Horrible Histories: Oxford -Review
The Latest in Terry Deary's Horrible Histories
Terry Deary's new book Horrible Histories: Oxford is a terrific read for anyone interested in history or planning to visit the city of Oxford.
For the few who don't know, author Terry Deary has spent the last ten years making history fun for children with his series of books, Horrible Histories. These short books use a combination of narrative and cartoons to present some of history's most interesting stories, anecdotes and characters. Often focusing on the grotesque and macabre, the series has grown to include over thirty books, including The Terrible Tudors, The Slimy Stuarts, and The Groovy Greeks.
This week saw the release of the latest book in the series, Horrible Histories: Oxford. Following the standard format, it is a slim 96-page book packed with cartoons. It also includes a fold-out map of the centre of Oxford, marked with a few spots of special interest.
The book makes no claim to be a concise history of the city; instead, it is a collection of some of Oxford's funniest, most interesting, and most disgusting stories. Did you know that one of Oxford's colleges contained a septic pit so large that it took three hundred years worth of student droppings to fill it up? Did you know that at several times in history the students and townsfolk of Oxford have actually gone to war with each other? Did you know that Lewis Caroll invented a machine for writing in the dark?
Not only is this new little book a great read for anyone (child or adult) with a passing interest in history, it is also a necessary book for any tourist to the city of Dreaming Spires. (A name Terry Deary says "Is just plain stupid...Spires do not dream"). Any tourist guide will likely tell you who got killed where in Oxford, but Deary's book will do the same thing and entertain you at the same time.
Considering this book can be yours for a mere £5, it is highly recommended for everyone, especially anyone planning to visit "The City of Bleeding Fires".
