The Horrible Histories Series
By Terry Deary
A funny, fact-packed journey through history’s strangest, grisliest and most unforgettable moments.
entertaining · informative · humorous · quirky
Pageticker community rating
Average 4.38, from 197 readers
What is The Horrible Histories series by Terry Deary about?
Written by Terry Deary from 1993 onwards, Horrible Histories turns the past into a lively, joke-filled journey through humanity’s strangest, messiest and most surprising moments. The series progresses from the Stone Age and Ancient Egypt through Romans, Vikings, medieval Britain, Tudors, Georgians and Victorians, before reaching more modern conflicts and wider world history. Cartoon illustrations, comic asides, quizzes and memorable facts make each book approachable for children who enjoy humour, unusual information and history with plenty of personality. Best suited to readers around seven to twelve, the books include references to death, disease, battles, punishment and bodily functions, handled in a deliberately comic style.
Genres
About the author
Terry Deary is a British author best known for writing the funny and fascinating Horrible Histories books. He loves making history exciting by sharing weird and wonderful facts about the past. Terry’s clever stories and jokes help children learn and laugh at the same time, making reading about history lots of fun!
All the books in The Horrible Histories series
Horrible Histories: Groovy Greeks
by Terry Deary
Meet the not-so-boring Greeks, where doctors taste ear wax and toilets flush mysteriously.
Published: 1996
Rotten Romans
by Terry Deary
Discover gruesome Roman secrets, from spiky hair to deadly doctors and fortune-telling chickens.
Published: 1994
Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans
by Terry Deary
Discover Rome’s nastiest secrets, where emperors turn murder into sport and crowds crave blood.
Horrible Histories Frightful First World War
by Terry Deary
What could old socks, wartime wee and a “Fat King” reveal about surviving the trenches?
Published: 1998
Horrible Histories The Awesome Egyptians
by Terry Deary and Peter Hepplewhite
Why did pharaohs wear false beards—and what other gruesome secrets are hiding in ancient Egypt?
Published: 1993
Terrible Tudors
by Terry Deary and Neil Tonge
Why did Henry VIII think he’d married a horse—and what other Tudor horrors await?
Published: 1993
Horrible Histories - Slimy Stuarts
by Terry Deary
Discover the Stuart era’s revolting secrets, from fishy footwear to a mysterious plague threat.
Published: 1996
Horrible Histories: Woeful Second World War
by Terry Deary
Discover wartime Britain’s strangest secrets, from shocking meals to an unexpected gas-mask trick.
Published: 1999
Horrible Histories Blitzed Brits
by Terry Deary
How did Britain survive air raids, rationing and seven television-free years?
Horrible Histories Measly Middle Ages
by Terry Deary
Discover the Middle Ages’ nastiest secrets—before the Black Death comes knocking!
Published: 1996
Horrible Histories: Incredible Incas
by Terry Deary
Could strange customs, golden secrets and germs topple the mighty Inca empire?
Published: 2000
Horrible Histories: Vicious Vikings
by Terry Deary
Why are Viking gods wearing wedding dresses, while dead bodies face bizarre trials?
Published: 1994
Horrible Histories: The Stormin' Normans
by Terry Deary
How did Norman knights, pirate saints and barrels of pee make history horribly hilarious?
Published: 2001
Horrible Histories Angry Aztecs
by Terry Deary
What made powerful Aztec priests, fierce warriors and Conquistadors face such gruesome surprises?
Published: 1997
Horrible Histories Smashing Saxons
by Terry Deary
Discover Saxon battles, bizarre customs and gruesome secrets—including one puzzling way to keep the dead happy.
Horrible Histories Vile Victorians
by Terry Deary
How did Victorians make everyday life so shockingly horrible—and surprisingly hilarious?
Published: 1994
Even More Terrible Tudors
by Terry Deary
Why did Henry VIII think he’d married a horse—and what other Tudor horrors await?
The Barmy British Empire
by Terry Deary
Discover the British Empire’s grisliest secrets, from stool-fuelled wars to shockingly macabre soldiers.
Published: 2002
Horrible Histories - Gorgeous Georgians
by Terry Deary
Could Georgian school rebels, pirates and highwaymen be hiding stranger secrets than dirty habits?
Published: 1998
Horrible Histories Cut-Throat Celts
by Terry Deary and Martin Brown
Meet the Celts: fierce warriors, gruesome brains and funerals that became surprisingly funny.
Published: 1997
Horrible Histories Stormin' Normans
by Terry Deary
Discover the Normans’ gruesome secrets, from saintly pirates to ships defended with pee.
The Terrible Tudors and the Slimy Stuarts
by Terry Deary and Neil Tonge
Discover Tudor horrors and Stuart secrets, where plague, plots and rebellion turn history upside down.
Horrible Histories: Gruesome Guide to York
by Terry Deary
Uncover York’s bloody secrets where Vikings and traitors lurk in shadows
Horrible Histories: Rowdy Revolutions
by Terry Deary
Which revolution made people fear their own reflections and why?
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