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Horrible Histories Handbooks #8
Terrible Trenches
From foul food to coping with legions of lice, discover all the dire details of life in the blood and mud of the First World War in Horrible Histories: Terrible Trenches (World Book Day Edition) ... from both sides of the barbed wire. This bestselling title is sure to be a huge hit with yet another generation of Terry Deary and Martin Brown fans.
96 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2008
15 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Terry Deary
823 books825 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 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 17, 2023
Englantilaisen Horrible Histories -kirjasarjan kantavana ajatuksena on tehdä historiaa kiinnostavaksi niille lapsille ja nuorille, jotka eivät vielä tiedä sen olevan uljainta parhautta. Kuinka tämä sitten onnistuu? Tietysti korostamalla kaikkia mahdollisia kamaluuksia ja ällöttävyyksiä! It's history with the nasty bits left in! Sarjaa ilmestyi myös suomeksi 2000-luvun taitteessa muutaman osan verran nimellä Karmea totuus.
Terry Dearyn kirjoittama ja Martin Brownin kuvittama "Trenches" (Scholastic, 2008) käsittelee ensimmäistä maailmansotaa. Vaikka sävy on humoristinen, homma ei kuitenkaan karkaa lapasesta ja mene mauttomaksi. Lukijalle välittyy hyvin sodan kamaluus kaikessa kauheudessaan, niin englantilaisen kuin saksalaisen sotilaan näkökulmasta. Kuolema, nälkä, taudit, syöpäläiset - täältä ne löytyvät. Kokonaisuutta on höystetty autenttisilla runoilla, lauluilla ja yhdellä ihan tunnelmallisella kummitustarinalla.
Jos pidit tästä tai kaipaat enemmän historiaa elävöittävää kirjallisuutta lapsille ja nuorille, niin otapa haltuun myös amerikkalainen Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales -sarjakuva, jossa on myös ensimmäistä maailmansotaa käsittelevä osa Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood.
Terry Dearyn kirjoittama ja Martin Brownin kuvittama "Trenches" (Scholastic, 2008) käsittelee ensimmäistä maailmansotaa. Vaikka sävy on humoristinen, homma ei kuitenkaan karkaa lapasesta ja mene mauttomaksi. Lukijalle välittyy hyvin sodan kamaluus kaikessa kauheudessaan, niin englantilaisen kuin saksalaisen sotilaan näkökulmasta. Kuolema, nälkä, taudit, syöpäläiset - täältä ne löytyvät. Kokonaisuutta on höystetty autenttisilla runoilla, lauluilla ja yhdellä ihan tunnelmallisella kummitustarinalla.
Jos pidit tästä tai kaipaat enemmän historiaa elävöittävää kirjallisuutta lapsille ja nuorille, niin otapa haltuun myös amerikkalainen Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales -sarjakuva, jossa on myös ensimmäistä maailmansotaa käsittelevä osa Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood.
October 16, 2021
This is one of the last HH books that I think I read when I was originally into them, and it’s essentially a breakdown of the First World War but shows the point of view of both Britain and Germany in typical HH style.
It breaks down the facts around what life in the trenches was like, from the uniforms that soldiers wore to the weapons they used and the food that they ate. This breakdown of everyday life is actually really helpful for young readers that are maybe learning about WWI for the first time as it doesn’t overload them with information.
Each of the HH books is a good introduction to their subject matter and this is no exception. It focuses on the soldiers themselves not on the leaders or the politicians who can sometimes water down the truth of the period.
It breaks down the facts around what life in the trenches was like, from the uniforms that soldiers wore to the weapons they used and the food that they ate. This breakdown of everyday life is actually really helpful for young readers that are maybe learning about WWI for the first time as it doesn’t overload them with information.
Each of the HH books is a good introduction to their subject matter and this is no exception. It focuses on the soldiers themselves not on the leaders or the politicians who can sometimes water down the truth of the period.
May 9, 2017
this book is a really good book for learners who are interested in the first world war, It teaches you about weapons and all the different horrible things that were eaten and solved, like putting cheese on the end of a bayonet and waiting for a rat to nibble on it then you fire the gun. Just an all round good book.
March 19, 2018
For World Book Day 2018 my local WHSmith had a really cool display stand with a lot of WBD books from previous years, this one being from 2014 (the war's centenary). I always loved the Horrible Histories books when I was younger, and although I'm not the biggest fan of history right now, (Thanks, uni!) I couldn't resist this mini book for £1.
I don't think Terrible Trenches came near to being one of my favourite Horrible Histories books, mostly due to how short it was, but it was still a good read nonetheless. There were so many facts that were new to me, and the majority of what I read in this book was very memorable. One of my favourite parts was a little poem a soldier had written about his Jack Russell who kept him company in the trenches - it genuinely brought tears to my eyes, as I personally found it so moving.
This book is split into two halves, one for the British and one for the Germans, which I found to be very interesting. There were equal amounts of information on both sides and the book was formatted in a way so that you could compare their experiences. Usually books tend to focus predominantly on the British experience, so I believe that this was a strong aspect of Terrible Trenches. Overall this was an enjoyable and informative read, however it was extremely short (being a WBD book) and it should be seen as a section of a Horrible Histories book rather than a complete one. As a result, I would probably list Terrible Trenches as a companion read for The Frightful First World War.
I don't think Terrible Trenches came near to being one of my favourite Horrible Histories books, mostly due to how short it was, but it was still a good read nonetheless. There were so many facts that were new to me, and the majority of what I read in this book was very memorable. One of my favourite parts was a little poem a soldier had written about his Jack Russell who kept him company in the trenches - it genuinely brought tears to my eyes, as I personally found it so moving.
This book is split into two halves, one for the British and one for the Germans, which I found to be very interesting. There were equal amounts of information on both sides and the book was formatted in a way so that you could compare their experiences. Usually books tend to focus predominantly on the British experience, so I believe that this was a strong aspect of Terrible Trenches. Overall this was an enjoyable and informative read, however it was extremely short (being a WBD book) and it should be seen as a section of a Horrible Histories book rather than a complete one. As a result, I would probably list Terrible Trenches as a companion read for The Frightful First World War.
March 23, 2022
It was about lots of very interesting facts from WW1. It was very interesting facts, even some I never knew. Did you know the Germans only shot 48 of their troops but the Brits shot over 300?
By Louis
By Louis
April 9, 2018
Educational - with a light-touch
January 27, 2024
*3.75
January 9, 2017
Trenches is an entry in a specific subset of the Horrible Histories called Horrible Histories Handbooks. I've reviewed another one here, but to recap, the handbooks cover specific topics in vaguely chronological order and go into more depth than the Horrible Histories can manage on their own. They're also just as funny as the originals and have illustrations in color.
I think Trenches did a better job than the Pirates handbook, in that it chose its subjects and organized itself better. It also does better with the "how to" guide conceit, since the World War I trenches are considerably more uniform than pirates through the ages. It does make allowances for the difference between the Allies and the Central Powers, organizing itself into part 1 (the Allies) and part 2 (the Central Powers), with enough variation to stay interesting. It's much less heartwrenching than Nathan Hale's take on the subject, but it also doesn't try to explain the war or what's going on-- which, in a way, makes sense; who in the common infantry knew what the hell the war was about? Heck, who fighting in the war actually knew what the war was about? Who knows now?
Anyway. Good book. Would recommend both this and the general line of handbooks.
I think Trenches did a better job than the Pirates handbook, in that it chose its subjects and organized itself better. It also does better with the "how to" guide conceit, since the World War I trenches are considerably more uniform than pirates through the ages. It does make allowances for the difference between the Allies and the Central Powers, organizing itself into part 1 (the Allies) and part 2 (the Central Powers), with enough variation to stay interesting. It's much less heartwrenching than Nathan Hale's take on the subject, but it also doesn't try to explain the war or what's going on-- which, in a way, makes sense; who in the common infantry knew what the hell the war was about? Heck, who fighting in the war actually knew what the war was about? Who knows now?
Anyway. Good book. Would recommend both this and the general line of handbooks.
Read
September 8, 2015I really liked this book has a kid. Because it gave me an educationally way of learning all the major events in the first war in the Funway. I read this book in grade 4 and I still have all the knowledge it gave me to this day. Overall I would give this book a nine out of 10
December 16, 2012
A fun and entertaining read. A very enjoyable way to learn about this topic.
September 7, 2016
Gotta love Horrible Histories. I really enjoyed these books.
October 3, 2014
Jam packed with useful 9and not so useful) facts about the first world war.
Read
March 11, 2015i think the book was funny. it told about the first world war and the trenches they used. the book was very intresting and also
Read
May 11, 2015WHAT ARE SOME GOOD BOOKS ABOUT WORLD WAR ONE?
October 12, 2023
I like this book very good
July 11, 2025
A witty WBD book filled with surprising facts that engage the reader in a way that only Horrible Histories can. You can’t go far wrong!
March 6, 2016
231 - 2016
Read
October 27, 2017Another good book
I am 31yrs old and still enjoy reading these books. I remember reading these at school and being hooked. Highly recommend
I am 31yrs old and still enjoy reading these books. I remember reading these at school and being hooked. Highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews