The Very Bloody History Of Britain: The First Bit!

by John Farman

This book could change your ideas about history for ever!!Do you know why the Celts got the best girls? Or who had his portrait painted after he was dead? And have you any idea who planned the first Channel Tunnel? From the dawn of civilization to the end of the Second World War, it's all here in the factually accurate and hilariously funny Very Bloody History of Britain.Bizarre, barmy and almost beyond belief, you've never had a history lesson like it!

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Humor

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2012

About the author

John Farman attended Harrow Art School followed by the Royal College of Art. After completing his Masters degree he worked in the advertising industry until his departure to become a full-time writer and illustrator. He is the author of several children's books, including The Very Bloody History of Britain (without the boring bits), The Very Bloody History of London, C.R.A.P. (A Collection of Rotten Adult Principles) and Jesus: The Teenage Years. He lives in London.

Reviews

[Jessica]

A humorous, breakneck jaunt through British history from the beginning of time through 1945.

No, really.

He hits all the high points, the major rulers and wars, and usually illustrates them with just a sentence or two, or a short yet hilarious anecdote. There are also small cartoon illustrations to add to the fun.

Not 100% sure how accurate his history is, since I know several of his facts aren't true (Viking helmets did NOT have horns, and "berserk" meant BARE shirt or shirtless, not bearskin), but overall it was a breezy way to get a sense of the British historical timeline. I would recommend this to teens as well; he does his best to be wink wink nudge nudge about the more sordid bits and I think the format would be very appealing.

[James]

Dense with real information, but still breezy and funny. This covers the history of Britain up to the end of World War II - the sequel takes it from there into the 21st century. I gave it four stars instead of five because although its factual information is accurate, as far as I can tell based on having read quite a bit of Western history, but the chronology is sometimes confusing - for instance, the author talks about the U.S. participation in the war in North Africa before he gets around to Pearl Harbor. Careful reading makes the sequence clear, but the way he laid it out gave me a bit of whiplash.
Still, I recommend this - I wish my history teachers in high school had presented their curriculum in a way leaning more in this direction than in the desiccated lists of names, dates, and places devoid of context about which they often droned on at length.

[Dancingsocks]

It's quite fun and informative. I've read it before but, whilst I love history, very little information seems to stick. Unless I read historical novels!