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Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of A History of Britain in Ten Enemies.
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. 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 an entertaining gallop through history that will have you laughing as you find out what they didn't teach you in school.
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. 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 an entertaining gallop through history that will have you laughing as you find out what they didn't teach you in school.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2024
750 people are currently reading
2259 people want to read
About the author
Terry Deary
823 books823 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 286 reviews
January 9, 2025
“That is how it is with humans: we are defined not by our friends but by our enemies”
This is fantastic. A non-fiction work for everyone, even those who do not enjoy reading. So interesting and educational, Deary eases you into each topic with broad strokes of history, making sure to not lose the reader in a bog of information. I am hooked. A more accessible version basically of Unruly by David Mitchell, as Unruly can be very rude (so not for everyone).....
“Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) reckoned: “History is a cyclic poem written by time upon the memories of man.”
Deary has a very witty approach to each section, mocking the stereotypes and assumptions of history as related to each 'Enemy' of Britain. He reminds us of these stereotypes, and rips them down through humour, but also in a way that reminds us of the power of history, and has a serious edge to it. It is not just a satire. There are lessons embedded in this historical endeavour that are well worth listening to.
“So where does Scandinavia stand in Britannia’s list of ‘less happier lands’? not very high. The national memory says they’ll pillage, cut off your hands and steal your cake. But as enemies they did a great job of uniting the British against them.”
A non-fiction work I would recommend to everyone, even if this historical topic is not something you adore. The prose hooks you, the information has a great balance of entertainment and education, and it is so, so entertaining. I thought the type of humour might wear itself out throughout this book, but for me, there was not a dull moment from beginning to end.
4.25/5 STARS
This is fantastic. A non-fiction work for everyone, even those who do not enjoy reading. So interesting and educational, Deary eases you into each topic with broad strokes of history, making sure to not lose the reader in a bog of information. I am hooked. A more accessible version basically of Unruly by David Mitchell, as Unruly can be very rude (so not for everyone).....
“Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) reckoned: “History is a cyclic poem written by time upon the memories of man.”
Deary has a very witty approach to each section, mocking the stereotypes and assumptions of history as related to each 'Enemy' of Britain. He reminds us of these stereotypes, and rips them down through humour, but also in a way that reminds us of the power of history, and has a serious edge to it. It is not just a satire. There are lessons embedded in this historical endeavour that are well worth listening to.
“So where does Scandinavia stand in Britannia’s list of ‘less happier lands’? not very high. The national memory says they’ll pillage, cut off your hands and steal your cake. But as enemies they did a great job of uniting the British against them.”
A non-fiction work I would recommend to everyone, even if this historical topic is not something you adore. The prose hooks you, the information has a great balance of entertainment and education, and it is so, so entertaining. I thought the type of humour might wear itself out throughout this book, but for me, there was not a dull moment from beginning to end.
4.25/5 STARS
October 10, 2024
This book should not have been published without an extensive rewrite. I noticed factual errors (for example, no the Stone of Destiny wasn’t from Egypt, geologists tested the stone, it’s from the Perthshire area). The countries chosen were bizarre, if you mean the Roman Empire, say that, if you mean the Papacy, say that. Neither of those things are Italy.
I’m not sure why this was a history of Britain when it was clearly based on English history, I mean for most of the Middle Ages when England was fighting France, Scotland sided with the French. We sent two monarchs to France to keep them safe from the English at different points.
Most of my dislike of the book is its grasp of history is up there with your average Brexit supporter’s. But there’s one part of the book that is more serious. And that’s labelling Ireland as an enemy. Now I’m sure the writer will claim it’s in jest. But that’s just it, it’s not funny. Or more accurately it’s not appropriate for anyone British to be making those jokes. You cannot say there’s been peace for 25 years, we can now joke about 800 years of colonialism. Also that joking might have felt a little less inappropriate had the history particularly concerning the troubles not been so bad. It mentions one woman wrongly convicted for terrorism. One person was wrongly convicted?! Did I miss the mention of the Guildford Four, Birmingham Six or Maguire Seven. There’s a mention of Bloody Sunday, but not the Ballymurphy massacre. It’s mentioned that 90% of those arrested during interment were catholics. Operation Demitrius was targeted purely at nationalists/republicans, any non-catholic arrested was still there because of their association with that community. No loyalists were ever interned, that is not clear in the book.
