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Horrible Histories #12
Angry Aztecs
Angry Aztecs
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
51 people are currently reading
836 people want to read
About the author
Terry Deary
828 books829 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 100 reviews
March 1, 2024
I love horrible histories and this book is no different and it's packed with Dreadful details and gory stories too Full of interesting facts that teach you a lot about how the Aztecs and mayas lived. An easy 5 stars.
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November 1, 2020As always, I don't leave a numbered rating for these books! I did really enjoy this one, and it had me physically laughing at several points. I knew nothing about the Aztecs so I found this one really interesting.
October 6, 2021
Kolejna bardzo przyjemna książka dla młodszych czytelników, która ma zaciekawić i pokazać historię w sposób interesujący oraz z humorem. Tym razem będą to ciekawostki na temat Azteków, ich kultury, życie codzienne, dieta czy jak oni wyliczali sobie dni (bo w końcu wtedy jeszcze nie było kalendarza).
Przyjemna, z brytyjskim humorem, który lubię. Oczywiście książka godna polecenia tak jak pozostałe z serii.
Przyjemna, z brytyjskim humorem, który lubię. Oczywiście książka godna polecenia tak jak pozostałe z serii.
July 20, 2018
A bit meh really. Read with my son as part of a project we did about Mexico and its history. I think there is clearer, better information on the internet. The humour felt forced and often fell flat. Was quite boring to be honest.
September 26, 2017
So much was made of how "weird" and uncivilized the Aztecs were compared to the British. Not how I want my kids to learn about other cultures.
May 2, 2019
I think these were the only history books I read until I was 20 years old. It sufficed!
Obviously it's not good for your only exposure to history to be the 100 most dramatic moments, the 100 most elite and unrepresentative people. (For each page of a regular history book I should imagine the lives of a thousand peasants.) But very few people have any grasp of history beyond this superficial roll call, so it didn't hurt me much to delay it.
Our need for "people's history" is great: it at least has a chance of being an accurate picture of the past. (Many particular instances of people's history are fatally false or misleading though, because the contrarianism and ideological heat of the topic draws parasites and shills.)
June 28, 2018
Yet another great book with easy to remember history. I didn't love this as much as the Celts one, but that might be because I knew lots of what was mentioned, after all those school years reviewing Mexico's history over and over. Nevertheless, there were still new bits of information, the gruesome ones (not that the regular history wasn't with the sacrifices and all), so I appreciate that. I feel I learnt something new, and I enjoyed the book.
September 8, 2017
Why, according to the Aztecs, was the world going to end on December 22, 2012?
Angry Aztecs is recommended reading for grown-ups who want to prepare themselves for the onslaught and an absolute must for children who want to find out a little bit more about the mysterious Aztecs than the serious history books are willing to share.
"Great, grubby fun and an excellent choice for anyone who is curious about these curious of folk."
UM; EXCUSE ME??! I HAD A LOOKY LOO INSIDE THIS TEENSY TOME, AND THE AZTECS WERE NOT... "GREAT GRUBBY FUN FOR CURIOUS FOLK!!!" Even watered down it is sickening what human being do to other human beings. Why, is this a thing, and why, do we have to act this way, then and now. Then, you had violent and bloody human sacrifices and you were lucky if you made it through childhood alive, unscathed. Now, third world children starve and we shoot and kill, and spread hate. Argh! Anyhoo, it is history, the past, and it is still interesting. For Scholastic by Terry Deary, in a series for middle grade readers.
Angry Aztecs is recommended reading for grown-ups who want to prepare themselves for the onslaught and an absolute must for children who want to find out a little bit more about the mysterious Aztecs than the serious history books are willing to share.
"Great, grubby fun and an excellent choice for anyone who is curious about these curious of folk."
UM; EXCUSE ME??! I HAD A LOOKY LOO INSIDE THIS TEENSY TOME, AND THE AZTECS WERE NOT... "GREAT GRUBBY FUN FOR CURIOUS FOLK!!!" Even watered down it is sickening what human being do to other human beings. Why, is this a thing, and why, do we have to act this way, then and now. Then, you had violent and bloody human sacrifices and you were lucky if you made it through childhood alive, unscathed. Now, third world children starve and we shoot and kill, and spread hate. Argh! Anyhoo, it is history, the past, and it is still interesting. For Scholastic by Terry Deary, in a series for middle grade readers.
