Horrible Histories is a series of illustrated history books published in the United Kingdom by Scholastic, and part of the Horrible Histories franchise. They are designed to engage children in history by presenting the unusual, gory, or unpleasant aspects in a tongue-in-cheek manner in contrast to the formality of lessons taught in school. The series has proved exceptionally successful in terms of commercial revenue. The books are written by Terry Deary, Peter Hepplewhite and Neil Tonge and illustrated by Martin Brown, Mike Phillips and Philip Reeve.
The first titles in the series, The Terrible Tudors and The Awesome Egyptians, were published in June 1993. As of 2011 with more than 60 titles in the series, the books have sold over 25 million copies in over 30 languages. The books have had tie-ins with newspapers such as The Telegraph, as well as audio-book tie-ins with breakfast cereals.
Read more about Horrible Histories: Development, Approach, Other Languages, Brainiest Boffin Contest, Tours and Exhibitions, Reception, Awards, Spin-offs
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—Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)