The Worst Jobs in History 2

British history has been shaped by the toil and sweat of those people at the bottom of the social ladder, and in the second Worst Jobs book Tony Robinson continues his quest to discover the most unappealing of the jobs that have made the British nation what it is today.

Organized thematically, the book is split into the worst urban jobs, the worst industrial jobs, the worst royal jobs and the worst entertainment jobs amongst others. From taking a hiding for the prince's wrongdoing, to making purple dye from fermented molluscs and urine, a job in the Royal household is not all it's cracked up to be. City dwellers do not fare much better; with job titles such as 'pugger', 'sewer rat' and 'bone grubber' the bright lights of London seem somewhat less appealing. And if you're a performer at heart, spare a thought for the court jesters who risked a beating if their gags were too close to the knuckle, or for the early forerunners of the Circus act, the 'Flying Man', who operated with no safety net to break his fall.

Richly illustrated with artwork, photographs and diagrams, The Worst Jobs in History II takes you to the grimy roots of your profession, as Tony Robinson guides you through an alternative history of Britain in his inimitable and entertaining style.