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Horrible Histories Specials #1
Krwawi Władcy i Wredne Królowe
Czy chcesz wiedzieć...
Kto jeździł w karocy z dynią na głowie?
Dlaczego trup króla Jana wiercił się w grobie?
Który władca dokonał żywota, spadając z sedesu?
Żaden kraj nie miał tylu krwawych władców i wrednych królowych, co stara, dobra Anglia. Nie wierzysz? To poczytaj...
Kto jeździł w karocy z dynią na głowie?
Dlaczego trup króla Jana wiercił się w grobie?
Który władca dokonał żywota, spadając z sedesu?
Żaden kraj nie miał tylu krwawych władców i wrednych królowych, co stara, dobra Anglia. Nie wierzysz? To poczytaj...
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
61 people are currently reading
977 people want to read
About the author
Terry Deary
807 books795 followersA 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
January 19, 2025
A very short and well-illustrated book about the "royals," their scandals and overall bad behavior. It's amazing to me, especially after reading this book, that Britain still has a monarchy. In fact, the book calls Elizabeth II "Lizzie the Last," predicting that she would be the last of the royal line! The book was published in 1995 and, of course, Britain now has at least one more monarch, King Charles III.
The book was a fun read. I knew a lot of the facts about the British monarchs, especially the Tudors--and, boy, what a crazy bunch they were!
The book was a fun read. I knew a lot of the facts about the British monarchs, especially the Tudors--and, boy, what a crazy bunch they were!
November 11, 2024
I like the series, they are funny and tell some of the lesser told parts of history.
One have to remember that they are written for 10-15 year old-ish.
the author have said that it is difficult not to write something wrong, because the first constants used to be considered the truth, but by the time the rest of the book had been written, those truths had been disproved.
Also a good theme in the books is that you shouldn't always believe what a historian have written, because the winner writes the history.
One have to remember that they are written for 10-15 year old-ish.
the author have said that it is difficult not to write something wrong, because the first constants used to be considered the truth, but by the time the rest of the book had been written, those truths had been disproved.
Also a good theme in the books is that you shouldn't always believe what a historian have written, because the winner writes the history.
December 1, 2011
One of the best books EVER!
Did/Do you know:
-which king told such big lies that he started to believe them himself?
-all King Henry the VIII-th wives were related with each other?
-what Elizabeth the Ist said about the death of her sister (Bloody) Mary?
-of the tax Elizabeth the Ist had?
For more read the book!
Did/Do you know:
-which king told such big lies that he started to believe them himself?
-all King Henry the VIII-th wives were related with each other?
-what Elizabeth the Ist said about the death of her sister (Bloody) Mary?
-of the tax Elizabeth the Ist had?
For more read the book!
April 6, 2023
اثری که به جزئیات زندگی و شخصیت تکتک پادشاهان و ملکه های انگلستان می پردازد..قدرت انسان ها را متفاوت یا یگانه نمی سازد بلکه اغلب بدترین وجه های آنان را می نماید.
November 16, 2017
Oh these make me so nostalgic. In dutch they were called 'Waanzinnig om te weten' (awesome to know), both for the history and science stories. I feel like everyone owned at least a few of these when I was about 9. Which was great, because you could then trade them.
I might be a little too old for the simplified stories and quizzes now, but nevertheless, I find them enjoyable. I'm sure I've forgotten 97% of the facts already and am still as shit in trivia as ever, but hey, I probably will remember that George III adopted his pillow and ended every sentence with 'peacock' when he was in a maniacal phase.
Sadly all the royals are already merging together in my head.
Most jokes are really dry, but the puns... they make me snort. A lot. Like Br-Ann-dy. It's so bad it's good.
I lost track of chronology a few times because of the intercepts (about kings with pets or partner troubles or weird hobbies or crazy doctors), though those parts are necessary to keep the story interesting, I suppose.
So yeah, the best kind of distraction when I can't concentrate in class.
I might be a little too old for the simplified stories and quizzes now, but nevertheless, I find them enjoyable. I'm sure I've forgotten 97% of the facts already and am still as shit in trivia as ever, but hey, I probably will remember that George III adopted his pillow and ended every sentence with 'peacock' when he was in a maniacal phase.
Sadly all the royals are already merging together in my head.
Most jokes are really dry, but the puns... they make me snort. A lot. Like Br-Ann-dy. It's so bad it's good.
I lost track of chronology a few times because of the intercepts (about kings with pets or partner troubles or weird hobbies or crazy doctors), though those parts are necessary to keep the story interesting, I suppose.
So yeah, the best kind of distraction when I can't concentrate in class.
February 14, 2008
Wildly entertaining book full of anecdotes about British kings and queens. Crazy information with fun illustrations. Bought it on a trip to England way back when. For those not really into history--> it provides a good introduction without being heavy.
December 10, 2024
2020 52 Book Challenge - 34) A Book With Illustrations
I loved this book. I actually stayed up until 2am on a work night to finish this book. But who doesn't love facts about monarchs told in a funny way
I loved this book. I actually stayed up until 2am on a work night to finish this book. But who doesn't love facts about monarchs told in a funny way
December 26, 2018
121/125 (Revised 2018 Reading Challenge)
Another enjoyable re-read from my childhood, used to love these books. They are still enjoyable today, maybe not 5Stars by today’s standards but for my childhood & for the ideal target age bracket definitely. Given my poor memory even as an adult there are some cool facts. But I’d like more detail. Yet for kids, especially if you are trying to introduce one to the fun side of reading/History these are great. The facts you’d want to know when young. Funny, gross, violent & yet all true (well I would assume, the adult in me craves references to sources for these facts lol Bit given the popularity of the HH series of books I can not see them being full of bull). Plus as an adult if you’re wanting a refresher on the Kings & Queens of England you could do worse.
Another enjoyable re-read from my childhood, used to love these books. They are still enjoyable today, maybe not 5Stars by today’s standards but for my childhood & for the ideal target age bracket definitely. Given my poor memory even as an adult there are some cool facts. But I’d like more detail. Yet for kids, especially if you are trying to introduce one to the fun side of reading/History these are great. The facts you’d want to know when young. Funny, gross, violent & yet all true (well I would assume, the adult in me craves references to sources for these facts lol Bit given the popularity of the HH series of books I can not see them being full of bull). Plus as an adult if you’re wanting a refresher on the Kings & Queens of England you could do worse.
January 16, 2020
Having been an avid student of British history since my youth, I had encountered stories concerning most of the monarchs in some context or other from Edward the Confessor on. Although marketed for a much younger audience, this was the book that really gave me the sense of vaster historical chronology which isolated bbc.co.uk/history articles often fail to provide. It was during the reading of this book that I memorised the Horrible Histories English monarchs song. You would think knowing the names and order of every English monarch since 1066 would be widely beneficial, however, such has not proved the case as of yet. Prime ministers are proving more difficult, partly because I have no Pernicious PMs to read. The book appealed to my revolutionary side as it shows very clearly that all monarchs are monsters with only a few exceptions. Since I was more interested in the historical significance of each monarch than in the disgusting anecdotes Horrible Histories is known for, I disliked the collections of anecdotes that were arranged by topic in between the monarchs' articles because they meant that reading a monarch's article didn't necessarily mean you had gotten all the information the book had to offer on that figure.
Want to read
April 11, 2020This book is lit
May 26, 2021
This is an immaculate work of art. Nothing can recreate this greatness that is the horrible histories franchise.
