Robertson's Book of Firsts: Who Did What for the First Time

Completely unlike any encyclopedia before it, The Book of Firsts is the product of decades of archiving and research from the incredible Patrick Robertson. For many years the proprietor of a stock photo archive and collector of all forms of ephemera, Robertson boasts a library that includes ads, clippings, and archival materials going back well over 100 years. In this amazing work, Robertson indexes and describes the things he considers socially relevant, such as the first black head of a white government (it's not who you think), the first baby carriage, and the first department store. He writes about all this with an unparalleled knowledge and impossible-to-fake fluency with a staggering number of subjects. What's more, Robertson renders this massive reference with subtle but distinctive humor, and an eye for fascinating detail. Every entry in this book includes a first time in America, and many also have firsts from elsewhere in the world. With a handsome design and an oversized trim, this will be both a groundbreaking work of reference and a beautiful gift for trivia heads.

About the Author :
Patrick Hickman Robertson began compiling his collection of firsts fifty years ago at the age of fourteen. He continued his extensive research in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa before settling down to a career at the BBC's cutting library. The first incarnation of this book, The Shell Book of Firsts, appeared in the UK in 1974 and became an immediate bestseller. Robertson has been a Visiting Scholar the University of North Carolina, a former chairman of the Ephemera Society, and owns the largest private collection of vintage magazines in Britain.

Review :
A gem of a book, amusing and informative.... A natural storyteller, [Robertson] injects life and humanity into what might have otherwise been a dull list... Mixing lively writing with an eye for the telling detail, Mr Robertson has delivered a charming trove of ingenuity in unexpected places. The book's format makes it easy for readers to dip in and out. Its breadth and depth make it an invaluable catalogue of global culture and social trends. Readers may end up feeling wistful for a time when items such as roller skates (1760) and in-flight meals (1919) were one eureka-moment away from existing. But today's rate of innovation promises many more firsts to come. Let's hope Mr Robertson is already working on the next edition. Patrick Robertson's new compendium of achievements, innovations, and discoveries isn't just good fodder for your next quiz night. It's also full of eyebrow-raisers, as the fifty years of research behind this volume yields stories that overturn conventional wisdom about everything from how popcorn arrived in America to the first black head of state. The best part: each of Robertson's gracefully composed short entries makes delightful reading. This informative and entertaining one-volume ready-reference tool is presented at a price that makes it well worth consideration. It is more exhaustive than Joseph Kane's Famous First Facts, which limits its focus to the United States. Recommended for high school and public library history buffs, fact fanatics, or casual readers with an interest in noteworthy achievements.