The Horrible History of the World

Horrible Histories Handbooks #1

by Terry Deary

Terry Deary presents the foul but fascinating story of humans, from brain-nibbling Neanderthals to the terrified teenage soldiers in the twentieth century - all in glorious and goriest colour and now in flexi-bound paperback format. The truth about foul fighting is revealed in the "Horrible Histories Rules of War", and readers can meet fifty of the most vicious villains of all time in the frightful fold-out feature. History has never been so horrible.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Humor, Historical, Satire, Middle Grade

96 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

A former actor, theatre-director and drama teacher, Deary says he began writing when he was 29. Most famously, he is one of the authors of the Horrible Histories series of books popular among children for their disgusting details, gory information and humorous pictures and among adults for getting children interested in history. Books in the series have been widely translated into other languages and imitated.

A cartoon series has been made of the series of books and was shown on CiTV for a period in 2002.

The first series of a live-action comedy sketch show of the same name was shown on CBBC in 2009 and a second series is due.

Terry is also known widely throughout children and adult reading groups alike for his True Stories series (see below for series list).

He received an Honorary Doctorate of Education from the University of Sunderland in 2000. His numerous accolades also include the Blue Peter "Best Nonfiction Author of the Century" Award in the U.K.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb Histories!

This book is filled with stories about evil people throughout history. Well, maybe they aren’t all evil. Some were just the product of their time. The others are just plain evil.

Lots of cruelty in the name of religion. People are tortured for being the wrong religion. Many other people are tortured for being the wrong kind of Christian.

Many lives are lost during wars, just like they are today. And I can’t forget about the many people who lives are lost for power, so someone can be an underserved ruler.

Not every one of them is undeserved, though. Some rulers are so evil, cruel and incompetent that they deserve to be removed by any means necessary.

The author uses lots of humor in this story telling. He makes it fun and easy for children to learn more about history.

He even gives multiple choice questions and answers for children, to help with their learning.

I guess I should say that this book has something for everyone. You history lovers will want to give this a try.

Four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Fatemeh Nazari · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5/5
من این کتاب رو چند ماه پیش از طرف انتشارات برای تولدم هدیه گرفتم.
کتاب بامزه ای بود. اون یک و نیم امتیازی که بهش دادم بابت تصویرسازی هاش و بامزه بودنش بود. ولی در کل کتابی بود سرتاسر درباره ی خشونت و شکنجه. وقتی تاریخ چیز های بیشتری برای خوندن داره چرا نوجوان ها باید بخونن که فلان شاه فلان آدم ها رو چجوری شکنجه می‌کرد؟ آیا می‌داد زنده زنده پوستش رو بکنن یا اینکه دست و پاهاشونو قطع می‌کرد و می‌خورد؟
چه اهمیتی داره دونستن ریز به ریز این شکنجه ها؟ حالا می‌خواد به زبون طنز باشه!
این فکر تو تمام طول مدت خوندن کتاب عذابم می‌داد و به همین خاطر ستاره ی کمی بهش دادم.
به نظرم کتاب های مفیدتری می‌شه برای نوجوان ها ترجمه کرد.

[Ehsan'Shokraie' · Rating 4 out of 5]

وحشت بشر آفرین..صدای ضجه های مرگ انسان ها را به روشنی می شنوم..آن زمان که مرگ تنها و تنها هیبتی انسانی دارد.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik had deze uit de bieb gehaald, helemaal blij dat ik eindelijk dit kon lezen... toen kwam ik er alleen achter dat ik hem al in het Engels heb gelezen heel wat jaar terug. :P Vond ik het erg? Nee. Heb hem gewoon gelezen en heerlijk gelachen om de humor. Ik hou van deze serie, al sinds ik jong was. Ik weet dat ik elke keer als er een nieuw boek in Nederlands was ik hem meteen kocht. In dit boek komen we verschillende dingen tegen die volgens mij ook in de serie al werden verteld, in ieder geval herkende ik de illustraties. Ik vond het leuk dat alles in kleur was! Er zijn naast feitjes ook quizjes, puzzels, en meer. Ik heb genoten en wil nu eigenlijk ook weer de andere boeken lezen.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good to know more about history.This book concerns so many untold stories and it might make you want to hear more.
As the title says it's supposed to be a history of the world and it is clear that it isn't exactly true.There's always more to learn. So...Some historical events had to be omitted and (I think) the most enjoyable ones remained.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

great creepy fun!!!!!

[Fleur van Duren]

FAVORIETE KINDERBOEK 💜

[Fateme H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

اول از همه، من تری دیری رو خیلی زیاد دوست دارم .
دوم این که، این کتاب، کتاب خیلی جالبی بود.
اما متاسفانه، اون قدر دردناک و چندش آور و حال بهم زن بود که من حتی نتونستم تا آخر بخونمش!
شاید یه روزی این کار رو بکنم، اما فعلا، به هیچ وجه توانایی خوندن همچین کتابی رو توی خودم نمی بینم.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ever wanted to know the stuff that your history teacher wouldn't tell you? All the gory, blood dripping details are chronicled in this book.
This book was ok, but I could sense it dripping with sarcasm and bias. Definitely for the older grades because of the talk about wars and gore.