And then it’s a bizarre jump from the mid 70s to the peace process. The peace process makes no sense without an explanation. I thought it was possibly left out because of bias, but honestly I think the author doesn’t understand the politics of Northern Ireland so he doesn’t understand how events influenced the peace process.
This book was a bad way to frame history, badly written and cherry picked history and at its worst just downright offensive
I’m not sure why this was a history of Britain when it was clearly based on English history, I mean for most of the Middle Ages when England was fighting France, Scotland sided with the French. We sent two monarchs to France to keep them safe from the English at different points.
Most of my dislike of the book is its grasp of history is up there with your average Brexit supporter’s. But there’s one part of the book that is more serious. And that’s labelling Ireland as an enemy. Now I’m sure the writer will claim it’s in jest. But that’s just it, it’s not funny. Or more accurately it’s not appropriate for anyone British to be making those jokes. You cannot say there’s been peace for 25 years, we can now joke about 800 years of colonialism. Also that joking might have felt a little less inappropriate had the history particularly concerning the troubles not been so bad. It mentions one woman wrongly convicted for terrorism. One person was wrongly convicted?! Did I miss the mention of the Guildford Four, Birmingham Six or Maguire Seven. There’s a mention of Bloody Sunday, but not the Ballymurphy massacre. It’s mentioned that 90% of those arrested during interment were catholics. Operation Demitrius was targeted purely at nationalists/republicans, any non-catholic arrested was still there because of their association with that community. No loyalists were ever interned, that is not clear in the book.
And then it’s a bizarre jump from the mid 70s to the peace process. The peace process makes no sense without an explanation. I thought it was possibly left out because of bias, but honestly I think the author doesn’t understand the politics of Northern Ireland so he doesn’t understand how events influenced the peace process.
This book was a bad way to frame history, badly written and cherry picked history and at its worst just downright offensive
November 17, 2024
I listened to the audiobook on Spotify narrated by Toby Longworth.
“Be honest. When I said ‘Britain’s enemy,’ who did you think of?”
Overall, an easy and fun read that is basically “Horrible Histories” for adults. Each chapter represents a different enemy of Britain (England for the most part) but really it’s a chronological retelling of major British (English) conflicts.
Quite a lot of reviews you will see people complain that some events have been misinterpreted, or left out completely. I will say that I think this is an unfair criticism as this book clearly isn’t supposed to be a dense history with every single moment retold in excruciating detail.
For example, it portrays the almost-mythological sparing of Hitler by Henry Tandey in a chance meeting during WW1 as a fact. A quick google search will probably tell you this didn’t happen, but it makes a good story doesn’t it?
That’s the overall theme of this book, good stories and dad jokes, mixed in with a classic ‘Horrible Histories’ quip along the way. Probably a 3.5 for me. I’d recommend it to my Dad, but not my professor.
“Be honest. When I said ‘Britain’s enemy,’ who did you think of?”
Overall, an easy and fun read that is basically “Horrible Histories” for adults. Each chapter represents a different enemy of Britain (England for the most part) but really it’s a chronological retelling of major British (English) conflicts.
Quite a lot of reviews you will see people complain that some events have been misinterpreted, or left out completely. I will say that I think this is an unfair criticism as this book clearly isn’t supposed to be a dense history with every single moment retold in excruciating detail.
For example, it portrays the almost-mythological sparing of Hitler by Henry Tandey in a chance meeting during WW1 as a fact. A quick google search will probably tell you this didn’t happen, but it makes a good story doesn’t it?
That’s the overall theme of this book, good stories and dad jokes, mixed in with a classic ‘Horrible Histories’ quip along the way. Probably a 3.5 for me. I’d recommend it to my Dad, but not my professor.
September 22, 2025
I’m tempted to write ‘he made history come alive’. But I couldn’t do that. 😁
Wonderful!
Wonderful!
July 21, 2025
England and France enemies to lovers arc is unmatched.
