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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Reduced Shakespeare Company" Does History, February 23, 2004
I came across Terry Deary completely by accident ~ in a gift shop in Scotland, shoved amongst other more "scholarly" hardcovers. As my graduate area of study is the Middle Ages, I was intrigued and bought the book on a whim ~ and haven't stopped buying Terry Deary's books since! Are the books chock-full of historical facts guaranteed to allow someone to walk away thinking they know everything about the Middle Ages, Greece, Rome, France, or any of Deary's other topics? No, of course not. Are the books a wonderfully entertaining (and illustrated!) way of addressing what can admittedly be a bit of a dry topic? Of course! I say any books that can make someone, young or old, become interested in history should be embraced fully. And, hey, I learn something new from every book I read, which is an added bonus! Further, I think these books definitely appeal to adults who have an interest or education in history ~ much as what "The Reduced Shakespeare Company" teaches us about Shakepeare is true about Deary's treatment of history: the better you know the original, the more funny and entertaining the condensed versions are.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
These books got me hooked on History, October 24, 2002
I am really in the debt of Terry Deary. If it weren't for him and his wonderful "Horrible History" series, I would never have been introduced to history. I first read his work when I was only ten. Seven years later, I'm still enjoying his work. Yes, childish, but it is so much fun. I now want to teach, to make history fun to others. I wouldn't have known it possible if it weren't for Deary. Right next to my "Measly Middle Ages" and my "Woeful Second World War" is my John Keegen and William Manchester. Onto "Measly Middle Ages". I really enjoy this book. Both irreverent and insightful at the same time, this book really shows the reader how horrible the middle ages actually were. I've read several works on the era, and this book nicely fills in the basic details, with out bogging it down with the details that us history dorks love. A great book for kids, a great book for people who both enjoy history and enjoy having fun.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cute but not astute, August 26, 2001
This book would not do for a young person who actually wants to learn some history, as the history aspect is done just a little too "lite". Here's a paragraph describing the Norman Conquest: "Bill the Conqueror was Norman leader in 1066. He said King Edward of England had promised him the English throne --King Harold said the same thing." [You see the problem there with the indefinite antecedent.] "It was a fight to the death for two tough fellers. The English must have hoped Harold would win because Big Bill was bloodthirsty..." The above is actually okay for the British teenagers for whom it was originally written, but a young American audience would be unlikely to deduce the basic facts of the Norman Conquest from the author's account. It is, however, funny, likely to hook a reluctant reader, and seems to have been enjoyed by the young people who reviewed it here.
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