January 6, 2019
Gruesome
A very gruesome story but you learn a lot from the book it fun and full of facts read it. (I recommend this book to everyone)😃
A very gruesome story but you learn a lot from the book it fun and full of facts read it. (I recommend this book to everyone)😃
June 8, 2020
trigger warning
July 28, 2022
It was funny and it had a lot of jokes that were funny.
June 23, 2024
frag mich nicht wann ich dachte dass die azteken gelebt haben aber it defo wasnt 1500 anno domini, ja ich studiere geschichte im sechsten semester, nein ich bin nicht die hellste kerze auffer torte
August 5, 2024
(4.4)
See my review for incredible Incas. Additional notes for this are there seemed to be many typos in this edition. Also, the UK flavored references and humor might be a stumbling block for some.
See my review for incredible Incas. Additional notes for this are there seemed to be many typos in this edition. Also, the UK flavored references and humor might be a stumbling block for some.
October 14, 2024
learnt sooooo many fun facts - fave one was about the. origins of ‘tying the knot’ and freaky aztec beauty standards
November 29, 2018
According to the opening section of Horrible Histories: Angry Aztecs, this book will teach a little bit of history and a lot about people, but the most important thing is that it will teach children everywhere how to drive their teachers stark, raving mad by repeatedly asking the most dreaded question of all: "WHY?" Why did the Spanish want to steal the Aztecs' treasure? Why did Aztecs eat scum? Why did Aztecs drink live toads in wine? And why is the world going to end on December 22, 2012? Angry Aztecs is recommended reading for grown-ups who want to prepare themselves for the onslaught and an absolute must for children who want to find out a little bit more about the mysterious Aztecs than the serious history books are willing to share.
Grab your sacrifice and read him this review before you strap him to a giant stone and rip out his heart for the sun gods. I wouldn't say the aztecs where angry people wierd and mysterious but not angry. They sacrificed a lot of people to there gods out of fear that the sun wouldn't rise tomorrow or the next harvest won't grow i guess they didn't know better but i think it was more down to the crazy priest who i think needed a lust for blood if they wanted the job 😅. When they wasn't keeping hundreds of people a day they read the skys and stars and made there famous apocalyptic calender now as we know the world didn't end in 2012 or did it..... and the world we are in now is hell? 👀 they also collected the rare cocoa bean which they used as currency because of there rarity but they also where the first to make hot chocolate but not what your used to they used to add chillis to it get it hot chocolate 😉 i don't think i would of wanted to try it without milk. And then you had the Spanish and Cortez who was seen as a god by the aztecs at first but not all was fooled but enough was fooled to join his ranks and fight his way to the aztec capital and whipe out there culture and convert them all the Christianity which i agree that the sacrifices needed to end but he didn't have to whipe out there culture and steal billions of gold in today's money from the aztecs it's kinda sad if you think of it. A little trivia for you did you know that Cortez had to wait a whole year to invade the aztecs because there numbers where to big so he waited for smallpoxs the Spanish brought with them to thin the aztecs out before taking over what a crafty bugger. As for the end score i loved it I've always been fascinated by the aztecs and the myans and you learn about both here so much more enjoyed than the last book.
5/5 stars on Goodreads
100/100 Ginger points
Grab your sacrifice and read him this review before you strap him to a giant stone and rip out his heart for the sun gods. I wouldn't say the aztecs where angry people wierd and mysterious but not angry. They sacrificed a lot of people to there gods out of fear that the sun wouldn't rise tomorrow or the next harvest won't grow i guess they didn't know better but i think it was more down to the crazy priest who i think needed a lust for blood if they wanted the job 😅. When they wasn't keeping hundreds of people a day they read the skys and stars and made there famous apocalyptic calender now as we know the world didn't end in 2012 or did it..... and the world we are in now is hell? 👀 they also collected the rare cocoa bean which they used as currency because of there rarity but they also where the first to make hot chocolate but not what your used to they used to add chillis to it get it hot chocolate 😉 i don't think i would of wanted to try it without milk. And then you had the Spanish and Cortez who was seen as a god by the aztecs at first but not all was fooled but enough was fooled to join his ranks and fight his way to the aztec capital and whipe out there culture and convert them all the Christianity which i agree that the sacrifices needed to end but he didn't have to whipe out there culture and steal billions of gold in today's money from the aztecs it's kinda sad if you think of it. A little trivia for you did you know that Cortez had to wait a whole year to invade the aztecs because there numbers where to big so he waited for smallpoxs the Spanish brought with them to thin the aztecs out before taking over what a crafty bugger. As for the end score i loved it I've always been fascinated by the aztecs and the myans and you learn about both here so much more enjoyed than the last book.
5/5 stars on Goodreads
100/100 Ginger points
February 19, 2017
An interesting look in to the history of the Maya and Aztecs, which is perfect for any history lover who can deal with the gory bits of history, though you'll miss bits if you're using text to speach to read this book. Also, it was entertaining reading a book that was insisting the world would end four years before the date I read it... Guess they got that prediction wrong. *wink*
April 25, 2016
This is the first book i read in this 'Horrible Histories' series and i'm looking forward to find rest of the books in it n read them. This is very witty book with funny writing and ever funnier illustrations, totally loved this.Even though the facts i found bit extended here and there for humor sake,hats off to terry Deary's and martin brown's Creativity. 4.5 stars
July 19, 2019
“... start to explore the really, really interesting thing about history. The question, ‘Why did people behave the way they did?’ / If you can answer that then you can begin to understand the question, ‘Why do people behave the way they do now?’ And, in the end you answer the only question that matters in life: ‘Why do I behave the way I do?’”, p. 6
“Historians don't always know the truth about ancient worlds. They guess.”, p. 90
“History can be horrible... but historians can sometimes be horribler.”, p. 92
“The Spanish were the winners and the Spanish wrote the history books. Like most ‘winners’ in history they changed the story and made up the facts to make themselves look right and the enemy look wrong.”, p. 103
“The sacrifices stopped... but people carried on being killed.”, p. 115
“But history is too horrible to allow ‘happy ever after’ endings.”, p. 126
“Historians don't always know the truth about ancient worlds. They guess.”, p. 90
“History can be horrible... but historians can sometimes be horribler.”, p. 92
“The Spanish were the winners and the Spanish wrote the history books. Like most ‘winners’ in history they changed the story and made up the facts to make themselves look right and the enemy look wrong.”, p. 103
“The sacrifices stopped... but people carried on being killed.”, p. 115
“But history is too horrible to allow ‘happy ever after’ endings.”, p. 126
September 28, 2018
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this book, it’s just that the Aztecs themselves aren’t necessarily one of my favourite historical civilizations. Still, I enjoyed learning what Deary had to share on the subject and it was boosted as ever by the illustrations from Martin Brown.
Perhaps it’s because of my relative lack of interest in the subject matter, but I also didn’t get on too well with the little quizzes that were dotted throughout. It was kind of annoying to have to flick backwards and forwards all of the time when I would have preferred to have just been presented with the information. But then, I’m not exactly the target audience. Still, I’m glad that I picked this up and I think I learned something.
Perhaps it’s because of my relative lack of interest in the subject matter, but I also didn’t get on too well with the little quizzes that were dotted throughout. It was kind of annoying to have to flick backwards and forwards all of the time when I would have preferred to have just been presented with the information. But then, I’m not exactly the target audience. Still, I’m glad that I picked this up and I think I learned something.
April 25, 2025
Working my way through Horrible History, next is Angry Aztecs.
It’s the usual bunch of interesting facts interspersed with what we’d now call ‘Dad jokes’, but still entertaining.
Apparently Aztec kings where entertained by clowns and jugglers while they ate.
They ate in front of the TV too!
’If the Indians don’t convert to Christianity then we’ll torture the and execute them until they do!’
This was a fascinating book about the horrible practices of the Aztecs. What’s sad is that the could have easily defeated the Spanish conquistadors if they had joined with their neighbors instead of terrorizing them.
I highly recommend this book and give it 3 stars, but an ‘average’ Horrible Histories book is better than most textbooks!
It’s the usual bunch of interesting facts interspersed with what we’d now call ‘Dad jokes’, but still entertaining.
Apparently Aztec kings where entertained by clowns and jugglers while they ate.
They ate in front of the TV too!
’If the Indians don’t convert to Christianity then we’ll torture the and execute them until they do!’
This was a fascinating book about the horrible practices of the Aztecs. What’s sad is that the could have easily defeated the Spanish conquistadors if they had joined with their neighbors instead of terrorizing them.
I highly recommend this book and give it 3 stars, but an ‘average’ Horrible Histories book is better than most textbooks!
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November 20, 2019This boom is about the Aztecs and empire that thrived for a pretty long time. The Aztecs were a dominating tribe. Also they were a religious tribe as well. They were mostly leading by a king or pharaoh and the workers for the king carried him everywhere he went. They got ran over by someone named Hernan Cortes.
This book is pretty long and easy because it has a lot of pictures and long quotes of people that lived back then. This book doesn't really interest me. This book is actually very boring. I think it is very long and it has a lot of words on each page. If you like learning about history this book is just the right fit.
This book is pretty long and easy because it has a lot of pictures and long quotes of people that lived back then. This book doesn't really interest me. This book is actually very boring. I think it is very long and it has a lot of words on each page. If you like learning about history this book is just the right fit.
February 19, 2020
This book is apart of the horrible histories series.
This book tells us what the Azteks did and how they fell.
It tells us about their sacrifices and ranks, their roles and who ran it.
It goes through the timeline of Azteks.
This is a good book, better than most of the horrible histories books and is longer and has more detail, I loved this book way more than any of the other books written by the Horrible Histories author.
This book tells us what the Azteks did and how they fell.
It tells us about their sacrifices and ranks, their roles and who ran it.
It goes through the timeline of Azteks.
This is a good book, better than most of the horrible histories books and is longer and has more detail, I loved this book way more than any of the other books written by the Horrible Histories author.
February 3, 2021
I'm thoroughly enjoying rereading these Horrible Histories books that I haven’t read in over a decade! There is plenty of information included that you might not find in more 'traditional' history books.
The cartoons are brilliant and still make me giggle even after all these years and Terry Deary's writing is still as engaging as it was all those years ago.
Even if you're an adult historian you will still enjoy reading these, whether reading them for the first time or rediscovering them!
The cartoons are brilliant and still make me giggle even after all these years and Terry Deary's writing is still as engaging as it was all those years ago.
Even if you're an adult historian you will still enjoy reading these, whether reading them for the first time or rediscovering them!
June 8, 2021
Another fantastic book from Terry Deary! Absolutely fantastic insights into the life and times of an empire that is largely forgotten and not brought up into regular history books.
The book does a wonderful and hilarious portrayal of the various cultures that the region sustained. I especially appreciated the emphasis on the clash of cultures and the destruction that the White Man brought during the conquests. Would recommend for a quick, informative read.
The book does a wonderful and hilarious portrayal of the various cultures that the region sustained. I especially appreciated the emphasis on the clash of cultures and the destruction that the White Man brought during the conquests. Would recommend for a quick, informative read.
March 2, 2022
Another old school Horrible Histories book to tick off the nostalgia tour of books I read as a lonely child! Yay!
Again, this definitely has an old school Horrible Histories feel to it, and I remember feeling like the big cheese once I’d read it because this isn’t a period of history that is typically taught in schools or anything like that.
A very typical HH read and I’m running out of ways to describe them!
Again, this definitely has an old school Horrible Histories feel to it, and I remember feeling like the big cheese once I’d read it because this isn’t a period of history that is typically taught in schools or anything like that.
A very typical HH read and I’m running out of ways to describe them!
April 2, 2023
Séria Hrozná história upútala nielen môjho syna, ale aj mňa. Prvú som prečítala túto o Aztékoch, kedže z tohto obdobia aj robil referát do školy. Kniha opisuje krvavé rituály a akým spôsobom a v akom veľkom rozsahu prinášali Aztékovia ľudské obete. Informácie sú podávané písaným štýlom bližším pre mladých a dopĺňajú ich vtipné ilustrácie. Určite by som túto knihu doporučila ale starším čitateľom ako je uvádzané 7+, minimálne aspoň 12+
April 27, 2025
I really enjoyed this book and learning all about the interesting facts that are in this book. This brought back so many good memories of me reading this as a kid. This book is very interesting but it does also have gory in it as well. I can’t wait to read more of these books. The illustrations In this book are done so well and in so much detail. The illustration of the rat that kept popping up made me laugh xxx
November 16, 2018
I love this series!! All of these books are great fun and they actually teach you much more than boring school books could. What would rather stay on your mind, some dates and facts or some fun caricature and some quiz with ridiculous answers? This one was really bloody and ugly, but that's how this part of history was..
January 22, 2022
Although the focus is on the Aztecs, the Mayans and a few other civilisations of the Mexican region are also mentioned. Naturally, the ‘horrible’ factor was high for this instalment, given the human sacrifices.
Overall though, this book felt rather flat. There weren’t as many dreadful puns or dark humour, which are trademarks of this series.
Overall though, this book felt rather flat. There weren’t as many dreadful puns or dark humour, which are trademarks of this series.
March 24, 2023
Before this book I had no idea who the aztecs were. I've always heard of them but I never actually learned in school who they were so this was a wonderfully insightful book. The drawing style is lovely and the writing is really funny. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the aztecs or just likes history in general.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews