel movie, Sam aims to--whether on TikTok or through a book--make history both engaging and accessible to all. Human History on Drugs is his first book.