June 2, 2025
2.5 / 5
Just fine I guess
I went into this with perhaps an optimistic mind - I remember getting my first horrible histories book was what made me fall in love with reading. Unfortunately I think Schreiber’s quotation on the front cover of “mind-blowing” is a very large exaggeration.
This felt very light in depth and where depth was present it was often paired with a very droll approach at a ‘have I got news for you’ line.
Conceptually I see where Deary was going with this one but it just didn’t stick when put together. A fairly fun read at times, but at others it felt far too weak and misjudged (The chapter on Ireland to give an obvious example).
I’m atleast glad I read this as I’m now able to speak with my dad, who has also read this, however I wouldn’t recommend this if you were looking for anything substantial unfortunately.
Just fine I guess
I went into this with perhaps an optimistic mind - I remember getting my first horrible histories book was what made me fall in love with reading. Unfortunately I think Schreiber’s quotation on the front cover of “mind-blowing” is a very large exaggeration.
This felt very light in depth and where depth was present it was often paired with a very droll approach at a ‘have I got news for you’ line.
Conceptually I see where Deary was going with this one but it just didn’t stick when put together. A fairly fun read at times, but at others it felt far too weak and misjudged (The chapter on Ireland to give an obvious example).
I’m atleast glad I read this as I’m now able to speak with my dad, who has also read this, however I wouldn’t recommend this if you were looking for anything substantial unfortunately.
September 21, 2024
A History of Britain in Ten Enemies - the new book from Terry Deary, author of the massively popular Horrible Histories children’s books. His new book targets an adult audience and is touted as being perfect for fans of Unruly by David Mitchell (which coincidentally, was marketed as Horrible Histories for grown-ups). As a history graduate that read the series constantly growing up, it’s a genre revival I’m massively on board with.
As you’d expect, the book explores the history of Britain, by examining its relationships with its enemies and examining how they divided and united Britain, in its varying forms. Deary does a wonderful job of building a memorable timeline and depicting rival nations in individual detail. This was a fun read that covered a large window of history, with plenty of “wow, I didn’t know that” moments along the way. I particularly enjoyed how Deary didn’t solely focus on Britain itself, but went into detail about the history of each rival nation. This provided fantastic context and really gave a detailed and balanced portrayal of each relationship.
My only criticism would be that in places, Deary’s sarcasm and quips didn’t quite land and felt like a series of bad dad jokes. In others, they just disrupted the flow of an otherwise engaging bit of reading. Whilst I would agree that some of Deary’s politics and opinion shone through, for the most part he clearly made an effort to remain impartial, highlighting both the good and bad moments that can be found throughout British history.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting read, that successfully demonstrated how Britain has been shaped over the centuries by its enemies, creating the Britain that we see today.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Terry Deary for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As you’d expect, the book explores the history of Britain, by examining its relationships with its enemies and examining how they divided and united Britain, in its varying forms. Deary does a wonderful job of building a memorable timeline and depicting rival nations in individual detail. This was a fun read that covered a large window of history, with plenty of “wow, I didn’t know that” moments along the way. I particularly enjoyed how Deary didn’t solely focus on Britain itself, but went into detail about the history of each rival nation. This provided fantastic context and really gave a detailed and balanced portrayal of each relationship.
My only criticism would be that in places, Deary’s sarcasm and quips didn’t quite land and felt like a series of bad dad jokes. In others, they just disrupted the flow of an otherwise engaging bit of reading. Whilst I would agree that some of Deary’s politics and opinion shone through, for the most part he clearly made an effort to remain impartial, highlighting both the good and bad moments that can be found throughout British history.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting read, that successfully demonstrated how Britain has been shaped over the centuries by its enemies, creating the Britain that we see today.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Terry Deary for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 10, 2025
Entertaining and inaccurate. A general history with a point, even if some of the interpretations are simplified and deeply questionable on an empirical level (no, King John is not unfairly maligned. He was an awful king, regardless of the - justified - Catholic propaganda against him).
