Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by withlivjones
A History of Britain in Ten Enemies by Terry Deary
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
4.0
“We have no enemies. People may speak unfamiliar languages, eat unfamiliar food or look a little different, but they share most of our genes. There are no foreigners, only people who live in another place. It's one of the things you learn when you read a bit of history. The same people who were enemies yesterday are often allies today, friends or family tomorrow. And the most important day in history is tomorrow. Always tomorrow.”
An accessible and entertaining whistle stop tour of Britain’s military history. It has that nostalgic feeling of reading Horrible Histories, just with slightly less toilet humour. Deary keeps the prose light and playful, but he also doesn’t shy away from discussing some of the less moral battle tactics employed by both Britain’s enemies and Britain itself. Britain isn’t portrayed as the hero of the book, and Deary holds its leaders accountable for many a crime - from its involvement in the slave trade, to its cruelty towards the indigenous people of America, Asia, and Ireland, and its neglect of veterans after the battles have been fought. The political references helped to keep the book current while explaining history from centuries ago.
If you’re looking for an in depth exploration of every battle in Britain’s history? Look somewhere other than a 200-page book. But if you want a beginner’s guide to British history explained in layman’s terms that won’t make you fall asleep, definitely have a read of this.
An accessible and entertaining whistle stop tour of Britain’s military history. It has that nostalgic feeling of reading Horrible Histories, just with slightly less toilet humour. Deary keeps the prose light and playful, but he also doesn’t shy away from discussing some of the less moral battle tactics employed by both Britain’s enemies and Britain itself. Britain isn’t portrayed as the hero of the book, and Deary holds its leaders accountable for many a crime - from its involvement in the slave trade, to its cruelty towards the indigenous people of America, Asia, and Ireland, and its neglect of veterans after the battles have been fought. The political references helped to keep the book current while explaining history from centuries ago.
If you’re looking for an in depth exploration of every battle in Britain’s history? Look somewhere other than a 200-page book. But if you want a beginner’s guide to British history explained in layman’s terms that won’t make you fall asleep, definitely have a read of this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Xenophobia, Murder, War