A History of Britain in Ten Enemies

Terry Deary

£20.00

In stock

Ah, Britain. So special. The greatest nation on Earth, some say. And we did it all on our own. Didn’t we? Well, as it happens Britannia got its name from the Romans, and for the past two centuries we have been ruled by Germans. But then, as ‘Horrible Histories’ author Terry Deary argues, nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make. The surprisingly sadistic Boudica would be forgotten if it weren’t for the Ninth Legion, Elizabeth I a minor royal without the Spanish Armada, and Churchill an opposition windbag without the Nazis. Britain loves its heroes so much we have been known to pickle them in brandy to keep them fresh. This book is an entertaining gallop through history that will have you laughing as you find out what they didn’t teach you in school.

ISBN: 9780857506351 Category:

Description

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, Nieslen, Septmeber 2024

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