What redeems it is the deeply human touch Deary brings. As a kid, I loved his Horrible Histories books. They're the reason I remain utterly obsessed with the past (and, indeed, pass that love on to the next generation). But as an adult I recognise that they are, to a point, ahistorical. But they're for kids - no problem there. Adult history needs to have more recognisance of the historical process and (history teacher speak alert) second order concepts. Deary's selection of facts in support of his argument is all very GCSE and lacking in higher-order analysis. However, it never loses sight of the fact that history is fundamentally a humanity. And the humanity behind that discipline. Funny, irreverant, and, most importantly, relevant to the world we live in, for a general reader (in other words, not someone coming from a position of expertise) this is actually worth a read. Even with my own background, it was entertaining, even if it prompted various grumbles about its factual and academic basis. But they're kind of not the point. The epilogue is the point, and my goodness is that worth reading to remind us of what history is and what humanity is.
What redeems it is the deeply human touch Deary brings. As a kid, I loved his Horrible Histories books. They're the reason I remain utterly obsessed with the past (and, indeed, pass that love on to the next generation). But as an adult I recognise that they are, to a point, ahistorical. But they're for kids - no problem there. Adult history needs to have more recognisance of the historical process and (history teacher speak alert) second order concepts. Deary's selection of facts in support of his argument is all very GCSE and lacking in higher-order analysis. However, it never loses sight of the fact that history is fundamentally a humanity. And the humanity behind that discipline. Funny, irreverant, and, most importantly, relevant to the world we live in, for a general reader (in other words, not someone coming from a position of expertise) this is actually worth a read. Even with my own background, it was entertaining, even if it prompted various grumbles about its factual and academic basis. But they're kind of not the point. The epilogue is the point, and my goodness is that worth reading to remind us of what history is and what humanity is.
November 4, 2024
As I kid I adored and devoured each of the ‘Horrible Histories’ books and they very much inspired me from a pretty young age to read and love all things history. So I was absolutely delighted to see Terry Deary, the brilliant creator of this iconic series, release his ‘History of Britain in Ten Enemies’ this month.
Deary has written a laugh out loud, concise effortlessly accessible history here; with each of the bite size chapters dedicated to one of these ten ‘enemies’.
A wonderful book for those looking to get started on their British history knowledge but also for those history enthusiasts that know everything; or think they do anyway.
Perfect for fans of Tim Marshall’s ‘Prisoners of Geography’ series and Peter Furtado’s ‘Histories of Nations’ and undeniably perfect gifting material.
Deary has written a laugh out loud, concise effortlessly accessible history here; with each of the bite size chapters dedicated to one of these ten ‘enemies’.
A wonderful book for those looking to get started on their British history knowledge but also for those history enthusiasts that know everything; or think they do anyway.
Perfect for fans of Tim Marshall’s ‘Prisoners of Geography’ series and Peter Furtado’s ‘Histories of Nations’ and undeniably perfect gifting material.
July 29, 2025
One of my favourite non-fiction books I've read so far! In typical witty, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny "Horrible Histories" manner the book takes a look at ten notable enemies the British have faced over the centuries (from the Romans to Nazi Germany), while also not pulling any punches on colonialism, the church or fascists nowadays hiding behind "patriotism". Short and snappy, highly recommend!
November 8, 2024
the amount of dad jokes and those annoying English professor in 2017 "haha Brexit happened!! country of idiots" jokes that are forced into a text that is neither clever nor particularly compelling or interesting made the 130 pages I’ve read of this book truly unbearable
January 25, 2025
Still so grateful that I got to meet Terry! 🫶🏼 I liked the vibe of the book and it made it accessible and fun, but I think the concept of each chapter being based on an enemy got a bit lost as each of the chapters quickly delved into nations that weren’t the titular enemy of the chapter
March 17, 2025
Incredibly lazy, contemptuous of its subject matter, and riddled with inaccuracies.
Unless you’re stockpiling alternative sources of toilet paper for the next pandemic, skip it.
Unless you’re stockpiling alternative sources of toilet paper for the next pandemic, skip it.
June 10, 2025
So the Horrible Histories guy wrote a book for adults and i liked it almost as much. He covered a lot of ground in a small number of pages so the information only covers the most general details with funny anecdotes peppered through. The style felt easy and the jokes moderately funny but thw humour doesnt work as well for adults, sometimes coming off as cheesy and formulaic. You could expect similar jokes from a Christmas Cracker or ChatGPT. The content was also quite Eurocentric with other countries in the world being the objects to argue with their enemies over rather than enemies themselves - although you could argue that Britain was so powerful in colonial era that the colonies were victims more than enemies.
