Alexander the Great. George Washington. William
Shakespeare. Queen Victoria. What do all of these people all
have in common? Not just that they’re commonly in every
student’s history class, but what’s left out of the textbook: they
all routinely used drugs. They got drunk, stoned, high—and
they aren’t the only ones. Historian and viral TikToker Sam
Kelly (@Human_History_On_Durgs) brings readers on one hell
of a trip through history in his debut book, HUMAN HISTORY
ON DRUGS: An Utterly Scandalous but Entirely Truthful
Look at History Under the Influence (Plume; July 8, 2025;
Trade Paperback Original).
Kelly covers 40 historical figures in 40 chapters, starting in Ancient Greece and imperial
China through modern day. His viral TikTok account has proven the voracious appetite for
these uncovered histories, with more than 100k followers and 2.4 million likes, and HUMAN
HISTORY ON DRUGS expands upon his most successful videos while also offering tons of
brand-new content.
Hysterical, reflective, and illuminating, HUMAN HISTORY ON DRUGS introduces readers to
the history that isn’t included in school’s curriculums. Kelly covers well-known historical
figures but introduces new angles to their stories that most people don’t know about—such
as William Shakespeare’s fondness for cannabis, Sigmund Freud’s love affair with cocaine,
and Steve Jobs’ endorsement of the benefits of LSD. He shares amazing true stories that willblow the most ardent history fans away, from how one of the most prolific creators of
psychedelic drugs was on the DEA payroll, to the CIA allegedly doing sinister experiments
with LSD on the college kid who became the Unabomber, to the pope who drank cocaine wine
to fortify himself “when prayer was insufficient,” and more.
Perfect for fans of bite-sized history, like Bad Days in History and Lies My Teacher Told Me, but
also fit for hardcore history buffs, HUMAN HISTORY ON DRUGS is a punchy, easy-to-pick-up
read the entire way through. History is rife with drug use and drug users, and HUMAN
HISTORY ON DRUGS takes us through those highs (pun intended) and lows on a wittily
entertaining ride that uncovers their seriously unexpected impact on our past.
Human History on Drugs
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