January 2, 2022
Cruel Kings and Mean Queens is a hilarious and interesting book by Terry Deary. Deary adds facts about mean things that kings and queens did in the past and some of them are cruel and sad but some a hilarious to what they led to. The author adds facts and information about their background and what they did. Then he adds a part of why they were a cruel king or a mean queen. I remember there was a page where it said how some of the kings and queens died. I was laughing after I read that one died on a toilet. This was sad but also hilarious. I would recommend this to 10 years old to 14 years old. The vocabulary isn't hard and there weren't any times I didn't understand the sentence.
October 5, 2013
Back in 1993, a British bloke called Terry Deary had an ingenious idea: write history books for kids but edit all the boring stuff out. Since then, his Horrible Histories have become a U.K. publishing success story. My husband and I brought a bunch of them back from a trip to England, but it’s easy to find used copies online in the United States.
My daughter’s favorite is "Cruel Kings and Mean Queens." From William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II, this book dishes the dirt: James I picking his nose in public. Edward II’s wife raising an army against him, capturing him, and having him thrown in prison. John I being accused of being a werewolf. Charles I’s head being sewn back on after his execution. Elizabeth I sending orders for her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, to be beheaded, then making it look like a misunderstanding.
If it’s weird, scandalous, or disgusting and has to do with the British monarchy, it’s probably in here. So are quizzes, ghost stories, cartoons, and trick questions kids can try on their teachers.
Sounds like a class act? It isn’t, but for us the drawbacks of this book have been outweighed by the benefits:
- This is a book of history that my daughter loves. Loves! Seriously, she’ll pick it up and flip through it for fun when she’s bored.
- It’s an effective antidote to a lot of fairy tale images of princesses, princes, kings, and queens that my daughter has been fed by popular culture.
- This book has made my daughter appreciate democracy. After 200 pages of monarchs lying, stealing, murdering their relations, and launching pointless wars against each other, she’s strongly in favor of presidential elections.
Other Horrible Histories titles include Cut-throat Celts, Smashing Saxons, Villainous Victorians, Slimy Stuarts, and many, many more. The series has even spawned a BBC series for kids. I haven’t seen it, but I do find the Ruthless Rulers song very entertaining.
This book is featured in my blog, "Best Books for Girls" as something that my daughter and I both loved. See our other choices at http://www.christineummelhosler.com/b....
My daughter’s favorite is "Cruel Kings and Mean Queens." From William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II, this book dishes the dirt: James I picking his nose in public. Edward II’s wife raising an army against him, capturing him, and having him thrown in prison. John I being accused of being a werewolf. Charles I’s head being sewn back on after his execution. Elizabeth I sending orders for her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, to be beheaded, then making it look like a misunderstanding.
If it’s weird, scandalous, or disgusting and has to do with the British monarchy, it’s probably in here. So are quizzes, ghost stories, cartoons, and trick questions kids can try on their teachers.
Sounds like a class act? It isn’t, but for us the drawbacks of this book have been outweighed by the benefits:
- This is a book of history that my daughter loves. Loves! Seriously, she’ll pick it up and flip through it for fun when she’s bored.
- It’s an effective antidote to a lot of fairy tale images of princesses, princes, kings, and queens that my daughter has been fed by popular culture.
- This book has made my daughter appreciate democracy. After 200 pages of monarchs lying, stealing, murdering their relations, and launching pointless wars against each other, she’s strongly in favor of presidential elections.
Other Horrible Histories titles include Cut-throat Celts, Smashing Saxons, Villainous Victorians, Slimy Stuarts, and many, many more. The series has even spawned a BBC series for kids. I haven’t seen it, but I do find the Ruthless Rulers song very entertaining.
This book is featured in my blog, "Best Books for Girls" as something that my daughter and I both loved. See our other choices at http://www.christineummelhosler.com/b....
February 28, 2016
I was a bit confused when I started this book since I noticed right away they were all English Royality. Based on the title I had incorrectly assumed that it covered all royality.
The book was interesting though not very specfic. With so many royals being discussed it was a bit hard keeping track of everybody especially since so many people share names.
