Horrible Histories
Encyclopedia
Horrible Histories is a series of illustrated history books published in the United Kingdom by Scholastic. They are designed to engage children in history by concentrating on the unusual, gory, or unpleasant. The series has proved exceptionally successful in commercial terms. The books are written by Terry Deary
, Peter Hepplewhite
and Neil Tonge and illustrated by Martin Brown
, Mike Phillips
and Philip Reeve
.
The first books in the series, The Terrible Tudors and The Awesome Egyptians, were published in June 1993. As of 2011 with more than 60 titles in the series, the books have sold over 25 million copies in over 30 languages."History as it bloody well was" The Telegraph 19 June 2011. The books have had tie-ins with newspapers such as The Telegraph, as well as audio-book tie-ins with breakfast cereals.
The fifth book in the series, Blitzed Brits, was published in 1995, by chance coinciding with the 50th anniversary of VE day. The book reached no. 1 on the bestseller list. Deary decided that the book only gave the British viewpoint during World War II. Therefore, Deary wrote Woeful Second World War, focusing on experiences in France, Poland, Germany and Russia during the war. The book was published in September 1999, which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II
Deary eventually returned to the stage. Mad Millennium was commissioned by director Phil Clark
, who was a fellow TIE participant 25 years before. He suggested turning the books into large-scale theatre productions. Deary was happy to return to writing plays.
In 2007, the original series began to be republished with a new look and new content. The new books had altered information on the back cover, an index and a brighter, redesigned front cover.
Horrible Histories are designed to engage and enthuse the reader about a subject while appearing subversive, primarily aiming to entertain with a background educative purpose. Deary views himself as kid who wants to share facts with other kids, and as a writer who wishes to "entertain first and inform second". He does not respect authors who follow either extreme, that is, those who either only inform or only entertain. He believes that "readers are more important than writers and their needs have to come first" and that if the writer engages the reader, they will retain more knowledge from the work. The series has a sceptical view
on the accuracy and validity of history. An introduction to one of the books in series states "History can be horrible. Horribly hard to learn. The trouble is it keeps on changing ... In history a 'fact' is sometimes not a fact at all. Really it's just someone's 'opinion'. And opinions can be different for different people ... Teachers will try to tell you there are 'right' and 'wrong' answers even if here aren't."
Deary uses researchers for all Horrible Histories often in specialised fields, such as a military history. While researching his books, he immerses himself in the period so he is in the right context, compiling much more information than he needs. He tends to exclude all the 'boring facts' such as dates, because, he maintains "dates don't matter. Human experience matters". He wishes to avoid 'preaching' the value of history, instead focusing on the wonders of human nature, and asking how we each would behave in other people's shoes.
Deary uses many generic literary conventions to make his books more accessible to his readers. He deliberately writes in prose styles that follow natural speech cadences. He also frequently uses alliteration and assonance. Deary considered poetry to be "another weapon in the writer's armoury" rather than a specialised form that may only be used in specific circumstances. He maintains that the impersonal language used in textbooks alienates the reader. He therefore uses the second person
to talk directly to the reader, as if he were talking to them in real life. He views Horrible Histories as one of the few non-fiction or fiction series which utilise this "underused style of writing".
Deary uses the newspaper style to make serious material more accessible so the reader approaches the piece in "a more relaxed frame of mind than they would a school text", as in an article about the Massacre at Lidice. Newspapers are also used to illustrate light-hearted stories, such as might appear in a tabloid. Newspaper extracts, along with letters and diaries are used to tell stories from the perspectives of individual people, in order "to get away from the objective, and to get [his] readers to view history subjectively".
When writing about events and historical periods that are still in living memory, such as the Second World War, the series aims to maintain sensitivity. Dreary argues that a story about a Tudor executioner who needs ten hacks to chop off someone's head, for example, can, however, afford to be comical as contemporary society is so far removed from the event. Deary believes that it is important for children to know about recent events, such as The Holocaust
, not relegating them as taboo subjects that cannot be discussed. He has commented that the books do have borders they won't cross. They wouldn't, for example, describe violence against babies, such as the Vikings inflicted, and aside from some snogging, the series doesn't venture into the realms of sex.
The majority of the series' demographic are 'reluctant readers', who like books they can "pick one up, read a small section, and then put it down again". Deary attributes this to the use of short chapters, the fact that one may read the book in a non-linear order, and the varying uses of media in each book, such as quizzes and comic strips.
. In Poland, the series' common name, Strrraszna historia, includes Strrraszna historia (Horrible Histories), Strrraszne sławy (Horribly Famous), and Sławy z krypty (Dead Famous). There is also a sub-series describing various aspects of Polish history
and society (written by Małgorzata Fabianowska and Małgorzata Nesteruk, illustrated by Jędrzej Łaniecki). These titles were written and published exclusively in Poland and have not yet been published in English.
The collection Os Horríveis (The Horrible) in Portugal and Saber Horrível (Knowing horrible) in Brazil are designed to create interest in history, geography, science and other school subjects. The collection has become a great commercial success. In Brazil, "Saber Horrível" is published by Editora Melhoramentos and has sold more than 1 million copies. cn
In Portugal, the collection Os Horríveis is published by Publicações Europa-América and is subdivided into História Horrível (Horrible History), Ciência Horrível (Horrible Science), Geografia Horrível (Horrible Geography) and Cultura Horrível (Horrible Culture).
The Czech version is known as Děsivé dějiny (Horrible History). As well as translating the English books, it also include translations of the Polish sub-series. Other books are specific to Czech History, such as Děsné české dějiny (Horrible Czech History). They are mainly written by Roman Ferstl, however Martin Pitro wrote Pyskatí Habsburkové.
The first Horrible Histories videogame
was published in Germany, translating the series' title as Schauderhafte Geschichten.
The Dutch series Waanzinnig om te weten (Amazing to know) is a translation and an adaptation of the English series Horrible Science
and Horrible Geography
, but not all parts are in the Dutch translation. As of January 2009, this series includes 36 books.
Other language series include Thai and Spanish.Cut-Throat Celts is known as Y Celtiaid Cythryblus in the Welsh edition.
in Cornwall so they'll be all-weather attractions and they will not be museums or theme parks; they will be peopled by actors and the visitors can join in the never-ending re-enactments of the past - with all its horrible history flavour - over there is a pickpocket on trial for stealing ... is he guilty, do we hang him? You, the visitor, must decide." He wanted the audience to be fully immersed into the culture of the period, "Over there is Mr Shakespeare rehearsing a play and having trouble with the Puritans ... over here are the preparations for Queen Elizabeth's visit...in that house is a craftsman turning wooden bowls, and in that one a woman selling roast thrushes to take away while there is a house being built using genuine tools and skills and over there a Tudor ship. (When the ship is completed it will sail on the river and a new one built - when we have two we'll have a sea battle!)".
The Funfair of Fear exhibition was staged by The National Museum and Galleries of Wales
in 2000. The South Wales Echo
described it as "an Eye-popping exhibition". The article notes that "visitors to the exhibition will be able to throw beanbag Christians into lions' mouths and hear the sounds of the animals roaring. Bloody-axe beanbags can be hurled at Henry VIII's wives, knocking them over to reveal whether they really did lose their heads to the axe-man. A castle, complete with dungeon, is filled with victims being tortured. It looks stunning. It will win over children who have never been interested in history before."
