Terrible True Tales Books by Terry Deary
[Ad-gifted] History doesn’t have to be dry, dusty or something that only lives in school textbooks and Terry Deary ’s Terrible True Tales series proves it in the most entertaining way possible. With his trademark blend of humour, gruesome detail and fascinating facts, Deary brings the past to life for young readers (and anyone who’s ever wished history felt more thrilling).
Published by Bloomsbury, the two newest titles in the series, Terrible True Tales: Saxons and Terrible True Tales: Victorians takes children on unforgettable journeys through two wildly different periods of British history. From fierce warriors and thrilling invasions to industrial rumbles and life in Victorian streets, these books strip away the dust of time and replace it with energy, curiosity and storytelling that hits all the right notes for young minds.
Whether you’re a parent hoping to spark a love of history in your child or simply looking for books that make learning fun, these latest installments offer exactly the kind of engaging, informative reading that keeps kids asking questions long after the cover is closed. So keep on reading to find out how you can win both these titles worth over £12 for your child.
Terrible True Tales Book: Saxons
In Saxons, Deary plunges readers into a world of fierce warriors, invading armies and harsh daily life. Instead of presenting the Saxons as distant figures from a dusty textbook, he makes them vivid and relatable. Children learn about everything from battles and kings to what ordinary people ate, wore and feared.
What I particularly appreciate is the balance between humour and historical accuracy. The gruesome details (which children secretly love) are handled in a way that informs rather than overwhelms. Deary doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of the time, but he presents them with wit and clarity.
For parents, this book is a brilliant conversation starter. After reading a chapter, you might find your child asking:
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Why did the Saxons invade Britain?
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What was life like in a Saxon village?
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How did Christianity change Saxon society?
That curiosity is exactly what you want and the book opens the door to deeper exploration.
Terrible True Tales Book: Victorians
The Victorian era often feels more familiar, yet Deary reveals just how shocking and strange it truly was. From grim factory conditions to bizarre medical treatments, Victorians exposes the dramatic contrasts of the age from incredible invention to progress alongside poverty and injustice.
This book is especially powerful for helping children understand how the past shapes the present. The industrial revolution, child labour laws, public health reforms as these are not abstract ideas when presented through real stories.
As a parent, you may find this book sparks meaningful discussions about:
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How children’s lives have changed over time
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Why laws protecting workers exist
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How inventions transformed society
It’s history with heart and perspective.
How much are the Terrible True Tales Books and where can you buy them?
The Terrible True Tales: Victorians and Terrible True Tales : Saxons retails for £6.29 each and you can buy both the books directly from Bloomsbury.

Here’s how you can win yourself both the Terrible True Tales books worth over £12
Win 2 Terrible True Tales Book worth over £12
Terms and Conditions
* Prize is not exchangeable for cash and not transferable
* Open to residents of the United Kingdom Only
*Entrants and winner of the competition must be 18 or over and must not be employed by Bloomsbury
* All entries must be received by Sun, 29 March 2026 (23:59).
* The winner will be chosen at random
* The winner will be notified via the email address. They have up to 28-days to respond and claim their prize after being notified, after which time the prize will be considered unclaimed and will be re-assigned using a random selection method.
* Submission of a posting will be taken to mean acceptance of the rules and terms and conditions.
* By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website
* The winner will be published on the original giveaway blog post.
* Prizes are administered separately by Bloomsbury and Yeah Lifestyle cannot be held responsible for problems related to fulfillment of prizes including non-delivery of the item
About Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house, established in 1986, with authors who have won the Nobel, Pulitzer and Booker Prizes, and is the originating publisher and custodian of the Harry Potter series. Bloomsbury has offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Oxford and Sydney. Within Bloomsbury’s Academic division, it publishes under Bloomsbury, as well as under a number of prestigious and historic imprint names.

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Horrible Histories Board Game Review
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Children’s Book Review: We Are the Ancient Egyptians
*We were sent the kit in return for the feature. All opinions are our own