My final complaint was that some of those chosen were not cruel or mean. I guess that England does not have a lot so the author just started adding people to fill up space.
Not the best book for the Horrible Histories series.
The book was interesting though not very specfic. With so many royals being discussed it was a bit hard keeping track of everybody especially since so many people share names.
My final complaint was that some of those chosen were not cruel or mean. I guess that England does not have a lot so the author just started adding people to fill up space.
Not the best book for the Horrible Histories series.
September 8, 2015
As a child history was one of my favourite school subjects thus making Horrible Histories the perfect books for me.
Nowadays children have the television series yet I belong to the older group that had the books. Personally, I believe any child who has an interest in history should give these books a go. They’re truly gripping and so many topics are covered.
Honestly, Horrible Histories are well worth a read.
Nowadays children have the television series yet I belong to the older group that had the books. Personally, I believe any child who has an interest in history should give these books a go. They’re truly gripping and so many topics are covered.
Honestly, Horrible Histories are well worth a read.
June 6, 2015
Aww I miss the TV show :'(
This was really good and fun and interesting and I love Horrible Histories to death.
Having the Rulers song memorised helped once or twice throughout reading this if I forgot what monarchs were when though!
This was really good and fun and interesting and I love Horrible Histories to death.
Having the Rulers song memorised helped once or twice throughout reading this if I forgot what monarchs were when though!
October 4, 2010
I loved the Horrible Histories series when I was a kid. They're great, really making history interesting and accesible for the younger generations.
January 9, 2014
Its a great read...
March 15, 2014
This is a great non-fiction book which tells you all about the kings and queens of Europe in an amusing way. A great way to inform yourself without having to sit through millions of history lessons!
May 1, 2015
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12961728
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12961728
May 5, 2018
loved it!
May 30, 2025
I always enjoyed the Horrible Histories series when I was growing up. It’s what really got me into history in the first place, along with visiting castles, abbeys, and ruins on camping holidays. I don’t remember ever having read this one before though, despite the fact that it had been released when I was reading them.
It’s an interesting run through the kings and queens of England, not going through the when they ruled and what major events happened and who their children were and how everyone was related. Each chapters starts with a few bullet points of the claim to fame of that monarch, then there are snippets of what made them a cruel king or a mean queen, with foul, funny, or fantastic facts thrown in. There are also inserts not part of the chronology, but which offers insights into different things like nicknames, nurseries, bones, pastimes and coronations.
There were a few errors, however, and things that haven’t just come to light in the last few years. The ones I noticed are Tudor-based because that’s where my knowledge is, but there might well be others. For example, that Anne Boleyn was accused of witchcraft (she wasn't), that Henry VIII was a Protestant (he was more a Catholic without the Pope), that Jane Grey went to her coronation wearing platform shoes (she was never crowned) and that Anne Boleyn had an eating disorder. That last one just confounded me, as I don’t believe it’s ever been posited by a historian and there is no suggestion of anything like it in the sources.
Errors like these do make me question some other things written in the book that I wasn’t sure about and, as much as I’m all for making history accessible for kids, give them accurate information as far as we can! I’ll always enjoy these books, but sometimes I just have to roll my eyes as well! The illustrations, however, always make me laugh and it is a very accessible book for kids (and adults) of all ages.
It’s an interesting run through the kings and queens of England, not going through the when they ruled and what major events happened and who their children were and how everyone was related. Each chapters starts with a few bullet points of the claim to fame of that monarch, then there are snippets of what made them a cruel king or a mean queen, with foul, funny, or fantastic facts thrown in. There are also inserts not part of the chronology, but which offers insights into different things like nicknames, nurseries, bones, pastimes and coronations.