The Crime and Punishment Exhibition was held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds between July and November in 2007. It broke attendance records. In 2008, the Imperial War Museum North
in Manchester held a Woeful First World War exhibition. From 2009 to October 2010, the Terrible Trenches exhibition was held at the Imperial War Museum
, London.
A forthcoming 2011 UK Horrible Histories tour planned, The Awful Egyptians, set to cover such venues as Grand Opera House
, York, New Theatre
, Oxford, The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Manchester Opera House
.
, who rejected their claim. The National Trust
was unhappy with Cruel Kings and Mean Queens because it made fun of Prince Charles, the trust's patron, and Queen Elizabeth II. Several of the books have been banned. Slimy Stuarts has been accused of Anti-Catholic views.
In the series, there are two books entitled The Horrible History of the World and The Wicked History of the World; however, they are the same book with different headings. To confuse things further, compact and mini editions were planned for release at the end of 2007. The same incident occurred with The Horribly Huge Quiz Book/ Massive Millennium Quiz Book, and The Mad Millennium /Mad Millennium Play. Also, there were two different covers for Horrible Christmas, as well as new paperback, compact and mini editions.
Much of what are proclaimed as 'facts' are, debatably, exciting myths and legends. The books, for example, claim that Shakespeare invented the evil actions he attributed to Richard III
and present Caligula
as being insane. Some of these falsities are listed in the song "It’s Not True" in the CBBC
TV series. Promoting Reading for Pleasure in the Primary School argues that the series provides an extensive level of detail for the subject material, and uses strong, authentic sources.
The series has been described as a "popular iconoclasm
, a challenge to standard narratives".
However other critics suggest that this is a "deliberate attempt to provide alternate readings" on principle.Teachers' omniscient authority is undermined in sections such as 'Test Your Teacher', which says "Your teachers will tell you all about the legions and what they wore and how they lived. But they don't know everything." By these tokens, the series could be taken to suggest that formal education provides an approved, abridged version of history, one which leaves out all the gory, interesting bits. Thus certain authors argue that any histories that do not focus on spectacular events are now deemed boring to younger readers. The use of non-linear structure, has raised the concern that the books are encouraging shorter concentration spans, that longer narratives develop.
Horrible Histories has received much praise. It is cited as a non-fiction series which has successfully used a formula to entice young children into reading: "The information here is densely packed, at a suitable level for Key Stage
s 2 and 3, historically accurate and complete with cautions about history being interpretive, but the success lies in the humorous and varied way that the subjects are presented". In Words, words, words, Janet Allen notes the books are "delightful combinations or cartoons, graphs and charts, narration, letters and wanted posters that convey a vast amount of information about those periods". Other critics also praise the wide variety of media in the books, such as recipes, quizzes and newspaper extracts; use of comic strip is particularly noted. The series is also recognised as an effective trigger for debates in English lessons.
The humour of the books has been identified as a major aspect of the series' success along with the story-telling skill. The series is notable for being historical non-fiction that young people read for pleasure, the first of its kind, pioneering a genre. Consuming history by Jerome De Groot, cites Horrible Histories as a series which demonstrates the "flexibility and dynamism of the 'historical' form" in children's books, another possible market for those types of books. It explains that the books "play on children's fascination with goriness" and that they are "mischievous, irreverent and iconoclastic, appealing to a child audience's desire for silly jokes, presenting history as something tactile and simple". Interactivity is attributed to the re-printable recipes and "what would you do?" multiple choice sections. Groot compares the use of illustration to Glen Thompson's For Beginners comic books of the mid '80s. Horrible Histories are noted for making "heavy use of visual and verbal textual interplay". While the series' direct address to its child audience makes the series a popular choice for independent reading, it can make the books ineffective as read-aloud books due to their personalized style of writing and the visual aspects of the books. However, some teachers have reported as using these books in a read-aloud manner. Consuming history by Jerome De Groot suggests that "the series' wider popularity is due to their tone and style rather than their content".
While discussing the graphic violence in games such as Counterstrike
, Grand Theft Auto
and Half Life, the author Judy Arnall points out that children in many societies, current and historical, have witnessed events much more horrific than the games. She cites The Wicked History of the World as giving a good context for this.
Carole Green of the BBC
reviewed the Terrible Tudors play at the Grand Opera House
, York (2006). She wrote "It was a wonderful evening, very funny and educational without realising it." The Guardian
gave the series great praise. The Daily Telegraph wrote "Terry Deary is the most influential historian in Britain today."
Jenny Knott of The Times
asked: "Why weren’t history books like this when I was a child?" Katie Law of The Evening Standard: "It's not hard to see why school children prefer Horrible Histories to the National Curriculum. Terry Deary's mischievous mix of humour, sadistic statistics and corny jokes, padded out by Martin Brown's wry comic cartoons, has proved irresistible bedtime reading for millions since the first, Terrible Tudors, was published." Books for Keeps said: "History as spot on as this is not so much an account as an enactment." Books Magazine said: "If you haven’t come across Horrible Histories before you’ve missed a true publishing phenomenon - Terry Deary seems to have invented a whole new genre with his series of books looking at history in an entirely different way." The Sunday Herald
wrote: "Kids love the Horrible Histories series because of Terry Deary's unstuffy approach and the amount of carnage featured."
The original versions of the books each had a "The" interjected at the start of their titles. This was removed for the republishing makeovers.
There has also been a book package released entitled the Blood Curdling Box Set. It includes the books: Savage Stone Age, Awesome Egyptians, Groovy Greeks, Rotten Romans, Cut-Throat Celts, Smashing Saxons, Vicious Vikings, Stormin Normans, Angry Aztecs, Incredible Incas, Measly Middle Ages, Slimy Stuarts, Terrible Tudors, Gorgeous Georgians, Vile Victorians, Villainous Victorians, Barmy British Empire, Frightful First World War, Woeful Second World War, Blitzed Brits.
are considered Novelty Books, and are not classified with the ordinary books.
Each issue came with small cards depicting historic people, places, events and customs as well as a collection of timelines. The first 60 issues came with timelines each showing an era of human history, while the later 20 had timelines showing the history of themes such as fashion, art and science. Some of the first 60 issues also had a royal family tree based on a certain period of history. The only exception of for Savage Stone Age, which instead had a comparison of all the ancient forms of man and what they ate.
There have also been three "special" magazines in the series:
The collection will not be relaunched in the UK in September 2009 Due To Low Trial Sales.
Terry Deary
Terry Deary is a children's author now living in Burnhope, County Durham, England.A former actor, theatre-director and drama teacher, Deary says he began writing when he was 29...
, Peter Hepplewhite
Peter Hepplewhite
Peter Hepplewhite is a North-East based children's author. Most famous for co-writing the Awesome Egyptians in the Horrible Histories series, Peter is an experienced writer of children's history. After escaping from teaching, he became the Education Officer for Tyne & Wear Archives...
and Neil Tonge and illustrated by Martin Brown
Martin Brown (artist)
Martin Brown is an Australian artist who was born in Melbourne and from a very early age, could draw. His father used to bring home slabs of paper from work, and Martin would doodle, until eventually he became an artist. His inspiration came from many cartoons, such as bugs bunny, which he liked...
