What do you think?
Rate this book
Terrible But True: Awful Events in American History: Awful Events in American History
Think American history is all boring battles and snooze-worthy old dudes? Think again!
Welcome to Terrible But True, where you'll dig deep into America's forgotten past to uncover some creepy, disgusting, and just plain bizarre stories.
From America's first serial killers and deadly vampire-like diseases to haunted ghost ships and vicious river pirates, our nation's history is weirder than you could have ever imagined.
So dive in and prepare to be shocked, because sometimes the truth is even stranger than fiction.
Welcome to Terrible But True, where you'll dig deep into America's forgotten past to uncover some creepy, disgusting, and just plain bizarre stories.
From America's first serial killers and deadly vampire-like diseases to haunted ghost ships and vicious river pirates, our nation's history is weirder than you could have ever imagined.
So dive in and prepare to be shocked, because sometimes the truth is even stranger than fiction.
192 pages, Paperback
Published November 29, 2016
16 people are currently reading
656 people want to read
About the author
Dinah Williams
40 books31 followersDinah Williams, an editor and children's book author, is fascinated by odd and unusual stories. Her nonfiction books include Terrible but True: Awful Events in American History; Secrets of Walt Disney World; and Spooky Cemeteries, which won the 2009 Children's Choice Award. Dinah's newest book, True Hauntings Deadly Disasters, is coming from Scholastic in 2020. She lives in Cranford, NJ with her husband and daughters, who hate all things scary.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 18, 2017
I am usually not a big fan of learning about American history, but when I picked up Terrible But True at our school library, I became much more interested. I enjoyed this book very much because I learned a lot of new things that I didn’t even think was possible, and I have gained extra knowledge for school. I loved how the author used descriptive language to enhance the frightening mood of the book, and the setting became much scarier.
Dinah Williams, the author of Terrible But True, did a great job of explaining our gruesome past, of fires, terrible accidents, and riots. The book is about awful events in U.S. history, and how we have grown much since then. It gives an idea of how hard life was back then with all of the diseases and accidents, and that we are much more lucky to live in a time where we have fixed and cured most of those things.
I would recommend this book to a more mature audience, as it includes violence and requires more background knowledge. This book would be great if you are interested in history and learning more about the United States in the past!
Dinah Williams, the author of Terrible But True, did a great job of explaining our gruesome past, of fires, terrible accidents, and riots. The book is about awful events in U.S. history, and how we have grown much since then. It gives an idea of how hard life was back then with all of the diseases and accidents, and that we are much more lucky to live in a time where we have fixed and cured most of those things.
I would recommend this book to a more mature audience, as it includes violence and requires more background knowledge. This book would be great if you are interested in history and learning more about the United States in the past!
February 6, 2018
This book was very informative and interesting. Dinah Williams was descriptive with her writing and used diverse vocabulary. From 'Tuberculosis and the Last American Vampire', to 'The Death of George Washington', there were many facts all through out the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in American history and the struggles that we have had over the years.
March 23, 2020
The best way to cope with fear during an international pandemic? Reading a book about countless times that horrible disasters have happened before, of course! The outcome of this strategy? Deciding that you’re extending your self-quarantine. Indefinitely.
March 19, 2018
This is a “fun” book that serves its purpose- short informative tales about “terrible but true” events in our American history, like the Donner party, lobotomies, earthquakes, the Chicago fire, sinking ships, child labor, diseases, assassinations, & more. Perfect for a kid who is interested in history (or a perfect gift for a kid who you are trying to get interested in history). The social studies teacher in me kept thinking of all of the ways I’d love to use these stories in my lesson plans. The stay at home mom in me found myself wishing for more details, but this book definitely sparked my interest in a few events and has encouraged me to look for books about a few of the topics that I’d love to learn more about.
August 18, 2021
Love that this book only focuses on the worst parts of American history. It has an easy-to-read format that makes good stopping points, with each event or person only encompassing 1-3 pages. Definitely recommend for kids that struggle to find history interesting, and for adults that just like interesting/gory/bloody facts.
March 30, 2018
Filled with lesser-known incidents in American history that have mostly slipped through the cracks. Scholastic.
July 13, 2018
Ah history…if I had more of a head for dates I would definitely have pursued the history degree as I love to learn about what happened—guess that’s why I read so many stories LOL..but I got hooked on this History channel documentary America: The Story of US and it was so educational and intriguing to learn about all the hard work, horror and sadness of the creation of America and what it means to be an American..The shame, the death toll, the pain is just fascinating and this book sums them all up for young adults and everyone bwah ha ha..Its so morbid and distasteful you feel guilty for reading and delighting in the ways so many found their end but its really hard to stop reading..
You begin with the nasty, cold and disease ridden Revolutionary War which I learned about in the documentary where clothing and food was scarce and they faced some of the harshest winters ever—where the British jailed people in ships that killed you almost instantly with smallpox if you weren’t lucky enough to hold on to die of eventual starvation..the book moves you to Daniel Boone who in my head was a friend of Native Americans which allowed him to travel and discover the Kentucky wilderness however I learned that the relationship between Boone and the Shawnee Native Americans was contentious and hostile with his family dying and being kidnapped in the vicious turf wars until he dies of old age at 82 (super old for the 1800s)….there is more death and horror ---some more memorable episodes include
Learning about the shooting of President Garfield and how the doctors lack of knowledge on germs ultimately killed him
The atrocities of baby farms where babies suffered and died for profit
The devastating 1900 Galveston hurricane that killed between 8,000-12,000 people
A horrible theater fire where 600 people died in ten minutes
The unbelievable tale of Typhoid Mary who as a cook immune to disease spread typhoid fever to people by not washing her hands often enough
How the first and last person to die during construction of the Hoover Dam were father and son..
Just a whole bunch of facts and trivia thirteen year old me would have totally geeked out on and think that some random student will find this journey in the dark and disgusting worth a look through..
You begin with the nasty, cold and disease ridden Revolutionary War which I learned about in the documentary where clothing and food was scarce and they faced some of the harshest winters ever—where the British jailed people in ships that killed you almost instantly with smallpox if you weren’t lucky enough to hold on to die of eventual starvation..the book moves you to Daniel Boone who in my head was a friend of Native Americans which allowed him to travel and discover the Kentucky wilderness however I learned that the relationship between Boone and the Shawnee Native Americans was contentious and hostile with his family dying and being kidnapped in the vicious turf wars until he dies of old age at 82 (super old for the 1800s)….there is more death and horror ---some more memorable episodes include
Learning about the shooting of President Garfield and how the doctors lack of knowledge on germs ultimately killed him
The atrocities of baby farms where babies suffered and died for profit
The devastating 1900 Galveston hurricane that killed between 8,000-12,000 people
A horrible theater fire where 600 people died in ten minutes
The unbelievable tale of Typhoid Mary who as a cook immune to disease spread typhoid fever to people by not washing her hands often enough
How the first and last person to die during construction of the Hoover Dam were father and son..
Just a whole bunch of facts and trivia thirteen year old me would have totally geeked out on and think that some random student will find this journey in the dark and disgusting worth a look through..
April 11, 2023
Every now and then I run across a book that tells bits of history that textbook companies tend to avoid. They figure that there is no way to tell everything, so they keep to those events they deem most significant. But some of the most interesting stories, those of grave robbers and serial killers, earthquakes and tornadoes and floods and dust storms and swarms of grasshoppers, miracle cures that actually killed, buildings that collapsed or burned, ships that flipped over and sunk, epidemics and deadly battles, ghost sightings, mistakes and reforms that came about as a result are the kinds of stories shared in this book.
The book is told in five parts from the Revolutionary War and the New Nation to the Great War and the Jazz Age. At the beginning of each section is a timeline, and each story lets you know if it is about a battle, an adventurer, a riot, something medical, a leader, progress, or a disaster. Some of the stories I’d read about before, usually in a book of fiction, but some of them were new to me. I never knew, for example, that Daniel Boone, a historical character featured in a TV show whose theme song I sang often as a kid, had incredibly bad luck.
I will likely use some of the stories in my class as examples of writing or examples of tragedy that led to major changes like buildings being made to withstand earthquakes, emergency plans being created so people know how to handle crises, safety checks done on equipment, and doctors washing their hands prior to performing some sort of medical procedure. 3.5
The book is told in five parts from the Revolutionary War and the New Nation to the Great War and the Jazz Age. At the beginning of each section is a timeline, and each story lets you know if it is about a battle, an adventurer, a riot, something medical, a leader, progress, or a disaster. Some of the stories I’d read about before, usually in a book of fiction, but some of them were new to me. I never knew, for example, that Daniel Boone, a historical character featured in a TV show whose theme song I sang often as a kid, had incredibly bad luck.
I will likely use some of the stories in my class as examples of writing or examples of tragedy that led to major changes like buildings being made to withstand earthquakes, emergency plans being created so people know how to handle crises, safety checks done on equipment, and doctors washing their hands prior to performing some sort of medical procedure. 3.5
March 27, 2018
The objective of the book is to tell people in the past was sometimes horrible. It tells about disasters in America that more people died in that the Titanic. For example the disaster in the Chicago River. Where a boat flipped over 10 feet away from the doc and killed 804 people. It's very graphic.
There are many figurative devices in Dinah Williams Terrible But True: Awful Events in American History. The first one is a metaphor: "George Washington, nearly superhuman killed by a sore throat." (27) "The fiery end of the general Slocum" (132) The second is imagery: "As many as twelve doctors repeatedly stuck unwashed tools and hands into his wounds..."(104) "The ghostly figure of a woman in a long burning dress is also seen." (122) The third is personification:"Brokers watched the selling orders accumulate. It wasn't a flood; it was a deluge.(165) This figurative language makes this book more fun to read.
I really liked this book because it had information that I did not know. It gave plenty of detail for me to be interested in it. It explained why these events happened and what came after them. Like when a President died they found the problem and fixed it.
There are many figurative devices in Dinah Williams Terrible But True: Awful Events in American History. The first one is a metaphor: "George Washington, nearly superhuman killed by a sore throat." (27) "The fiery end of the general Slocum" (132) The second is imagery: "As many as twelve doctors repeatedly stuck unwashed tools and hands into his wounds..."(104) "The ghostly figure of a woman in a long burning dress is also seen." (122) The third is personification:"Brokers watched the selling orders accumulate. It wasn't a flood; it was a deluge.(165) This figurative language makes this book more fun to read.
I really liked this book because it had information that I did not know. It gave plenty of detail for me to be interested in it. It explained why these events happened and what came after them. Like when a President died they found the problem and fixed it.
May 31, 2023
A good read for those wanting to hear about terrible and true events in U.S. history.
Dinah Williams from the beginning explains her purpose for writing this work. It isn't to dive into deep history but to give readers a chance to explore all those events in history you're taught with dates; those dates are really people's lives.
History is never so bland and memorizing dates, there truly are lives behind those events. Lives of people who lived, lives with the same goal today, a better tomorrow.
Dinah Williams from the beginning explains her purpose for writing this work. It isn't to dive into deep history but to give readers a chance to explore all those events in history you're taught with dates; those dates are really people's lives.
History is never so bland and memorizing dates, there truly are lives behind those events. Lives of people who lived, lives with the same goal today, a better tomorrow.
December 8, 2021
I would have liked it more but there is some definite misinformation in this book. At one point she claims that the overturning of the Eastland in Chicago killed more than died on the Titanic, which is absolutely false. The only way I could see that being true is if she meant that many AMERICANS died on the Titanic. Also she'd used "Indians" and occasionally use Native Americans; make up your mind. Native Americans is a far more respectful term, at least to me.
December 13, 2021
I'm looking for brief, quirky history stories to teach my students how to use nonfiction reading strategies and to renew their interest in history. This book was recommended by my school librarian.
She's right. The stories are 2-3 pages long with photographs (when available) and sidebars. The stories cover parts of history which the students will not be familiar with.
I will be using this book in my nonfiction unit. It's just what I was looking for.
She's right. The stories are 2-3 pages long with photographs (when available) and sidebars. The stories cover parts of history which the students will not be familiar with.
I will be using this book in my nonfiction unit. It's just what I was looking for.
November 10, 2017
This is one of those great hodge podge books that give you enough info to become interested to learn more but at the same time are enough to give you a decent idea. Chronologically telling the ills, disasters, riots, and medical oddities of the United States and using primary source quotes gives one a new perspective on the "good old days".
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
January 25, 2018
The book's layout is it's strongest suite. Each historical item is compartmentalized in it's own little snapshot style section. I did find one error, appears to be a typo (it's Francis Marion, not Marlon). That led me to wonder if there are other errors and, if so, how many. That prevents me from giving it 5 stars.
May 20, 2018
This book is perfect for those who are interested in the more creepy and icky parts of American history. It has a good balance of natural disasters, disease outbreaks, battles, riots, and outlaws to have a little something for everyone! Terrible But True made me super thankful to live in the time period that I do!
December 29, 2016
Really good book for older kids on "awful history." I wouldn't recommend to anyone under the age of 10 b/c of the pictures of dead bodies and the graphic descriptions of some things, but it was all in all a great little book of macabre facts and interesting history bits.
May 19, 2025
Extremely interesting book on the calamities that elected the USA. From The Sultana to the Galvaston Hurricane and everything in between . Worth reading for the tidbits of history and how even in its small forms of tragedy, formulated policies
May 17, 2017
A fun read!
July 20, 2017
It may be a flaw in human nature, but terrible events make for interesting reading...even for children.
November 4, 2017
People who like the creepy, bloody historical events will like this book.
December 18, 2017
Lots of interesting information!
April 19, 2018
Very creepy and cringey and a good book of things people have forgotten
June 21, 2018
Review by G.W. : "A great source of history!!!!! Loved it!!!!"
August 22, 2018
Great book for folks looking for the gory truth.
May 5, 2019
This book was really good, my favorite parts had to be the medical events. They were so interesting to read! Some were definitely kind of boring, but there were some that were great👍🏼
June 27, 2021
This was interesting, but unfortunately I knew so many of these stories already that it struggled to hold my interest.
February 24, 2022
It was ok. A bit bland.
June 3, 2022
Grim but fascinating. It made me grateful for the safety standards and medical advances of my time!
November 17, 2017
Terrible But True: Awful Events in American History is the book I read. It was a book with some terrible stories, but they were very interesting. The book is very good. When you read the stories it's hard to believe that they are true but they all are. I recommend this book to people who like action in a book because this book is full of small stories that have a lot of action. This book is full of bad parts of our history and how people reacted to it.
March 18, 2017
A fun look at the weird events that shaped American history in terms of tragedies. A quick read but entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews