A History of Britain in Ten Enemies: The hilarious Sunday Times bestseller from the author of Horrible Histories

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A ridiculously funny history of Britain for adults from the multimillion-copy bestselling author of the Horrible Histories, perfect for fans of Unruly by David Mitchell.

'Ram-packed with mind-blowing facts, hilarious characters, and little-known tales' Dan Schreiber

'If you could take just one history book to a desert island, this would be it. Laugh out loud funny... Pure joy' Conn Iggulden

Ah, Britain. So special. The greatest nation on earth, some say. And we did it all on our own. Didn’t we?

As it happens Britannia got its name from the Romans, and for the past two centuries we have been ruled by Germans. As Horrible Histories author Terry Deary argues, nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make.

- Elizabeth I would count as a minor royal without the Spanish Armada
- Without the Nazis, Churchill would be remembered as an opposition windbag
- The surprisingly sadistic Boudica would be forgotten if it weren't for the Roman Ninth Legion

And after all, every nation sometimes needs a bit of unifying Blitz spirit (although in an ideal world, we wouldn’t have accidentally let Corporal Hitler go in the first place).

The British have a proud history of choosing their enemies, from the Romans to the Germans. You might even say those enemies made Britain what it is today...

A History of Britain in Ten Enemies is a witty, whistlestop tour of British history that will have you laughing as you find out what they didn't teach you in school.

'Playful, cheeky, and very clever, this is a book for anyone who ever wished there was a Horrible Histories for grown-ups' Kate Lister

Terry Deary, UK's bestselling Children's & Young Adult Non-Fiction author since records began, Nielsen, September 2024. A History of Britain in Ten Enemies was an instant Sunday Times bestseller on release, 10 October 2024.

Review

Packed with dinner-party-worthy anecdotes, the kind which will delight history buffs and newcomers alike... a whirlwind of fascinating, globe-traversing history... a lively, wacky book, fizzing with energy and character... entertaining and accessible. -- Alice Loxton ― Telegraph

If you could take just one history book to a desert island, this would be it. It is laugh-out-loud funny, but there is also a love of history and story here that is pure JOY. -- Conn Iggulden, author of the Emperor and Conqueror series

This book made me proud to be British. Ever since Britain existed as a nation, we’ve chosen only the fiercest and most fascinating enemies, and we usually put up a pretty good fight. And luckily, only recently have we started to lose to them on penalties. -- Stephen Clarke, author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French

Finally a book by Terry Deary that I don’t have to sneak into my children’s bedroom at night to steal once they’ve gone to asleep. And who better to tell us about Britain’s enemies than history’s greatest ally. Terry Deary has once again delivered a book ram-packed with mind-blowing facts, hilarious characters, and little-known tales. -- Dan Schreiber, author of The Theory of Everything Else and host of No Such Thing As a Fish and We Can Be Weirdos

Terry Deary in his inimitable style somehow manages to keep it down to just ten enemies. Hopefully none of them are unfinished business! -- Al Murray, author of Arnhem Black Tuesday (and special guest drummer on Horrible Histories)

Playful, cheeky, and very clever, this is a book for anyone who ever wished there was a Horrible Histories for grown-ups. A glorious romp through the history of Britain’s enemies. -- Kate Lister, author of A Curious History of Sex and host of Betwixt the Sheets

Told with characteristic wit and verve, this book makes you question everything you thought you knew about some of the most famous events in British history. Not just an eye-opener, but a mind-opener. -- Tracy Borman, author of The Private Lives of the Tudors and joint Chief Curator for Historic Royal Palaces

About the Author

Terry Deary is the author of 340 published books including the acclaimed Horrible Histories, selling over 38 million books in 45 languages.

Review:

4.0 out of 5

80.00% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn and laugh

G. · 20 October 2024

Beyond expectations. Couldn’t put the book down. Will I remember details? Probably not, But enough to make me question history and how subjective it is.

4.0 out of 5 stars Terry Deary is back ✨

M. · 10 October 2024

As a life long Terry Deary fan who had an almost unhealthy obsession with his childrens books I absolutely had to read this.It did not disappoint, working through ten examples of enemies of Britain - starting from more ancient examples through to modern history.The book builds a thorough picture as to why the United Kingdom is why it is today. It makes some thought provoking points as to the attitude of modern britons and our relationship with the rest of the world whilst maintaining the satiric nature in Terry Deary's writing style which many people (including myself) know and love.I throughly recommend this to both History Buffs and people with a lighter interest in history. The light hearted way this book is written allows it to be throughly appealing to both audiences.📚Thank you to Random House UK and Transworld Publishing for my advance reader copy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for Horrible Histories fans

S.w.r. · 10 October 2024

He’s done it again! You always know with a Terry Deary book that you will get a well researched, humorous history book that you can’t put down, and this very much follows that theme. I wish Mr Deary had been my history teacher, as he manages to turn topics which could very easily be very dry and boring, to be completely riveting, to the point you just can’t put the book down. Having been a fan of the authors since childhood, when I read all his horrible histories series, it’s been great to see his foray into adult history books in more recent history, whilst still retaining his trademark humour. I think this book is perfect for anyone who grew up reading the horrible histories series, due to the nostalgia you will feel whilst reading his newer books, but also anyone seriously interest in history, as the books are accurate and interesting, and never cross the line into being too irreverent. I’ve been looking forward to reading this book since I first heard it was in the pipeline, and I ever so glad I did read it. 10/10, I would 100% recommend, and also suggest it makes a great present too.

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read, full of facts, plus liberal sprinklings of humour

J. · 10 October 2024

I was drawn to this book as a fan of "Horrible Histories", which I loved. The book is interesting, and the liberal sprinklings of humour made me laugh out loud a few times. Plenty of historical facts, plus "side notes", made it an enjoyable read. If history had been as entertainingly portrayed during my own school days, I would undoubtedly have paid it more attention.My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed

K.W. · 20 October 2024

An exercise in virtue signalling, I am sure Terry left the sixth form at some point. How marvellous to over simplify the world. Save your money , but a pint.

5.0 out of 5 stars If only all history books had been written like this

V.M. · 10 October 2024

A very interesting book written in a light-hearted humorous way which I loved. The reasoning behind each enemy is well documented and has snippets of current humour written into it. My favourite was probably the reference to a famous line from one of the characters from Line of Duty when the author is describing how the Christian converts in Rome identified each other. when you know, you know.I think this will appeal to all ages in the same way as Horrible Histories has.

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A History of Britain in Ten Enemies: The hilarious Sunday Times bestseller from the author of Horrible Histories

Name: A History of Britain in Ten Enemies: The hilarious Sunday Times bestseller from the author of Horrible Histories
Brand: Bantam
SKU: K0857506358
Price: 7.86 BHD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.1 (6 reviews)

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