What can go up a chimney down, but can't go down a chimney up?

Mary Poppins. Neville Chamberlain. Mr. Tumnus of Narnia. What do these three have in common? Their signature umbrella, of course! Known affectionately as a "brolly" in British English, the seemingly innocuous accessory has a surprisingly colorful—and at times controversial!—past, one that's explored in this delightful "history of the umbrella in life and literature." From royal courts to Roald Dahl stories, political propaganda to Pygmalion, Brolliology (defined as "the study of umbrellas") showers readers with such unforgettable tales and trivia that we wager you'll never absent-mindedly leave your brolly behind again!