What We Did in Bed

This book explores the rich and varied history of the bed, revealing its role in intimacy, governance, and community across the ages. What We Did in Bed offers a captivating narrative.

In What We Did in Bed, authors Brian Fagan and Nadia Durrani delve into the intriguing and often overlooked history of the bed, revealing its multifaceted role across cultures and eras. From the opulent chambers of Louis XIV to the wartime strategies of Winston Churchill, the bed has served as a pivotal space for governance, intimacy, and community. The narrative spans seventy thousand years, illustrating how this everyday object has been a stage for sex, death, childbirth, storytelling, and social interaction, highlighting the bed's significance beyond mere rest.

The book uncovers fascinating anecdotes, such as the practice of travelers sharing beds with strangers and families co-sleeping in preindustrial households, showcasing how beds were not only functional but also symbols of status and social norms. Historical figures like Tutankhamun, who was interred on a golden bed, and the wealthy Greeks who took their dining beds into the afterlife, further emphasize the bed's cultural importance.

As the authors explore these varied uses, they also reflect on how the perception of the bed has shifted over time. In contemporary society, the bed has become a private sanctuary, often stripped of its rich social context. What We Did in Bed invites readers to reconsider their understanding of this everyday object and appreciate the deep historical narratives woven into its fabric.