Overall I'd recommend it to people who want a basic intro or a basic refresher of British history. He definitely covers the main points. If you want to go beyond this but also genuinely laugh, I'd recommend Unruly by David Mitchell.
Overall I'd recommend it to people who want a basic intro or a basic refresher of British history. He definitely covers the main points. If you want to go beyond this but also genuinely laugh, I'd recommend Unruly by David Mitchell.
November 7, 2024
Right first things first, if you are looking for an in depth play by play history book that gets into the nitty gritty and takes its self super seriously! THIS BOOK ISN’T FOR YOU. However, if you are someone who grew up loving horrible histories, read horrible histories to your children or just want an access point into history that won’t scare you off. THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.
Now I am a child of horrible histories. I’m pretty sure those books, tv shows and films quite literally altered my brain chemistry. My dad brought the books for me and from that point on I’ve never looked back. Look at all the history I’ve read now! I am saying this because I know that this book feeds heavily into my nostalgia and you know what? I don’t care.
I loved this book. It’s so funny I actually laughed out loud multiple times. It’s engaging and makes history enjoyable, which some historians forget it should be. It’s so accessible to those who haven’t read history before or have a very basic level of knowledge, maybe nothing more than the standard secondary school lesson. It allows you to get an overview of hundreds and hundreds of years of history at a very surface level. This is brilliant because it means you can identify the bits you find more interesting than others and explore those further! Maybe that makes you buy another more in depth history book and that’s amazing.
I’ve seen some really negative comments about this book but I really believe it’s by people taking this book too seriously and not realising it’s not meant for you. It’s meant for education and inspiration. Not to further your in depth knowledge on the first year of the Black Death or whatever your specialist subject is.
Overall, I recommend this book to the horrible history kids, the parents and the person who would really love to understand history better but is too scared to start!
Now I am a child of horrible histories. I’m pretty sure those books, tv shows and films quite literally altered my brain chemistry. My dad brought the books for me and from that point on I’ve never looked back. Look at all the history I’ve read now! I am saying this because I know that this book feeds heavily into my nostalgia and you know what? I don’t care.
I loved this book. It’s so funny I actually laughed out loud multiple times. It’s engaging and makes history enjoyable, which some historians forget it should be. It’s so accessible to those who haven’t read history before or have a very basic level of knowledge, maybe nothing more than the standard secondary school lesson. It allows you to get an overview of hundreds and hundreds of years of history at a very surface level. This is brilliant because it means you can identify the bits you find more interesting than others and explore those further! Maybe that makes you buy another more in depth history book and that’s amazing.
I’ve seen some really negative comments about this book but I really believe it’s by people taking this book too seriously and not realising it’s not meant for you. It’s meant for education and inspiration. Not to further your in depth knowledge on the first year of the Black Death or whatever your specialist subject is.
Overall, I recommend this book to the horrible history kids, the parents and the person who would really love to understand history better but is too scared to start!
January 10, 2025
The length of time it took me to finish this book perhaps explains how much I simply felt nonplussed about it. It didn’t do very much unique, felt very oversimplified at times, and I didn’t enjoy the humour that much.
At the beginning it felt like we were going to be treated to a discussion on ethnonationalism and how the British identity was formed in opposition to various enemies, but this overall analysis felt lost within a few chapters as the book reverted to simply telling the stories of Britain’s interactions with various nations through history.
Some parts just felt particularly random, like the deep-dive into King John who featured really heavily because he was apparently maligned by history and was actually a really nice guy (spoiler: he wasn’t). This reflected a trend to me of focusing on small episodes in the narrative at the expense of any analysis beyond simply telling the story, meaning that when it came, the epilogue didn’t make much sense in the context of most of what went before it.
I think overall this book is definitely aimed at the popular history market but perhaps leant too much into the popular vein, leading to a book which said a lot but achieved little.
