Jonn Elledge

Jonn Elledge’s books include A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders, Elledge’s Nontrivial Trivia, and Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed. At the New Statesman, he created and ran its urbanism-focused CityMetric site, spending six happy years writing about cities, maps, and borders. He lives in London.


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A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders
Surprising Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps
by Jonn Elledge
Paperback | $18.95 US / $24.95 CAN

A single boundary might, upon closer inspection, reveal eons of history—from epic tales of conquest, treaties, and alliances to intimate, all-too-human stories of love, greed, and folly. None of the lines we know today were inevitable, and all might have … Continue reading →

Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed
Why We Fall for History’s Most Seductive Conspiracy Theories, and How We Rediscover Reality
by Jonn Elledge, Tom Phillips
Paperback | $18.95 US / $24.95 CAN

From skepticism about the moon landing to the “deep-state” claims of QAnon, it’s always been human nature to believe we’re being lied to by the powers that be (and sometimes, to be fair, we absolutely are). But technology has given … Continue reading →

Elledge’s Nontrivial Trivia
The Seriously Enlightening Stories Behind Supposedly Simple Facts
by Jonn Elledge
Paperback | $17.95 US / $23.50 CAN

This illuminating compendium follows the captivating stories behind far-ranging facts, wherever they lead. No topic is too trivial for serious consideration, from how one might determine the most average-size country in the world to determining who would win in a … Continue reading →

The World as We Built It
The 35 Inventions that Define Modern Life
by Jonn Elledge
Paper over boards | $24.95 US / $32.95 CAN

For over 10,000 years, humans have been busy altering our environment, evolving from communities of hunter-gatherers to the independent, metropolitan sophisticates that we see ourselves as today. By the early 21st century, humans had become a majority urban species for … Continue reading →