, Mike Phillips
Mike Phillips
Mike Phillips may refer to:* Mike Phillips * Mike Phillips * Mike Phillips * Mike Phillips , Montana State Representative...
and Philip Reeve
Philip Reeve
Philip Reeve is a British author and illustrator. He presently lives on Dartmoor with his wife Sarah and their son Samuel.-Biography:...
.
The first books in the series, The Terrible Tudors and The Awesome Egyptians, were published in June 1993. As of 2011 with more than 60 titles in the series, the books have sold over 25 million copies in over 30 languages."History as it bloody well was" The Telegraph 19 June 2011. The books have had tie-ins with newspapers such as The Telegraph, as well as audio-book tie-ins with breakfast cereals.
Development
Terry Deary studied at drama college and worked as an actor-teacher at the TIE company in Wales. He then became a theatre director and began to write plays for children. Many of his TIE plays were eventually rewritten and adapted into the Horrible Histories book series.The fifth book in the series, Blitzed Brits, was published in 1995, by chance coinciding with the 50th anniversary of VE day. The book reached no. 1 on the bestseller list. Deary decided that the book only gave the British viewpoint during World War II. Therefore, Deary wrote Woeful Second World War, focusing on experiences in France, Poland, Germany and Russia during the war. The book was published in September 1999, which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II
Deary eventually returned to the stage. Mad Millennium was commissioned by director Phil Clark
Phil Clark (director)
Phil Clark is a theatre director and writer, specialising in work for young people.He trained at Rose Bruford College and in 2007received a Phd...
, who was a fellow TIE participant 25 years before. He suggested turning the books into large-scale theatre productions. Deary was happy to return to writing plays.
In 2007, the original series began to be republished with a new look and new content. The new books had altered information on the back cover, an index and a brighter, redesigned front cover.
Approach
Deary commented in interview, "if I had it my way, I wouldn't have schools at all. They don't educate, they just keep kids off the streets. But my books educate, because they prepare kids for life...It's outrageous, why don't we start telling children the truth about history? I hope my books do just that."Horrible Histories are designed to engage and enthuse the reader about a subject while appearing subversive, primarily aiming to entertain with a background educative purpose. Deary views himself as kid who wants to share facts with other kids, and as a writer who wishes to "entertain first and inform second". He does not respect authors who follow either extreme, that is, those who either only inform or only entertain. He believes that "readers are more important than writers and their needs have to come first" and that if the writer engages the reader, they will retain more knowledge from the work. The series has a sceptical view
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
on the accuracy and validity of history. An introduction to one of the books in series states "History can be horrible. Horribly hard to learn. The trouble is it keeps on changing ... In history a 'fact' is sometimes not a fact at all. Really it's just someone's 'opinion'. And opinions can be different for different people ... Teachers will try to tell you there are 'right' and 'wrong' answers even if here aren't."
Deary uses researchers for all Horrible Histories often in specialised fields, such as a military history. While researching his books, he immerses himself in the period so he is in the right context, compiling much more information than he needs. He tends to exclude all the 'boring facts' such as dates, because, he maintains "dates don't matter. Human experience matters". He wishes to avoid 'preaching' the value of history, instead focusing on the wonders of human nature, and asking how we each would behave in other people's shoes.
Deary uses many generic literary conventions to make his books more accessible to his readers. He deliberately writes in prose styles that follow natural speech cadences. He also frequently uses alliteration and assonance. Deary considered poetry to be "another weapon in the writer's armoury" rather than a specialised form that may only be used in specific circumstances. He maintains that the impersonal language used in textbooks alienates the reader. He therefore uses the second person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
to talk directly to the reader, as if he were talking to them in real life. He views Horrible Histories as one of the few non-fiction or fiction series which utilise this "underused style of writing".
Deary uses the newspaper style to make serious material more accessible so the reader approaches the piece in "a more relaxed frame of mind than they would a school text", as in an article about the Massacre at Lidice. Newspapers are also used to illustrate light-hearted stories, such as might appear in a tabloid. Newspaper extracts, along with letters and diaries are used to tell stories from the perspectives of individual people, in order "to get away from the objective, and to get [his] readers to view history subjectively".
When writing about events and historical periods that are still in living memory, such as the Second World War, the series aims to maintain sensitivity. Dreary argues that a story about a Tudor executioner who needs ten hacks to chop off someone's head, for example, can, however, afford to be comical as contemporary society is so far removed from the event. Deary believes that it is important for children to know about recent events, such as The Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, not relegating them as taboo subjects that cannot be discussed. He has commented that the books do have borders they won't cross. They wouldn't, for example, describe violence against babies, such as the Vikings inflicted, and aside from some snogging, the series doesn't venture into the realms of sex.
The majority of the series' demographic are 'reluctant readers', who like books they can "pick one up, read a small section, and then put it down again". Deary attributes this to the use of short chapters, the fact that one may read the book in a non-linear order, and the varying uses of media in each book, such as quizzes and comic strips.
Other languages
The books have been issued since 1997 by the publishing house EgmontEgmont
Egmont or Egmond may refer to:* Egmond family , an influential Dutch family, lords of the town of Egmond* Egmond , a town in North Holland, the Netherlands...
. In Poland, the series' common name, Strrraszna historia, includes Strrraszna historia (Horrible Histories), Strrraszne sławy (Horribly Famous), and Sławy z krypty (Dead Famous). There is also a sub-series describing various aspects of Polish history
History of Poland
The History of Poland is rooted in the arrival of the Slavs, who gave rise to permanent settlement and historic development on Polish lands. During the Piast dynasty Christianity was adopted in 966 and medieval monarchy established...
and society (written by Małgorzata Fabianowska and Małgorzata Nesteruk, illustrated by Jędrzej Łaniecki). These titles were written and published exclusively in Poland and have not yet been published in English.
The collection Os Horríveis (The Horrible) in Portugal and Saber Horrível (Knowing horrible) in Brazil are designed to create interest in history, geography, science and other school subjects. The collection has become a great commercial success. In Brazil, "Saber Horrível" is published by Editora Melhoramentos and has sold more than 1 million copies. cn
Cn
- Places :* People's Republic of China, ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code; sometimes refers exclusively to Mainland China* Comoros, FIPS Pub 10-4 and obsolete NATO digram* CN Tower, Toronto* CN Centre - an arena in Prince George, British Columbia...
In Portugal, the collection Os Horríveis is published by Publicações Europa-América and is subdivided into História Horrível (Horrible History), Ciência Horrível (Horrible Science), Geografia Horrível (Horrible Geography) and Cultura Horrível (Horrible Culture).
The Czech version is known as Děsivé dějiny (Horrible History). As well as translating the English books, it also include translations of the Polish sub-series. Other books are specific to Czech History, such as Děsné české dějiny (Horrible Czech History). They are mainly written by Roman Ferstl, however Martin Pitro wrote Pyskatí Habsburkové.
The first Horrible Histories videogame
Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans
Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans, is a 2009 video game based on the Horrible Histories books written by Terry Deary. The game was released on Wii, Nintendo DS and PC and is narrated by Terry Deary. It features over 30 mini games...
was published in Germany, translating the series' title as Schauderhafte Geschichten.
The Dutch series Waanzinnig om te weten (Amazing to know) is a translation and an adaptation of the English series Horrible Science
Horrible Science
Horrible Science is a spin-off series of books of Horrible Histories written by Nick Arnold , illustrated by Tony de Saulles and published in the UK and India by Scholastic. They are designed to get children interested in science by concentrating on the trivial, unusual, gory, or unpleasant...
and Horrible Geography
Horrible Geography
Horrible Geography is a series of books which is a spin-off of the Horrible Histories series written by Anita Ganeri, illustrated by Mike Phillips, and published in the UK by Scholastic. They are designed to get children interested in Geography by concentrating on the trivial, unusual, gory, or...
, but not all parts are in the Dutch translation. As of January 2009, this series includes 36 books.
Other language series include Thai and Spanish.Cut-Throat Celts is known as Y Celtiaid Cythryblus in the Welsh edition.
Brainiest Boffin Contest
In 2003, to celebrate the 10th anniversary, Scholastic held a contest to find Horrible Histories Brainiest Boffin. Deary played the Quizmaster and through a series of rounds, gradually eliminated five of the six finalists to be invited to the London vaults from 500 applicants. After the sudden death final, Iain Gibbons was crowned the winner.Tours and Exhibitions
Terry Deary said of The Terry Deary History Experience Park: "What I hope to build is a History Experience where I recreate authentic villages from various periods - Tudor, Roman, Victorian perhaps - with nothing of the 20th century in them...They'll be enclosed in domes like the Eden ProjectEden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
in Cornwall so they'll be all-weather attractions and they will not be museums or theme parks; they will be peopled by actors and the visitors can join in the never-ending re-enactments of the past - with all its horrible history flavour - over there is a pickpocket on trial for stealing ... is he guilty, do we hang him? You, the visitor, must decide." He wanted the audience to be fully immersed into the culture of the period, "Over there is Mr Shakespeare rehearsing a play and having trouble with the Puritans ... over here are the preparations for Queen Elizabeth's visit...in that house is a craftsman turning wooden bowls, and in that one a woman selling roast thrushes to take away while there is a house being built using genuine tools and skills and over there a Tudor ship. (When the ship is completed it will sail on the river and a new one built - when we have two we'll have a sea battle!)".
The Funfair of Fear exhibition was staged by The National Museum and Galleries of Wales
National Museum Wales
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, formerly the National Museums and Galleries of Wales, comprises eight museums in Wales:* National Museum Cardiff* St Fagans: National History Museum, Cardiff* Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon...
in 2000. The South Wales Echo
South Wales Echo
The South Wales Echo is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Cardiff, Wales and distributed throughout the surrounding area.The newspaper was founded in 1884 and was based in Thomson House, Cardiff city centre. It is published by Media Wales Ltd , part of the Trinity Mirror group...
described it as "an Eye-popping exhibition". The article notes that "visitors to the exhibition will be able to throw beanbag Christians into lions' mouths and hear the sounds of the animals roaring. Bloody-axe beanbags can be hurled at Henry VIII's wives, knocking them over to reveal whether they really did lose their heads to the axe-man. A castle, complete with dungeon, is filled with victims being tortured. It looks stunning. It will win over children who have never been interested in history before."
The Crime and Punishment Exhibition was held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds between July and November in 2007. It broke attendance records. In 2008, the Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum North is a museum in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. One of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum, the museum explores the impact of modern conflicts on people and society. It is the first branch of the Imperial War Museum to be...
in Manchester held a Woeful First World War exhibition. From 2009 to October 2010, the Terrible Trenches exhibition was held at the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, London.
A forthcoming 2011 UK Horrible Histories tour planned, The Awful Egyptians, set to cover such venues as Grand Opera House
Grand Opera House (York)
The Grand Opera House is a theatre in York, England. It is currently operated as part of the Ambassador Theatre Group. It plays host to touring productions of plays, musicals, opera and ballet, one-off performances by comedians, and other theatrical and musical events...
, York, New Theatre
New Theatre Oxford
The New Theatre Oxford is the main commercial theatre in Oxford, England and has a capacity of 1,800 people....
, Oxford, The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Manchester Opera House
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England is a 1,920 seater commercial touring theatre which plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is the sister to the Palace Theatre which is a similar venue in nearby Oxford Street at its junction with Whitworth...
.
Reception
The book Bloody Scotland drew the ire of the Scottish Separatist Group, who claimed it promoted a "UK centric, anti-Scottish viewpoint of Scottish history". They pointed to a featured haggis recipe: "cook the haggis until it looks like a hedgehog after the fifteenth lorry has run over it". They reported the book to the Commission for Racial EqualityCommission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
, who rejected their claim. The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
was unhappy with Cruel Kings and Mean Queens because it made fun of Prince Charles, the trust's patron, and Queen Elizabeth II. Several of the books have been banned. Slimy Stuarts has been accused of Anti-Catholic views.
In the series, there are two books entitled The Horrible History of the World and The Wicked History of the World; however, they are the same book with different headings. To confuse things further, compact and mini editions were planned for release at the end of 2007. The same incident occurred with The Horribly Huge Quiz Book/ Massive Millennium Quiz Book, and The Mad Millennium /Mad Millennium Play. Also, there were two different covers for Horrible Christmas, as well as new paperback, compact and mini editions.
Much of what are proclaimed as 'facts' are, debatably, exciting myths and legends. The books, for example, claim that Shakespeare invented the evil actions he attributed to Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
and present Caligula
Caligula
Caligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
as being insane. Some of these falsities are listed in the song "It’s Not True" in the CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
TV series. Promoting Reading for Pleasure in the Primary School argues that the series provides an extensive level of detail for the subject material, and uses strong, authentic sources.
The series has been described as a "popular iconoclasm
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
, a challenge to standard narratives".
However other critics suggest that this is a "deliberate attempt to provide alternate readings" on principle.Teachers' omniscient authority is undermined in sections such as 'Test Your Teacher', which says "Your teachers will tell you all about the legions and what they wore and how they lived. But they don't know everything." By these tokens, the series could be taken to suggest that formal education provides an approved, abridged version of history, one which leaves out all the gory, interesting bits. Thus certain authors argue that any histories that do not focus on spectacular events are now deemed boring to younger readers. The use of non-linear structure, has raised the concern that the books are encouraging shorter concentration spans, that longer narratives develop.
Horrible Histories has received much praise. It is cited as a non-fiction series which has successfully used a formula to entice young children into reading: "The information here is densely packed, at a suitable level for Key Stage
Key Stage
A Key Stage is a stage of the state education system in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the British Territory of Gibraltar setting the educational knowledge expected of students at various ages...
s 2 and 3, historically accurate and complete with cautions about history being interpretive, but the success lies in the humorous and varied way that the subjects are presented". In Words, words, words, Janet Allen notes the books are "delightful combinations or cartoons, graphs and charts, narration, letters and wanted posters that convey a vast amount of information about those periods". Other critics also praise the wide variety of media in the books, such as recipes, quizzes and newspaper extracts; use of comic strip is particularly noted. The series is also recognised as an effective trigger for debates in English lessons.
The humour of the books has been identified as a major aspect of the series' success along with the story-telling skill. The series is notable for being historical non-fiction that young people read for pleasure, the first of its kind, pioneering a genre. Consuming history by Jerome De Groot, cites Horrible Histories as a series which demonstrates the "flexibility and dynamism of the 'historical' form" in children's books, another possible market for those types of books. It explains that the books "play on children's fascination with goriness" and that they are "mischievous, irreverent and iconoclastic, appealing to a child audience's desire for silly jokes, presenting history as something tactile and simple". Interactivity is attributed to the re-printable recipes and "what would you do?" multiple choice sections. Groot compares the use of illustration to Glen Thompson's For Beginners comic books of the mid '80s. Horrible Histories are noted for making "heavy use of visual and verbal textual interplay". While the series' direct address to its child audience makes the series a popular choice for independent reading, it can make the books ineffective as read-aloud books due to their personalized style of writing and the visual aspects of the books. However, some teachers have reported as using these books in a read-aloud manner. Consuming history by Jerome De Groot suggests that "the series' wider popularity is due to their tone and style rather than their content".
While discussing the graphic violence in games such as Counterstrike
Counterstrike
Counterstrike may refer to:* Counterattack, a defensive military tactic.* Counterstrike * Counterstrike , a 1969 BBC science-fiction series* Counterstrike...
, Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
and Half Life, the author Judy Arnall points out that children in many societies, current and historical, have witnessed events much more horrific than the games. She cites The Wicked History of the World as giving a good context for this.
Press response
The series has been generally well received.Carole Green of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reviewed the Terrible Tudors play at the Grand Opera House
Grand Opera House (York)
The Grand Opera House is a theatre in York, England. It is currently operated as part of the Ambassador Theatre Group. It plays host to touring productions of plays, musicals, opera and ballet, one-off performances by comedians, and other theatrical and musical events...
, York (2006). She wrote "It was a wonderful evening, very funny and educational without realising it." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
gave the series great praise. The Daily Telegraph wrote "Terry Deary is the most influential historian in Britain today."
Jenny Knott of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
asked: "Why weren’t history books like this when I was a child?" Katie Law of The Evening Standard: "It's not hard to see why school children prefer Horrible Histories to the National Curriculum. Terry Deary's mischievous mix of humour, sadistic statistics and corny jokes, padded out by Martin Brown's wry comic cartoons, has proved irresistible bedtime reading for millions since the first, Terrible Tudors, was published." Books for Keeps said: "History as spot on as this is not so much an account as an enactment." Books Magazine said: "If you haven’t come across Horrible Histories before you’ve missed a true publishing phenomenon - Terry Deary seems to have invented a whole new genre with his series of books looking at history in an entirely different way." The Sunday Herald
Sunday Herald
The Sunday Herald is a Scottish Sunday newspaper launched on 7 February 1999. The ABC audited circulation in April 2011 showed sales of 31,123.From the start it has combined a centre-left stance with support for Scottish devolution...
wrote: "Kids love the Horrible Histories series because of Terry Deary's unstuffy approach and the amount of carnage featured."
Awards
- Best Book with Facts in the Blue Peter Book Awards 2000
- Best Book for Knowledge Award at the Blue Peter Book Awards 2001
- Terry Deary tops the list of most-borrowed non-fiction children’s authors every year. (Figures based on the Library Survey)
- Terry Deary was voted the fifth most popular living children’s author in a 2005 Guardian survey. Narins
- Won a BAFTA for best comedy sketch show in 2010 (for the TV program)
- Won BAFTAs for Best Comedy, Best writing and Best performer (Jim Howick).
- Won a British Comedy Award for best sketch show (TV program)
Original books
- Angry Aztecs (1997–present) (Aztecs)
- Awesome Egyptians (1993–present) (Ancient EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
) - Awful Egyptians (2006–present) (Ancient EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
) - Barmy British Empire (2002 only) (British EmpireBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
) - Blitzed Brits (1994–present) (The BlitzThe BlitzThe Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
) - Cut Throat Celts (1997–present) (Celts)
- Frightful First World War (1998–2009) (World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
) - Gorgeous Georgians (1998–present)(Georgian eraGeorgian eraThe Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
) - Groovy Greeks (1996–present) (Ancient GreeceAncient GreeceAncient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
) - Incredible Incas (2000,2010 only) (Tahuantinsuyu - The Inca EmpireInca EmpireThe Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
) - Measly Middle Ages (1996–present (Middle AgesMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
) - Rotten Romans (1999) -present (Ancient RomeAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
) - Ruthless Romans (2003–present (Ancient RomeAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
) - Savage Stone Age (1999–present(Stone ageStone AgeThe Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
) - Slimy Stuarts (1996–2000)(House of StuartHouse of StuartThe House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
) - Smashing Saxons (2000–present) (SaxonsSaxonsThe Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
) - Stormin' Normans (2001) - (NormansNormansThe Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
) - Terrible Tudors (1993) - (Tudor dynastyTudor dynastyThe Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
) - Terrifying Tudors (formerly Even More Terrible Tudors) (1998) - (Tudor dynastyTudor dynastyThe Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
) - Vicious Vikings (1994) - (Vikings)
- Vile Victorians (1994) - (Victorian eraVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
) - Villainous Victorians (2004) - (Victorian eraVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
) - Woeful Second World War (1999) - (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
)
The original versions of the books each had a "The" interjected at the start of their titles. This was removed for the republishing makeovers.
Horrible Histories Two in One
- The Frightful First World War and The Woeful Second World War
- The Groovy Greeks and the Rotten Romans
- Gorgeous Georgians and Vile Victorians
- Smashing Saxons and Stormin' Normans
- The Terrible Tudors and The Slimy Stuarts
- Vicious Vikings and Measly Middle Ages
- The Barmy British Empire and The Blitzed Brits
- Angry Aztecs and Incredible Incas
- Horribly Huge Book of Awful Egyptians and Ruthless Romans
There has also been a book package released entitled the Blood Curdling Box Set. It includes the books: Savage Stone Age, Awesome Egyptians, Groovy Greeks, Rotten Romans, Cut-Throat Celts, Smashing Saxons, Vicious Vikings, Stormin Normans, Angry Aztecs, Incredible Incas, Measly Middle Ages, Slimy Stuarts, Terrible Tudors, Gorgeous Georgians, Vile Victorians, Villainous Victorians, Barmy British Empire, Frightful First World War, Woeful Second World War, Blitzed Brits.
Novelty books
According to the Scholastics website,- The Horrible (Wicked) History of the World - (Earth's HistoryHistory of EarthThe history of the Earth describes the most important events and fundamental stages in the development of the planet Earth from its formation 4.578 billion years ago to the present day. Nearly all branches of natural science have contributed to the understanding of the main events of the Earth's...
