Advance Praise for Props "Norm Coady writes history for people who take history so seriously, they read it for fun." -Tamim Ansary, author of The Invention of Yesterday Learn how seashells led to the first global conflict. Discover how a piece of chalk laid the groundwork for totalitarianism. Follow an umbrella’s strange journey from sunny Munich to rainy Dallas. A combination of humor and history, Props goes deep into the whys of history and the hows of power. As a bonus, Coady tells stories from the classroom, including the time a hot coffee was smacked out of his hand and he had to scramble to keep his job. Depart from the doom-scrolling and go deep. Norm Coady takes well-known historical events, turns them upside down, and shakes out new revelations. Equal parts illuminating and hilarious, Props is "Fun as well as informative, this is a book that is arresting and thoughtful. Read it." - Jeremy Black, author of The Geographies of War