There were a few errors, however, and things that haven’t just come to light in the last few years. The ones I noticed are Tudor-based because that’s where my knowledge is, but there might well be others. For example, that Anne Boleyn was accused of witchcraft (she wasn't), that Henry VIII was a Protestant (he was more a Catholic without the Pope), that Jane Grey went to her coronation wearing platform shoes (she was never crowned) and that Anne Boleyn had an eating disorder. That last one just confounded me, as I don’t believe it’s ever been posited by a historian and there is no suggestion of anything like it in the sources.
Errors like these do make me question some other things written in the book that I wasn’t sure about and, as much as I’m all for making history accessible for kids, give them accurate information as far as we can! I’ll always enjoy these books, but sometimes I just have to roll my eyes as well! The illustrations, however, always make me laugh and it is a very accessible book for kids (and adults) of all ages.
September 7, 2024
This book is my go to quick reminder of a little fact that has slipped my mind but I need in my current discussion about history. I love it so much, definitely the most useful of the Horrible Histories books.
Downsides of this amazing book (the reason why I couldn't give it a 5 even though I wanted to):
It's out of date. The book finishes at Elizabeth the second. Sadly she passed away and now we have King Charles the third.
I do have my annoyances with the portrayal of some of the monarchs. I think that a lot is up to interpretation regarding things like personality. As this is non-fiction it doesn't feel right to have some of these things hinted at or mentioned in this book. I do appreciate that this is basically impossible.
I am very interested in Empress Matilda. I'm a fan. I do not like how she is portrayed with her cousin Stephan in this book.
For anyone wondering Matilda was the first female after William 1 to nearly get on the throne. Nearly because Stephan invaded because "he was a man and men come first, what it's only fair?" Anyone who got that reference, your welcome.
I just felt like they should have had separate chapters were he could go in detail on both and maybe present it more in a way were he is like "what Stephan did is kind of sexist and secured male primogeniture".
If you want my full opinion on this I wrote a speech: https://medium.com/@eam.dalkin/a-spee....
I also have a problem with it starting at William 1. No, he was not the first to rule the whole of England! Can we please not forget the rest of English history as if it doesn't exist, please!
Anyway... I have some heated opinions about some things in this book that I find a bit problematic but overall, this is a good read, very informative and very handy.
Downsides of this amazing book (the reason why I couldn't give it a 5 even though I wanted to):
It's out of date. The book finishes at Elizabeth the second. Sadly she passed away and now we have King Charles the third.
I do have my annoyances with the portrayal of some of the monarchs. I think that a lot is up to interpretation regarding things like personality. As this is non-fiction it doesn't feel right to have some of these things hinted at or mentioned in this book. I do appreciate that this is basically impossible.
I am very interested in Empress Matilda. I'm a fan. I do not like how she is portrayed with her cousin Stephan in this book.
For anyone wondering Matilda was the first female after William 1 to nearly get on the throne. Nearly because Stephan invaded because "he was a man and men come first, what it's only fair?" Anyone who got that reference, your welcome.
I just felt like they should have had separate chapters were he could go in detail on both and maybe present it more in a way were he is like "what Stephan did is kind of sexist and secured male primogeniture".
If you want my full opinion on this I wrote a speech: https://medium.com/@eam.dalkin/a-spee....
I also have a problem with it starting at William 1. No, he was not the first to rule the whole of England! Can we please not forget the rest of English history as if it doesn't exist, please!
Anyway... I have some heated opinions about some things in this book that I find a bit problematic but overall, this is a good read, very informative and very handy.
November 30, 2021
This book teaches us a little about the life of the monarchy in England with a very black humor. This very complete, covers from the beginnings of England to the current queen. In addition, it includes many interesting, ironic, and even terrifying historical data. The book is a good way to learn a little more about the rulers of England and their complicated life (and death).
Este libro nos enseña un poco de la vida de la monarquía en Inglaterra con un humor muy negro. Esta muy completo, abarca desde los inicios de Inglaterra hasta la reina actual. Además, incluye muchos datos históricos interesante, irónicos, e incluso terroríficos. El libro es una buena forma de aprender un poco mas de los gobernantes de Inglaterra y su complicada vida (y muerte).
Este libro nos enseña un poco de la vida de la monarquía en Inglaterra con un humor muy negro. Esta muy completo, abarca desde los inicios de Inglaterra hasta la reina actual. Además, incluye muchos datos históricos interesante, irónicos, e incluso terroríficos. El libro es una buena forma de aprender un poco mas de los gobernantes de Inglaterra y su complicada vida (y muerte).
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June 17, 2022Informative. Hilarious. Doesn't require any particular background knowledge. It's perfect.
That said, as a teacher I intend to use this text and others in the series sparingly. Its great when you need your pupils to practice their retrieval skills as it conveys facts and information in a very entertaining way that all pupils will at least find approachable. But at the same time, it feels like the kind of series I'd encourage pupils to read in their own time to compliment the content that is happening in my lessons.
That said, as a teacher I intend to use this text and others in the series sparingly. Its great when you need your pupils to practice their retrieval skills as it conveys facts and information in a very entertaining way that all pupils will at least find approachable. But at the same time, it feels like the kind of series I'd encourage pupils to read in their own time to compliment the content that is happening in my lessons.
April 28, 2020
I loved this book as a child and decided to re-read it to see what I thought as an adult. Still love it and would love to read more of the series! I’m glad I kept these for my kids. Only problem reading them as an adult is that I want to know more about each one! A page or two for each monarch is great when you’re a child but now I’d like a chapter on each one!! Still great though.
Did you know that Princess Diana was related to all of Henry VIII’s English wives? I loved that fact!
Did you know that Princess Diana was related to all of Henry VIII’s English wives? I loved that fact!
September 10, 2022
Another one bites the dust on the great journey through the Horrible Histories series.
This one is one of their specials so it doesn’t focus on a specific time period so much, it focuses on the institution of Monarchy and what some of the kings and queens from history were like, as rulers and as people.
This is definitely more broad than some of the other HH books but that is a given when you look at what the book is covering.
This one is one of their specials so it doesn’t focus on a specific time period so much, it focuses on the institution of Monarchy and what some of the kings and queens from history were like, as rulers and as people.
This is definitely more broad than some of the other HH books but that is a given when you look at what the book is covering.
March 8, 2023
Ik heb er meer dan 3 jaar over gedaan... toegegeven, het boek heeft lange tijd opzij gelegen, dat ook. Maar voor mij leest het niet vlot.
We hadden het boek gekocht voor de kinderen, toen we een weekendje naar Edinburgh geweest waren, maar ook zij zijn er nooit in geraakt.
Het zijn losse weetjes. Met wat tekeningetjes, wat wisselende handschriften, ... het was te veel losse feitjes en koningen met dezelfde naam en zo. En ook een enorme tijdsspanne.
Ik hou meer van samenhangende verhalen.
We hadden het boek gekocht voor de kinderen, toen we een weekendje naar Edinburgh geweest waren, maar ook zij zijn er nooit in geraakt.
Het zijn losse weetjes. Met wat tekeningetjes, wat wisselende handschriften, ... het was te veel losse feitjes en koningen met dezelfde naam en zo. En ook een enorme tijdsspanne.
Ik hou meer van samenhangende verhalen.
July 11, 2024
I originally read this back in 1997 - picked it up at a gift shop in London, very likely when we went to the Tower of London - and decided to read it again after recently finishing a biography on Mary Boleyn. After almost 30 years (!), this book still is very entertaining, giving basic facts about the English monarchs from William I to Elizabeth II with a lot of dark humor, silly cartoons, quizzes, and lists.
August 13, 2017
Had a hard time keeping track of the rulers with matching names and which did what, especially since it seemed some lists had them out of order. But then again I couldn't remember. What was most interesting was the statement on the current state of monarchy: if there is any good reason for it, the fact that subjects pay them to do not much of anything, but that they may like it anyway.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews