Horrible Histories
By: Terry Deary Reviewed by: Alayne Alexandra Nyvern Nightwatcher
Recommended reading audience: 9 and up (although history can be gruesome)
Do you know how to make your own soap Viking style? Did you know that a Celtic woman who killed her husband's mistress could have her revenge without being punished, so long as she did so within three days of finding out? Can you prepare Numidian Chicken as the Romans did? What would you do if your glaziers spotted a walking mort draw a man in Tudor England? And what were Charles I's last words before having his head chopped off?
Had you read your Horrible Histories, you would know the answers to all these questions!
Horrible Histories are wickedly wonderful little books. In the author's own words this is history with the "nasty bits" left in. Terry Deary is the penultimate teacher, reaching his students by using the very best of tricks:
Making certain learning is so fun that you can't believe you are doing it!
Luscious titles of the individual works in this series, "The Cut-Throat Celts," "The Rotten Romans," "The Vicious Vikings, "The Terrible Tudors," and the "Slimy Stuarts," give the reader instant insight into the character of these books. Wittily illustrated with cartoons by Martin Brown, the books highlight the great moments and the not so great moments in history
without making excuses or apologies.
Each book is prefaced
with a time-line, and is historically accurate,with things that are supposed but not certain being clearly identified.The reader is invited to participate in the history by matching games,such as cures to ailments, punishments to crimes, weird words to their definitions, and by being invited to try ancient recipes, games, and dress.
All of these things are carefully related to the average pre-teen, but the writing style can easily interest any adult with a sense of history and a sense of humor.
The SCA reader will appreciate these books for their startling spirit of anachronism. Certainly they are a fine starting place for the young scadian wondering what period in which to place a persona.
Horrible Histories are published by Scholastic Children's Books, Commonwealth House, 1-19 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1NU, UK. They can be ordered at Barnes and Noble for around $4 each.
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Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Sorry, but we have to be tough about these things.