[Sophia]

Does what it says on the tin. Some parts I found enjoyable, but I’m refraining from rating it as I feel that it wouldn’t be correct for me to give a low rating given that I’m not the target demographic, but if I were the target demographic I would give it a 4* rating.

[سیاووش · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب بر خلاف بقیه‌ی کتاب‌های مجموعه یه دوره‌ی تاریخی خاص یه جای خاص رو توضیح نمی‌ده. انگار هدفش اینه که خشونت بشری رو، فارغ از زمان و مکان به تصویر بکشه. و البته که نه فقط با کلمات. مثل همیشه بامزه بود، ولی این میزان حرف زدن در مورد خشونت بدون این که هیچ تصویر کاملی از هیچی ارائه بده یه کم ناامیدم کرد. در مورد ترجمه هم پنجاه پنجاهم راستش.
امیدوارم داداشم خوشش بیاد (هرچند از دستش عصبانیم که این کتاب رو باید براش خرید؛ لایک بچه برو کتابخونه ثبت‌نام کن و به راحتی به نصف کتاب‌هایی که من می‌خوام برات بخرم دسترسی رایگان داشته باش؟؟؟)

[Abi SF · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this with my Year 7 old, and it's been a delight! As an English teacher, I love nothing better than a Horrible History clip to add to any context lesson, but I can honestly say the text version didn't disappoint either.

4 stars because some of it was truly, truly gruesome (even for me)... but I guess you can't beat the horrors of the reality of humans!!

[Keli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis

The sub-title says it all--history with the nasty bits left in. From cavemen to the 21st century, this book chronicles gruesome, bizarre and violent parts of history that you'll never learn in class. No continent is spared.

Review

If you want to talk about a book to which parents might object but kids, especially boys, would love love love then this one is it! While some historical facts are just a little gross and silly, like the Samuri farting contests, most of the facts in this book are some of the most brutal acts in history. Attila the Hun, the Romans and Ivan the Terrible get a lot of room in this book not to mention Countess Elizabeth Bathory of Transylvania. But there is no cultural bias in this book of historical cruelties. The Zulus, Chinese and Aztecs are implicated right next to the Celts and Crusaders. All of this is presented in a humorous tone. But just when the atrocities get a bit too much and a bit too recent, the book takes on a more somber tone. At the end of four pages on the Hilter Youth, the author brings in a quote from an adult who was a former Hitler Youth. "I was just a frightened child." Two pages later, at the end of the book, he begins to turn to a more optimistic tone. After one of the most gruesome battles in history, a survivor founded the Red Cross. He "set off to create a group of people who would not fight for any nation. They would be there to help any human of any race, any religion or any country." The epilogue is a call to all the young readers to put a stop to atrocities in the future.

While to content of the book is powerful, the format bears comment. This brightly colored book presents facts in small, easily-digestible chunks. It is broken up with comic strips, quizzes, games, faux diaries and letters and many more elements that are pleasing to children. While the colorful and interesting presentation might attract younger kids, the text rich pages and mature subject matter make this book appropriate for older children.

Critical Reviews

School Library Journal
I agree with SLJ's contention that this book is more appropriate for reluctant readers than research. It shys away from any emotional evaluation which is appropriate, but difficult given the subject matter. Also, it doesn't touch on the format of the book. This is a big oversight since format elements are key to this book's appeal.

VOYA
Like SLJ, VOYA points out that the lack of index and inconsistent layout makes this book inappropriate for a reference but great for pleasure reading for middle school age kids. This review offers some of the specific items mentioned in the book and gives a good sense of the layout and visual appeal of the book.

Other Bibliographic Information

Published in 2006 by Scholastic, Inc.
Pages: 96
Ages: 9-13

[Nkaiferi Ifiok · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only one complaint: the book was too short. We need a sequel!

Honestly, I wanted the book to keep going. I know the book was made with children and young adults in mind – and I first got it as a teenager – but it is still a treat for grown-ups. Each page is a treasure trove of historical facts, some presented in serious tones, others in comical cartoons. The author presents historical information using a variety of styles that range from objective narration and poetry, to quizzes and television interviews. And all of this is presented in glorious colour. Martin Brown is an excellent illustrator. Each page contains many hidden gems. His illustrations are filled with clever details that reflect the mood of the subjects discussed.

Another aspect of the book I appreciated, were the author’s witty and sardonic observations, like when he remarks that the crusaders killed Jews, because Jesus was killed by Jews (conveniently forgetting that Jesus himself was a Jew). The author does not play favourites, calling out historical bs whenever it crops up.

At times, I was a little overwhelmed by the lack of empathy and gruesome violence of the historical actors, but I suppose, that is what makes it a truly wicked history.

Finally I am grateful for the author’s distinctions between what is researched history and unverified rumours, by stating when there is no historical evidence to support a claim. Especially since this book has younger readers as its target audience, it is extremely important that they learn to distinguish between the two.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charmingly gross history of the world (suggested tabloid headline for the death of Anne Boleyn: GOGGLE EYES GETS IT IN THE NECK). Some attempts to include positive events, such as the founding of the Red Cross, among all the tales of bloodshed. Includes a poster of some of the all-time-worst villains and suggests that people like Ilse Koch--"ordinary" people who were just following orders--may be the most horrible of all.

[terka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the only book from this series that I own, but my cousins used to have almost every single one of the little paperbacks and I absolutely loved it. I liked history when I was little, and I am pretty sure that these books helped that a lot.

[Vladimir · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's tough to find exactly the 24th published book of an author. Once you get to 24, it pretty much makes you a rather prolific author with multiple titles, formats, editions, and other written 'things', often published in the same year. Or at the same time with other stuff. Do the novellas count? Do collected editions count? Howabout novellas or quiz books? GAH! And then even if you find the 24th book, more often than not it turns out to be some in media res book sitting awkwardly in the middle or at the bookend of an already established series.

I decided to ready Terry Deary's 'The Horrible History of the World' because it is like a one-size-fits-quite-a-lot-of-horrible-history-from-around-the-world kind of book. It's not about one nation or group of people, nor is it about a specific era.

Terry Deary's books about Horrible History are what I'd call a mandatory read. Parents, if you have a kid about the age of 9 and above, I really, really recommend the entire series. Full of delightfully depressing but real commentary, snarky British humor, silly facts, offputting puns, quizzes, and cartoony graphic art, 'Horrible Histories" is a series about, well, 'history with the nasty bits left in'.

It's the sort of material that makes a young adult, not smutvellas about dark fey manipulating and grooming featureless nondescript white girls from the Midwest.

It has that childish grit that will have you yearning for more history. It isn't sugarcoated, though what sugar is sprinkled on top of it is unrefined.
This book in particular, for example, covers topics like massacres, child labor, slavery (including slaves becoming slaveowners themselves), horrible cures, corporal punishments across the world, ...
and so much more.

I dare you to go through the last bits about the foundation of the Red Cross or about the Hitler Youth without shedding a tear as a cartoony George Hegel stabs you in the heart with the delivery of the book's epilogue.

"Why are you reading this book?
So you can say 'NEVER AGAIN.'
The world is still full of horrible happenings. But what will happen in the future to you, young readers?"

[Name · Rating 4 out of 5]

History has never been so horrible !


This book is from a long series called "Horrible History" all written by Terry Deary. It's not his first book at all ! He wrote a lot of books and series before this one like the series "Horrible History" or "Dangerous Days".

This book is made of multiple anecdotes of the History and the horrible events that it has seen. Through this book, we'll learn the cruelty of the man of Neanderthal or the lack of pity from the most known leaders.

In my opinion, this book is very suprising. It makes us discover a lot of interesting facts about History, from the dark ages to the Second World War. Some parts can be very funny thanks to the narrator and his humor, jokes and ironic ways to tell the horrific stories that we will read. There are a lot of illustrations so we can understand easily as French readers. It has a documentary interest, from the Shogun of Japan to the German dictator Adolf Hitler going through the Spanish Settlers we will follow their misadventure and learn all the things that can prove that they are truly horrible people. So for all those reasons, I appreciate this book and can qualify it as a funny way to pass time. Just to notice it, killing not guilty people is not very funny in fact but you can avoid that detail and just focus on the terrible, but entertaining, ideas and way to live of our ancestors.

I recommend this book and encourage you to read it just for your personal culture and to laugh every two pages.

[Dani St-Onge · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://literary-lion.tumblr.com/

"So you can learn to say ‘Never again’.”

From cavemen to WWII history has always been horrible. The cruellest people and events are examined with charming illustrations and a few fun activities.

This book is disgusting - in a good way! Kids will love the gross-out humour and hilarious illustrations. History is a subject which can, too often, end up being a dry affair, but not so with The Wicked History of the World.

There are real facts and quotes in this book, all presented in easy to remember snippets. The book uses activities, comics, jokes and illustrations to liven up the subject matter and entertain young readers! While it might be a bit too gruesome for readers too young and a bit too silly for more serious readers (although come on who doesn’t like fun sometimes) there is clearly an age-group this will be a homerun with.

The book presents history from around the world and seems to do it’s best not to do it’s best to avoid bias. The atrocities committed by Christians are examined in just as much detail as the ones committed by Romance and so forth. It also has a touching moral at the end despite all the gore and puns.

This book is funny, charming and weird. Kids who don’t usually enjoy reading might very well get lost in a book like this. The gross content is definitely not for everyone, but it’s a fun way to learn facts and spend an evening.

[Inlu · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Horrible Histories" were written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown.
This book is adressed to teenagers. This is an humoristic and historical book about the horrible histories of the world. It is a collection of humorous anecdotes about the most horrible episodes, practices and men in History.
Among all civilizations that appeared as we go along pages a lot of characters are evoked as: Alexander the Great, Cleopatra VII, Wu Chao the Chinese Empress of 624 and Pope Urban II the Christian leader.
Our favourite parts are the chapter about horrible hunters and the one about Terrible Tombs of Egypt.
This book made us laugh because in each page there are funny illustrations with words of the characters. In those images horror and humor are always mixed up and make a nice result for the reader. All stories are fascinating and when you begin reading one, you can't stop!
It's an easy way to learn about the world's history.
Then we recomend this book to teenagers from high school because it is really easy to read and very nice to know everything about History.

[Robin Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horrible history of the world was written by Martin Brown and published on October 2003. This book is adressed to children to learn some facts of the history of our world. This is a humorous historical book with lots of illustrations and stories Some fast and fun stories to learn and distract the children at the same time. It's about some bad facts of the history of the world.

You can discover famous characters like Edward Teach, Christopher Columbus or Francisco Pizzaro, you can discover some period of the history and events!!!!!!!

Our favorite part of the book is the Cruel Criminals story at pages 70-75, it is the story of blackbeard and a slave who will be a slave master. Another story we like is Terrifying Torture, it tells the torture that the slaves and prisoners can endure.

It's a very interesting book it can be read by everyone. I

[2C · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is entitled "The Horrible History Of The World"
It was written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown.
It was published in 2003.

The book deals with horrible acts of some population, like the prehistoric humans massacre or egyptian civilisation sacrifices.

The illustrations are basically trash and gore but the illustator drew with a touch of humor, like dead people that smile etc...

This book is really interactive with quotes like :"Dear Readers" ; "You" and some quiz.

We personally liked this book and mostly the illustrations but we didn't really like the caricatural aspects of some characters.

In conclusion this book has succeded to make horrible stories funny with really good illustrations.

[BaptisteJohanOlivier · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insane book!

The book written by the genius Terry Deary tells us a lot of "funny" anecdotes across history.
It began in the prehistory and ends up in the contemporary period. The writer and the illustrator make a dream team because with their talent they change a horrible fact into a funny moment.
My opinion:
I found the book very interesting because it is a perfect way for children to hear about their history without it being violent or sad. He recalls things he experienced and it is easy to understand and read.
It changed my perception of the world.
Nevertheless this book is bit too short.
I recommend this book for children and the people who love history and humouristic books.

[AnzacPuppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book which is about many little anectodes about the world History. There are a lot of different details, and I enjoyed that, for example, the horrible story of the torture was told with a lot of black humour. Indeed, this book tells about all the funniest details of the History. Morever, there are some comics which improve the understanding of the side texts. Despite the funny illustrations, the text is sometimes long and tough to read. However, it's such an original idea to mix dark humour with History.

[Anzac · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Horrible History of the World is by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown.
This book was published in September 2006.

This book tells several horrible stories that happened in the past. It presents the fifty most horrible people in history: like Adolf Hitler. All stories are told with jokes. The illustrations add a humorous touch to the book. This book tells stories most terrifying.

We liked this book because it told horrible stories while being fun to read.This is pretty easy to read and not too long.

[Greg]

[I have not yet read this book, but I feel I should comment on the cover initially. A more in-depth review may follow.]

The Horrible Histories series of books for kids seems to be very successful but in scrutinising the cover image of this volume, which supposedly focuses on world history, it is noticeable that only one of the eight people depicted is non-white. I wonder if this is a reflection of the content of the book.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting, and rather funny, history book. It talks about the negatives of history, like murders and torture. Most middle-school kids and older would enjoy it. (It's not really more negative than the typical video game.) I liked how the book had a glossary of British-English to American-English translations!

[Katrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a few of that series but this took the cake. Absolutely brilliant!! Colourful, illustrations, funny riddles, everything to keep you interested and entertained! Great stories, all the gory details and horrific tales in one book, haha! This was fun, educational and horrible! What else could you want??

[Sarah Hanratty · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Son and I LOVE horrible histories! I get all the books imported from England and we read each one together. He and I are history needs and he loves learning new (and sometimes gross) history facts. These books are engaging and make history fun!

[George Lathwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book and a great way to introduce kids to the horrible histories series but I feel it could have done with a timeline somewhere in the book to show the order in which the events took place