People in every corner of the world have decided to tattoo themselves, and countless cultures have performed this ancient artistic practice. But for the most part, these fascinating histories remain stubbornly untold - glorious characters, unbelievable truths and the lives of people from 5000 BCE to the present day have been hidden on the skin, under layers of clothing, and under layers of history. With access to a wealth of new and unreported material, this book reveals the artwork hidden beneath them. Dr Matt Lodder, one of the world's foremost experts in tattooing reveals what tattoos - and the people who wore them - tell us about a changing world.