) - Awesome Annual 2007 - (various periods)
- Annual 2008 - (various periods)
- Annual 2009 - (various periods)
- Annual 2010 - (various periods)
- Annual 2011 - (various periods)
- Annual 2012 - (various periods)
- 'The Mad Miscellany - (Miscellaneous)
- Cruel Crime and Painful Punishment - (CrimeCrimeCrime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
and PunishmentPunishmentPunishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
) - Horrible Christmas (2000) - (ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
) - The Big Fat Father Christmas Book
- Action Packs: Awful Egyptians
- Horribly Hilarious Joke Book
- Terrible Tomb of Tutankhamun Pop-up Adventure
- Frightfully Funny Quiz Book (2010)
- Nasty Knights (TV Tie-in)
- Perilous Pirates (TV Tie-in)
- Wild Warriors (TV Tie-in)
- Wicked Witches (TV Tie-in)
are considered Novelty Books, and are not classified with the ordinary books.
Specials
- Cruel Kings and Mean Queens - (The Kings and Queens of England, BritainKingdom of Great BritainThe former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
, and the United Kingdom) - Dark Knights and Dingy Castles - (The history of Knights and Castles)
- England - (EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) - France (2002) - (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - Ireland (2000) - (IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
) - Smashed Sarmats (2009) - (PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) - Rotten Rulers - (Rulers)
- Rowdy Revolutions - (Revolutions)
- Scotland (previously Bloody Scotland) - (History of ScotlandHistory of ScotlandThe history of Scotland begins around 10,000 years ago, when humans first began to inhabit what is now Scotland after the end of the Devensian glaciation, the last ice age...
) - The Twentieth (20th) Century - (20th century20th centuryMany people define the 20th century as running from January 1, 1901 to December 31, 2000, others would rather define it as beginning on January 1, 1900....
) - USA (previously The USA) - (The United States of America)
- Wales - (WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
) - Wicked Words - (The History of LinguisticsLinguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
) - Horrible Christmas - (Christmas)
- The Horrible History of Britain and Ireland (September 2011) - (BritainUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
)
Handbooks
- Spies
- Blitz
- 'Warriors
- Knights
- Pirates
- Witches
- Villains
- Trenches
- The Horrible History of the World
Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides (previously Horrible Histories Cities)
Some Horrible Histories have been based around a particular city, rather than a nation or a specific time period. They also have a map when the front cover is folded out, and explain some structures in the city when the back cover is folded out. Therefore, many people consider them to be a sub-series as well. (Even though Loathsome London doesn't have these qualities, it was included into this sub-series during the republishing of the series from 2008-2011.- Oxford
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Dublin
- Edinburgh
- York
- London (previously Loathsome London) (2005)
High Speed History
High Speed History is a Horrible Histories sub-series that features historical tales in a comic-strip format. The sub-series is illustrated by Dave Smith.- High speed history: Egyptians - (May 3, 2010)
- High speed history: Tudors - (August 2, 2010)
- High speed history: Knights - (August 2011)
- High speed history: Rome - (July 2011)
Horribly Huge Books
- Horribly Huge Book of Awful Egyptians and Ruthless Romans
- Horribly Huge Book of Terrible Tudors - June 2011
Quiz books
- The Awesome Ancient Quiz Book
- The Horribly Huge (Massive Millennium) Quiz Book
Others
- Dreadful Diary - (An 'on this day' style diary)
- The Mad Millennium
- Poisonous Postcards - (a Card Book)
- Who's Horrible in History (September 2011)
- Vile Villains (non-handbook) (March 2011)
- Terrible Trenches (non-handbook) (March 2011)
- Spies (non-handbook) (March 2011)
- Blitz (non-handbook)
Theatre
Some of Terry Deary's books have been adapted into plays.- "Horrible Histories - The Mad Millennium" broke box-office records when it opened at Cardiff's Sherman Theatre in Summer 1999.
- "Crackers Christmas", based on Terry's "Horrible Christmas Book" ran at the Sherman in December 2000. In 2002 Terry revived the play in a version for Barrow-in-Furness. Terry starred in that production himself.
- "Wild Wales" was performed as a reading at the Sherman in 2001
- The children's theatre company Birmingham Stage Company Productions have the licence to present Horrible Histories on stage around the world. They use the "bogglevision" 3D effects. Terrible Tudors and Vile Victorians in bogglevision visited theatres around Britain in 2010 in a production from the Birmingham Stage Company. These plays were written by Terry and were a hit in their 2006 tour. Bogglevision in particular has been successful in engaging children in the stage shows.
- In 2009 Terry wrote two new plays for the Birmingham Stage CompanyBirmingham Stage CompanyThe Birmingham Stage Company is a theatre company resident at the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham, England.It was founded by the Actor/Manager Neal Foster in 1992, with Sir Derek Jacobi and Paul Scofield CH as patrons...
to tour The Blitzed Brits and The Frightful First World War.
Magazines
In late 2003 Terry Deary released the Horrible Histories Magazine Collection and in 2005 some of the titles in the series were released as free audiobooks as part of a promotion with breakfast cereal. Originally planned to be 60, the series was continued with an additional 20. Here is a list of the 80 Issues of the magazine in the order in which they are received:- The Gory Glory of Rome – (Roman EmpireRoman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
) - The Terrible Tudors: Horrible Henry – (TudorTudor dynastyThe Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
King Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
) - The Awesome Egyptians: Mummy Mania – (Ancient Egyptian Mummies)
- The Vile Victorians: Cruel Britannia – (VictorianVictoria of the United KingdomVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
BritanniaBritanniaBritannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...
) - The Measly Middle Ages – (Middle AgesMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
) - The Slimy Stuarts: Bombs & Broomsticks – (StuartHouse of StuartThe House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
and Guy FawkesGuy FawkesGuy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
) - The Groovy Greeks: Hits 'n' Myths – (Greek MythologyGreek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
) - The Frightful First World War – (World War I)
- The Angry Aztecs – (Aztecs)
- The Bizarre Tsars – (Russian Tsars)
- The Vicious Vikings – (Vikings)
- The Terrible Tudors: Misery Mary – (TudorTudor dynastyThe Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
Queen MaryMary I of EnglandMary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
) - The Savage Stone Age – (Stone AgeStone AgeThe Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
) - Rotten Romans on the Rampage – (The end of the Roman RepublicRoman RepublicThe Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
) - The Awesome Egyptians: Fabulous Pharaohs – (Ancient EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian Pharaohs) - The Gorgeous Georgians: Heroes & Villains – (Georgian Policemen and Criminals)
- The Vile Victorians: Crime & Punishment – (VictorianVictoria of the United KingdomVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
Crime and PunishmentCrimeCrime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
) - The Wicked Wild West – (Wild West)
- The Frightfully Fabulous French – (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - The Slimy Stuarts: Burning Boils – (StuartHouse of StuartThe House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
Diseases) - The Woeful Second World War – (World War 2World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) - The Terrible Tudors: Bad Bess – (TudorTudor dynastyThe Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
and Elizabethan Queen Elizabeth the First) - The Extraordinary Explorers – (ExplorersExplorationExploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
) - The Trendy 20s & The Dirty 30s – (Roaring TwentiesRoaring TwentiesThe Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
in 1920s and Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in 1930s) - America & its Scurvy Settlers – (America in 1600s and American IndiansNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
) - The Incredible Incas – (Incas)
- The Smashing Saxons – (SaxonsSaxonsThe Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
) - Rotten Romans in Britain – (The Roman conquest of BritainRoman conquest of BritainThe Roman conquest of Britain was a gradual process, beginning effectively in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, whose general Aulus Plautius served as first governor of Britannia. Great Britain had already frequently been the target of invasions, planned and actual, by forces of the Roman Republic and...
and Roman BritainRoman BritainRoman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
) - The Vile Victorians: Foul Factories – (The VictorianVictoria of the United KingdomVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
Industrial RevolutionBritish Agricultural RevolutionBritish Agricultural Revolution describes a period of development in Britain between the 17th century and the end of the 19th century, which saw an epoch-making increase in agricultural productivity and net output. This in turn supported unprecedented population growth, freeing up a significant...
) - The Groovy Greeks: Alexander the Not-So-Great – (GreekGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Alexander the Great) - The Slimy Stuarts: Charlie's Gets the Chop – (StuartHouse of StuartThe House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
Charles ICharles I of EnglandCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
) - The Marauding Mongols – (MongolsMongolsMongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
and MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
) - Rowdy Revolutions: France – (French RevolutionFrench RevolutionThe French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
) - The Awful Ancients – (Ancient CivilizationsAncient historyAncient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
) - The Sizzling Spanish – (SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) - The Beastly Barbarians – (Barbarians)
- The Stormin' Normans – (NormansNormansThe Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
) - Ruthless Richard & the Useless Yorks – (The Wars of the RosesWars of the RosesThe Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
) - The Blitzed Brits – (Britain's BlitzThe BlitzThe Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in the Second World War) - Rowdy Revolutions: America – (American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
) - The Silly Chilly Cold War – (Cold WarCold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
) - The Cut-Throat Celts – (Celts)
- The Ingenious Italians – (Italian RenaissanceItalian RenaissanceThe Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
) - Nasty Knights & Crazy Crusaders – (Knights and Crusaders)
- The Gorgeous Georgians vs. Nasty Napoleon – (Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
) - The Slicing Samurai – (Japanese SamuraiSamuraiis the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
) - The 'Orrible Ottomans – (Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
) - Plundering Pirates – (Pirates)
- Rowdy Revolutions: Russia – (Russian Communist RevolutionRussian Revolution of 1917The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
) - The Jumbled Germans – (Germany)
- The Amazing Africans – (Africa)
- The Incredible Indians – (India)
- Revolting Rebellions: Europe – (European RevolutionsAge of RevolutionThe Age of Revolution is a term used to denote the period from approximately 1775 to 1848 in which a number of significant revolutionary movements occurred on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in Europe and the Americas. The period is noted for the change in government from absolutist monarchies to...
for RepublicRepublicA republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
) - The Cheeky Chinese – (ChineseHan ChineseHan Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
) - America's Very Uncivil War – (US Civil War)
- The Terrific Pacific – (Pacific IslandsPacific IslandsThe Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
) - The Irate Irish – (Ireland)
- Revolting Rebellions: South America – (South America)
- Cruel Colonials – (British Colonies)
- The Awesome Aussies – (Australian ColonistsHistory of Australia (1788-1850)The history of Australia from 1788–1850 covers the early colonies period of Australia's history, from the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Sydney to establish the penal colony of New South Wales in 1788 to the European exploration of the continent and establishment of other colonies...
and AboriginesIndigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
) - The Scary Scots: Woad Warriors – (ScotsScottish peopleThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and PictsPictsThe Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
) - Even More Rotten Romans – (Roman EmpireRoman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and Emperors) - Awful England – (Pre-Norman EnglandPrehistoric BritainFor the purposes of this article, Prehistoric Britain is that period of time between the first arrival of humans on the land mass now known as Great Britain and the start of recorded British history...
) - The Super South Africans -(South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
) - The Shifty 50s – (The 50s50s- Significant people :* Claudius, Roman Emperor * Nero, Roman Emperor * Kujula Kadphises, Kushan emperor* Paul of Tarsus, Christian evangelist* Emperor Ming of Han China...
). - Even More Extraordinary Explorers – (ExplorersExplorationExploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
and The Age of DiscoveryAge of DiscoveryThe Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration and the Great Navigations , was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing direct contacts with...
) - The Amazing Americans – (Late 19th and early 20th century United StatesHistory of the United States (1865–1918)The History of the United States covers Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era, and includes the rise of industrialization and the resulting surge of immigration in the United States. This period of rapid economic growth and soaring prosperity in North and West saw the U.S...
) - The Terrifying Trojans – (TrojansTroyTroy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
and City of Troy) - The Crazy Caribbean -(European ExplorersAge of DiscoveryThe Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration and the Great Navigations , was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing direct contacts with...
, Colonists and Native CaribbeansCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
) - Even More Vile Victorians – (Victorian EraVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
) - The Wild Welsh – (WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
) - The Shocking 60s – (The 60s60s-Significant people:* Boudicca, rebellious British queen* Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, Roman general* Julius Civilis, leader of the Batavian rebellion against the Romans...
) - The Scary Scots: Tartan Terrors – (Pre-Act of UnionActs of Union 1707The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,...
ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) - The Busy Byzantines – (Byzantine EmpireByzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
) - The Elegant Edwardians – (Edwardian Era)
- Potty Portugal – (Portugal)
- The Awesome North American Indians – (North American Indians and Indian WarsIndian WarsAmerican Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
) - The Polar Brrrs – (The NorthNorth PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
and South PoleSouth PoleThe South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
s) - Awful England Again – (British Famous People)
- Rotten Round-Up – (The Largest, Biggest and the Best)
Each issue came with small cards depicting historic people, places, events and customs as well as a collection of timelines. The first 60 issues came with timelines each showing an era of human history, while the later 20 had timelines showing the history of themes such as fashion, art and science. Some of the first 60 issues also had a royal family tree based on a certain period of history. The only exception of for Savage Stone Age, which instead had a comparison of all the ancient forms of man and what they ate.
There have also been three "special" magazines in the series:
- S1. Horrible Christmas
- S2. Cruel Crimes and Painful Punishments
- S3. Cruel Kings and Mean Queens – (English MonarchsEnglish monarchs family treeThis is the English monarchs' family tree for England from William the Conqueror to James I of England. It is split into three sections each containing a mapped image with links to articles in the English Wikipedia. The House of Wessex family tree precedes this family tree and the British...
)
The collection will not be relaunched in the UK in September 2009 Due To Low Trial Sales.
Spin-offs
- America's Funny But True History (Written by Elizabeth Levy)
- Boring BibleBoring BibleBoring Bible is one of the numerous spin-offs of the Horrible Histories franchise. The books by Christian writer and cartoonist Andy Robb are intended to help children understand who God is and how he has operated throughout history in both the Old and New Testament eras.Six of the books cover the...
the successful series of twelve books written and illustrated by Andy Robb - Coping WithCoping WithThe Coping With series of books is a series of books aimed at 11-16 year olds, written by Peter Corey and published by Scholastic Hippo. The first book, Coping with Parents, was released in 1989, and the series continued until the last book, Coping with Cash, in 2000. The books take a humorous look...
(written by Peter CoreyPeter CoreyPeter Corey is the author of the Coping With... children's book series. The series targets youngsters using humour. He is also the author of books of non-humorous nature. He has also written scripts for many television programmes and he has played characters in drama]]s and soap operas.- Biography...
, Illustrated by Martin BrownMartin Brown (artist)Martin Brown is an Australian artist who was born in Melbourne and from a very early age, could draw. His father used to bring home slabs of paper from work, and Martin would doodle, until eventually he became an artist. His inspiration came from many cartoons, such as bugs bunny, which he liked...
and Mike Phillips) - Dead Famous (written and illustrated by a variety of authors and illustrators)
- Fair Dinkum HistoriesFair Dinkum HistoriesFair Dinkum Histories is a spin-off series of the Horrible Histories books. It is written by Jackie French, illustrated by Peter Sheehan and focuses on the history of Australia...
(written by Jackie FrenchJackie FrenchJacqueline Anne "Jackie" French is an award-winning Australian author. She writes mainly children's fiction and books on gardening....
, illustrated by Peter Sheehan) - Foul FootballFoul FootballFoul Football is one of the many spin-offs of Horrible Histories. The series is written by Michael Coleman and explains everything you need to know about football .-Book Titles:Here is a list of all the books in the Foul Football series:...
- Horrible GeographyHorrible GeographyHorrible Geography is a series of books which is a spin-off of the Horrible Histories series written by Anita Ganeri, illustrated by Mike Phillips, and published in the UK by Scholastic. They are designed to get children interested in Geography by concentrating on the trivial, unusual, gory, or...
(written by Anita GaneriAnita GaneriAnita Ganeri is the author of the Award-winning series Horrible Geography. She is currently residing in West Yorkshire, England with her family. She was born in Calcutta, India and her family emigrated to Europe. She attended primary and secondary school in England, and graduated from Cambridge...
illustrated by Mike Phillips) - Horrible ScienceHorrible ScienceHorrible Science is a spin-off series of books of Horrible Histories written by Nick Arnold , illustrated by Tony de Saulles and published in the UK and India by Scholastic. They are designed to get children interested in science by concentrating on the trivial, unusual, gory, or unpleasant...
(written by Nick ArnoldNick ArnoldNick Arnold is the author of the award winning series, Horrible Science and Wild Lives. Arnold's first published works appeared as a result of a project he was working on at the University of North London, when he was trying to teach young children. A positive review was written about him, and he...
and illustrated by Tony de SaullesTony De SaullesTony De Saulles is a British author and illustrator currently residing at Gloucestershire, England with his family. He is a former book designer and then he became an illustrator for children's books. He illustrates the Award winning series Horrible Science by Nick Arnold.-Awards:* 2004 Aventis...
) - Horribly FamousHorribly FamousHorribly Famous is a series of books containing biographies of notable people who are now dead. These books are written by a range of authors and the books are, in some cases ghost-written under the same name as the one person featured in a Dead Famous book...
(written and illustrated by a variety of authors and illustrators). - Killer PuzzlesKiller PuzzlesKiller Puzzles is one of the many spin-offs of Horrible Histories and a new twist on the Murderous Maths puzzles books including Suduku and Kakuro. They make the readers try to maths and logic puzzles. According to , to make the challenges worthwhile, each book has its own theme and if you solve...
(written by Kjartan PoskittKjartan PoskittKjartan Poskitt is an author and TV presenter who is best known for writing the Murderous Maths children's series of books.- Background :Poskitt was educated at Collingwood College, Durham.- Writing :...
) - The KnowledgeThe Knowledge (book series)The Knowledge, one of the many spin-offs of Horrible Histories, is a UK book series for children, written by many different writers. It provides factual information on many subjects and originates from the Scholastic publishing company...
(written and illustrated by a variety of authors and illustrators). - Murderous MathsMurderous MathsMurderous Maths is a series of British educational books by author Kjartan Poskitt. Most of the books in the series are illustrated by illustrator and author Philip Reeve, with the exception of "The 5ecret L1fe of Code5", which is illustrated by Ian Baker, and "The Murderous Maths of Everything",...
(written by Kjartan PoskittKjartan PoskittKjartan Poskitt is an author and TV presenter who is best known for writing the Murderous Maths children's series of books.- Background :Poskitt was educated at Collingwood College, Durham.- Writing :...
and illustrated by a variety of artists, the most common being Philip ReevePhilip ReevePhilip Reeve is a British author and illustrator. He presently lives on Dartmoor with his wife Sarah and their son Samuel.-Biography:...
) - Smelly Old HistorySmelly Old HistorySmelly Old History is a series of illustrated books published by Oxford University Press. The books contain scratch and sniff panels to provide the reader with an aroma of different smells through the ages. The series was written by Mary J...
(written by Mary J. Dobson) - The Spark FilesThe Spark FilesThe Spark Files is one of the many spin-offs of Horrible Histories. It focuses on scientific experiments being portrayed through a humorous story, or a fictional tale.The list of the series is:#Space Race -...
(written by Terry Deary) - Terry Deary's TalesTerry Deary's TalesTerry Deary's Tales are one of the many spin-offs of Horrible Histories. They recall fictional stories and myths from various ancient civilizations...
(written by Terry Deary) - Time DetectivesTime DetectivesTime Detectives is a spin-off of the Horrible series, quite similar to The Spark Files, though focusing on historical aspects, not scientific...
(written by Terry Deary) - Top TenTop Ten (book series)Top Ten is a series of spin-offs of the Horrible Histories illustrated history books. Each book is made up of ten short stories made with a common theme, author or background. The books retell the stories in as abridged versions, shortened to appeal to younger readers. These versions often use a...
(written by various, including Terry Deary) - Truly Terrible TalesTruly Terrible TalesTruly Terrible Tales is one of the countless spin-offs of Terry Deary's Horrible Histories. This children's book series tells the true stories of the lives of explorers, scientists and writers in a light-hearted style. The books are illustrated by Scoular Anderson.The series includes:*Explorers...
(written by Terry Deary) - Twisted TalesTwisted Tales (book series)The same as Top Ten , this spin-off of Horrible Histories takes a look at many twisted tales and crazy stories that we never thought could really be true. This series contains quite similar titles to books in the Top Ten book series and just like it, also range in authors and illustrators...
- What They Don't Tell You About...What They Don't Tell You About...What They Don't Tell You About... is a book series by Bob Fowke , inspired by the educational children's book series Horrible Histories...
- Wild LivesWild LivesWild Lives is a spin-off of Horrible Histories and written by Nick Arnold, author of Horrible Science. It takes you on journeys with various animals in a journal-type format.Here is a list of the books in this series:...
- a diary about encounters with various animals such as lions and sharks in a journal-type format
External links
- Horrible Histories official online shop
- The Horrible Zone at Scholastic publications
- Horrible Histories on Terry Deary's official site
- Horrible Histories official website
- Horrible Histories World
- Horrible Books and Magazines USA
- "Horribly good" 10 May 2003 The Guardian
- Guardian "Writing history" 12 August 2003. Interview with Dreary
- "Terry Deary interview" Daily Telegraph 05 Jun 2011