At the beginning it felt like we were going to be treated to a discussion on ethnonationalism and how the British identity was formed in opposition to various enemies, but this overall analysis felt lost within a few chapters as the book reverted to simply telling the stories of Britain’s interactions with various nations through history.
Some parts just felt particularly random, like the deep-dive into King John who featured really heavily because he was apparently maligned by history and was actually a really nice guy (spoiler: he wasn’t). This reflected a trend to me of focusing on small episodes in the narrative at the expense of any analysis beyond simply telling the story, meaning that when it came, the epilogue didn’t make much sense in the context of most of what went before it.
I think overall this book is definitely aimed at the popular history market but perhaps leant too much into the popular vein, leading to a book which said a lot but achieved little.
November 12, 2024
A superbly interesting gallop through British history, my main complaint is that it was too quick. I can tell this is not a Horrible History (I've read a few in my time), but I still felt like things went much more quickly than I would've liked. I assume that the intention was not to make too much of a doorstop, but I might have preferred one than this.
Mr Deary's style is very unique and almost conversational in tone, which does make the speed seem to fit. But I enjoy it, and there's such a wealth of knowledge he clearly has that I think a bigger book would still feel bright and light. More than that, it makes me think that a conversation - or even just sitting listening to him - would be captivating.
There's plenty in the book that you'll know in the broadest sense. But unless you've much more awareness than most, there's bound to be a wealth of detail that you've never heard of, and some that you might wish you hadn't. He's definitely kept in the Horrible side of things.
A good read, and I'd be interested to read something else he's written for adults, too.
Mr Deary's style is very unique and almost conversational in tone, which does make the speed seem to fit. But I enjoy it, and there's such a wealth of knowledge he clearly has that I think a bigger book would still feel bright and light. More than that, it makes me think that a conversation - or even just sitting listening to him - would be captivating.
There's plenty in the book that you'll know in the broadest sense. But unless you've much more awareness than most, there's bound to be a wealth of detail that you've never heard of, and some that you might wish you hadn't. He's definitely kept in the Horrible side of things.
A good read, and I'd be interested to read something else he's written for adults, too.
January 5, 2025
I was really looking forward to reading this book but I found it quite underwhelming overall. There were some fascinating elements to the book and I felt engaged and then it seemed to tail off. The comedy attempts and quips are quite annoying in history books and I found there was too much of this in the book
December 1, 2025
A History of Britain in Ten Enemies is a gripping, witty dive into the foes who shaped Britain’s destiny: from Vikings to Nazis. Engaging, sharp, and surprisingly fun, it reframes history through conflict, showing how adversity forged a nation. A must-read for anyone wanting to start understanding the history of Britain.
June 20, 2025
The wave of nostalgia I felt reading this book is worth all the stars. This man got me into history as a kid—he made it fun, like sitting around a great storyteller who brings the past to life, leaving you wide-eyed and hooked. With this book, he channels that same wit to cut through the UK’s political posturing and nationalistic myths.
You don’t just get the story of Britain—you get the stories of the so-called enemies too, told with sharp humor and clever insight. It’s packed with fun facts that make the whole experience unexpectedly delightful. Sure, it’s not a textbook, but that’s the point—it’s a brilliant reminder that history can be a breath of fresh air, a palate cleanser of a book. Something you can laugh through, not just study intensely. A proper beach read, but one that sticks with you.
You don’t just get the story of Britain—you get the stories of the so-called enemies too, told with sharp humor and clever insight. It’s packed with fun facts that make the whole experience unexpectedly delightful. Sure, it’s not a textbook, but that’s the point—it’s a brilliant reminder that history can be a breath of fresh air, a palate cleanser of a book. Something you can laugh through, not just study intensely. A proper beach read, but one that sticks with you.
November 3, 2025
Horrible Histories for grown ups (please note: reading Horrible Histories as a grown up is also great, don't stop doing that, it's just the jokes are more political and (slightly) less about poo). Funny and engaging and well worth it.
January 21, 2025
A melhor parte é o epílogo. De resto, demasiadas piadas e trocadilhos.
June 4, 2025
Very interesting, looks of quick insights into each enemy. Great for someone with short attention span
July 28, 2025
Still can’t quite work out if this is a children’s book or not. It was written by the author of horrible histories - and it was comedic in such an eye roll way. But still an interesting read.
