A History of Britain in Ten Enemies

Ah, Britain. So special. The greatest nation on earth, some say. And we did it all on our own. Didn't we? Well, as it happens Britannia got its name from the Romans, and for the past two centuries we have been ruled by Germans. But then, as Horrible Histories author Terry Deary argues, nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make. The surprisingly sadistic Boudica would be forgotten if it weren't for the Ninth Legion, Elizabeth I a minor royal without the Spanish Armada, and Churchill an opposition windbag without the Nazis. Britain loves its heroes so much we have been known to pickle them in brandy to keep them fresh. And after all, every nation sometimes needs a bit of unifying Blitz spirit (although in an ideal world, we wouldn't have accidentally let Corporal Hitler go in the first place). The British have a proud history of choosing their enemies, from the Romans to the Germans. You might even say those enemies made Britain what it is today... A History of Britain in Ten Enemies is an entertaining gallop through history that will have you laughing as you find out what they didn't teach you in school.

Terry Deary is the author of over 350 published books, selling over 38 million books in 45 languages. He rose to prominence as the author of the acclaimed Horrible Histories series, which made him the best-selling children's non-fiction writer since records began. The series was adapted for a BAFTA-winning CBBC television series. In 2024, he published a book for adults, A History of Britain in Ten Enemies, which became a #1 Sunday Times bestseller with over 100,000 copies sold. Terry was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Education by Sunderland University in 2000. He lives in County Durham with his wife Jenny and is an avid road runner in his spare time.