This is not really a history book – and even if it were, its particular charm would be better expressed by the use of an indefinite article in the title. Or perhaps ‘Histories’ might have been more appropriate. Calling things what they are, being precise, is one of the difficulties it so enjoyably demonstrates.
Some anthropocentricity remains: shoes sizes in the UK and America are still measured in barleycorns
You would have thought, for example, that a kilogram has always been a kilogram. But no: the original kilogram, a cylinder known as ‘Le Grand K’, kept in a bell jar in Sèvres, from which replicas had been made for distribution throughout the world, was discovered to have lost its weight in relation to those replicas. It took until 2018 to establish absolute precision.
More understandably, the foot has been many lengths. The Roman foot was 295mm, the Greek 302mm. Charlemagne tried to impose a Frankish foot of 326.6mm.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in