January 7, 2025
I used to love Horrible Histories when I was a child and this book is basically Deary doing Horrible Histories but for adults, except that this does not work. It is very superficial, but also badly researched. Myths are passed on as facts and opinions are often stated as fact too. It is also difficult to work out if the ‘opinions’ here are really what he thinks or if he thinks he has to day these things because they are the ‘accepted’ points of view.
If you are writing entertaining books for children to got them interested in history it is ok to skip over the details, however for adults you really need to show the nuances, you also need to understand and explain historiography (the study of the writing of history) and how history is written by people and this is based on attitudes which change over time. None of this is in this book so it is just lots of superficial nonsense most of the time. There are some parts which are basically accurate, but the worst parts are when he is trying to say something deep and meaningful e.g the rant against Land of Hope and Glory - it is just a song! And how patriotism is somehow ‘evil’ without really explaining why. He does not bother to define or explain any concepts like nationalism, patriotism or even nations and the nation state and how they came into being and why this is important. Romans are described as Italians when Italy did not even exist as a concept as this time so this means nothing. The Irish are one of the enemies, but Scotland is not! I could go on….
This is the problem with history books being written by non historians. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and usually it leads to judging the people who lived in the past by our standards which is not acceptable. As Richard J Evans says it is not the job of the historian to judge those who lived in the past, it is the job of the historian to understand and explain.
If you are writing entertaining books for children to got them interested in history it is ok to skip over the details, however for adults you really need to show the nuances, you also need to understand and explain historiography (the study of the writing of history) and how history is written by people and this is based on attitudes which change over time. None of this is in this book so it is just lots of superficial nonsense most of the time. There are some parts which are basically accurate, but the worst parts are when he is trying to say something deep and meaningful e.g the rant against Land of Hope and Glory - it is just a song! And how patriotism is somehow ‘evil’ without really explaining why. He does not bother to define or explain any concepts like nationalism, patriotism or even nations and the nation state and how they came into being and why this is important. Romans are described as Italians when Italy did not even exist as a concept as this time so this means nothing. The Irish are one of the enemies, but Scotland is not! I could go on….
This is the problem with history books being written by non historians. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and usually it leads to judging the people who lived in the past by our standards which is not acceptable. As Richard J Evans says it is not the job of the historian to judge those who lived in the past, it is the job of the historian to understand and explain.
October 10, 2025
A lightweight and entertaining history of Britain, a little unclear in parts where there’s overlap of different “enemies” timeline wise but overall a fun read that doesn’t try to portray Britain as a hero.
“We have no enemies”
“We have no enemies”
April 27, 2025
“A History Of Britain In Ten Enemies” (AHOBITE) is by British author and historian Terry Deary, best known for his iconic children’s series “Horrible Histories”.
AHOBITE is a book for adults and seeks to highlight that nations such as Britain are formed and defined by their enemies and the conflicts in which they are engaged.
Deary heads looks back through Britain’s history (though predominantly I would say England’s past) from the time before Christ, when the Roman Empire held sway, right through to the Second World War and the blitz from the Germans. In between Deary touches in the Vikings, the French, the Spanish, and even the Americans.
Told in his inimitable and humorous style Deary makes the telling of certain events readable and accessible without the dryness that history texts can sometimes bring. It is possible that some licence may have been taken but regardless I still now know more than when I initially picked the book up.
Deary has delivered an incredibly interesting and entertaining read and well worth the investment in time. The subject matter of the epilogue masterfully sums up that while certain events can shape a nation’s self opinion it is usually steeped with bias, that yesterday’s enemies can be today’s allies, and that in conflict there never really are any winners.
AHOBITE gets 4 defiant jabs from Boudicca’s spear out of 5.
AHOBITE is a book for adults and seeks to highlight that nations such as Britain are formed and defined by their enemies and the conflicts in which they are engaged.
Deary heads looks back through Britain’s history (though predominantly I would say England’s past) from the time before Christ, when the Roman Empire held sway, right through to the Second World War and the blitz from the Germans. In between Deary touches in the Vikings, the French, the Spanish, and even the Americans.
Told in his inimitable and humorous style Deary makes the telling of certain events readable and accessible without the dryness that history texts can sometimes bring. It is possible that some licence may have been taken but regardless I still now know more than when I initially picked the book up.
Deary has delivered an incredibly interesting and entertaining read and well worth the investment in time. The subject matter of the epilogue masterfully sums up that while certain events can shape a nation’s self opinion it is usually steeped with bias, that yesterday’s enemies can be today’s allies, and that in conflict there never really are any winners.
AHOBITE gets 4 defiant jabs from Boudicca’s spear out of 5.
August 22, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded down.
This was a fun one, although there were one too many fact checking moments for it to really grip me. Deary’s dry British sarcasm is on point (and very on theme). It’s definitely broad rather than deep, but there’s plenty to enjoy if you’re after a fast-paced, opinionated look at British history through the lens of its adversaries.
That said, the history is… loose. There are some frustrating moments, like the treatment of Italy, Rome, and the Papal State being considered interchangeable. Spoiler: they’re not. And while the tone is obviously meant to be playful, there were a few points where the simplification went a little too far, even for a book that never claims to be serious non-fiction.
Shout out to the epilogue, though. I thought it was sharp, reflective, and surprisingly heartfelt. it summed up much of the undertone I felt was reflected throughout the book. I've seen some people calling Deary a Brexiteer based on this book, which is a little wild considering the epilogue practically shouts the opposite.
Not quite enough depth for me to rate it higher, but definitely an entertaining ride if you go in knowing what to expect.
This was a fun one, although there were one too many fact checking moments for it to really grip me. Deary’s dry British sarcasm is on point (and very on theme). It’s definitely broad rather than deep, but there’s plenty to enjoy if you’re after a fast-paced, opinionated look at British history through the lens of its adversaries.
That said, the history is… loose. There are some frustrating moments, like the treatment of Italy, Rome, and the Papal State being considered interchangeable. Spoiler: they’re not. And while the tone is obviously meant to be playful, there were a few points where the simplification went a little too far, even for a book that never claims to be serious non-fiction.
Shout out to the epilogue, though. I thought it was sharp, reflective, and surprisingly heartfelt. it summed up much of the undertone I felt was reflected throughout the book. I've seen some people calling Deary a Brexiteer based on this book, which is a little wild considering the epilogue practically shouts the opposite.
Not quite enough depth for me to rate it higher, but definitely an entertaining ride if you go in knowing what to expect.
June 7, 2025
Deary’s writing is so funny and so informative that this book was bound to be entertaining. His ability to teach history with dashes of laugh-out-load commentary is just brilliant, and it reminds me of why I loved Horrible Histories as a child. He needs to write more adult books. In general, I found the book to be really good - entertaining and engaging despite the breadth of history and subjects it covers - though I did find that its focus on how Britain’s enemies shaped its history wavered across different chapters. Certain chapters are really strong when it comes to how other nations have influenced our way of life, whereas others are more general history retellings which focus more on the nation in question than Britain. As a result, my enjoyment of chapters depended more so on my pre-existing interest in the topic, meaning chapters on Ireland, the USA and Germany were better for me than, for example, Spain. Despite this, I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an informative and comprehensive read!
December 16, 2025
This book is good for someone with no or a very elementary understanding of British history. As someone who puts themselves in that category I did find a lot of the book interesting and educational. Unfortunately even to my shallow understanding of British history I wonder about certain omissions; China and the opium wars, the more modern wars in the Middle East? Both of these were omitted for a 14 page foray into Russia, with less than half of this on the Crimean war. If you are writing to educate people on what was a significant event in history then do so properly. This leads me to wonder if, despite the musings in the epilogue about all nations thinking bigger of themselves, maybe the author can count himself as one of them? The Irish famine was not covered in much detail at all and the other two wars England may not have covered itself in glory get scarcely a mention.
Outside of this it comes with some slightly amusing dad jokes and puns you would expect from a man whose background is educational history books.
2.6/5
Outside of this it comes with some slightly amusing dad jokes and puns you would expect from a man whose background is educational history books.
2.6/5
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