161 comments
Perfect for my grandkids
Absolutely, good luck to you Paul
These books may help my grandchildren get interested in history.
I am sure they will as there are lots of interesting facts in the books
These books have a Horrible History vibe around them! I bet your children love these books!
Yes they do as there are lots of illustrations in it and the book is easy to read
I would love to win these books for my cousins. I loved the Horrible Histories series myself as a child and I know this series will be just as good! Terry Deary is amazing at bringing history to life so these books are a must-read in my opinion!
Good luck to you Lisa
My son absolutely loves history and facts so these would be perfect for him.
Sounds like these books would be perfect for him Jo. Good luck
My nephew loves the Horrible series books, so would really enjoy these (and so would I secretly)
for my nephew to get him interested in history as it was my favourite lesson in school. I may also want to read these.
These are such fun books to read so I know you would love reading them too
id love this for a birthday present for my grandchild
Good luck to you Darren
Would be amazing for my nephew and niece.
I am sure they would love both the books
I would like to win this for my 9 year old niece. I loved history and I hope she will too!
I bet she would love the books Laura, so good luck to you.
My kids will love them <3
Good luck
these books bring history to life whilst also educating kids and adults alike in an accessible way
Yes they do indeed
My children would find these books very interesting!
I am sure they would Jed
I’d love to win these for my daughter, she’s a big fan of the Horrible History series. 🙂
How wonderful, hope you win this bundle
I would love to win these books for my children – Horrible Histories has always been a favourite and Terry Deary’s books are brilliant for making history fun and engaging for kids!
They sure are superb books so good luck to you
They are perfect for my nieces, just what they’d love!
Glad to hear Natalia, good luck to you
My young person loves a good bit of history so would love to win these for them.
How wonderful! Good luck to them
my daughter’s a budding reader and it would be great to try her out on dinner non fiction
How wonderful, good luck to you
Arlo loves history. He is nine years old and an excellent reader.. I think his favourite would be Terrible True Tales about the Saxons
Would love these for my Granddaughter x
because my grandson is a reluctant reader and these should spark an interest
I am sure he would enjoy these books
I’d absolutely love to win these books because my child really enjoys history, especially when it’s told in a fun and exciting way.
Agree, as history can be boring if not described in a fun way
My friend’s son would love them and likes reading books.
How wonderful to hear that. Good luck
I’d like my daughter to experience the greatness of Terry Deary
Oh yes! What a wonderful gifted author. Good luck to you
I’d love to win these books because history comes alive when it’s told with humour, heart, and a bit of glorious gruesomeness — exactly the kind of storytelling that gets kids hooked on learning without even realising it. These would be perfect for sparking curiosity, starting big conversations, and proving that the past is anything but boring. And if they inspire a young reader to ask “just one more chapter,” that’s a win worth far more than £12.
I totally agree Andrew, good luck to you and hope you win this
I’d like to win these books for my nephew.
Good luck to you Adrian
This would make a nice gift for my grandson.
So glad to hear that
This looks like something my son would be interested in.
He surely would Claire
My niece loves history, so I would gift to her if I was lucky enough to win this giveaway.
Good luck to you John, I bet she will love these
for my nephews and nieces to get. them interested in history
What a great idea, good luck to you Amy
My nephew is a huge fan of these books so would adore it if he got these too.
Good luck to you Rebecca
id gift to my gorgeous great neices .they will love thanks
Hope you win this for them
I would like to win this for my best friends child.
What a lovely idea, good luck to you Andrew
I’d love to win these for my granddaughter, she loves reading and absorbs books like a sponge
I bet she would enjoy reading both these books
These are the books that would be great for my grandson
They make lovely presents
my son is always obsessed with the naughty side of history so would love these
I bet he will enjoy these books
Would love to win these as they make a wonderful gift love seeing history made fun for all generations!
You are absolutely right Tammy, good luck to you
because my kids would love them
Good luck to you Rebecca
Rather fancy reading them myself but, actually, the children are at the right age to enjoy them, too.
How lovely, good luck to you
I am a big fan of Horrible Histories and would enjoy reading these myself and when I finish reading them I would donate them to the primary school I work at so they can be enjoyed for years to come.
Thank you for sharing that, and it is lovely that you do donate the books after to school for others to enjoy reading them
They be perfect for my niece and nephew
It would indeed, good luck to you
I want to win because knowledge is Power, although some people in power do not have the knowledge.
Hahaha well said and good luck to you Leslie
I’d add them to my local Little Library, for young visitors to the park to enjoy.
How lovely and good luck to you Caroline
My daughter loves Horrible Histories and is always telling me facts from the books and TV show so I know she’d love these!
What a lovely gift to give to her if you win this
These would be great for my nephew who loves Horrible Histories.
How wonderful to hear that Jessica
My daughter would love to read these. she has always been a fan of Horrible Histories
Good luck to you Lisa, hope you win this for her
My son is an avid reader and loves learning about things in history!
I bet he would totally enjoy these books
I would love to win the books for my daughter, she loves history.
Good luck to you and hope you win this for her
Because my son would love them
Good luck to you Emma
I would love to win these super books because I know that my grandson and granddaughter would love them.
Good luck to you Anthea
My daughter’s really getting into reading and learning, and I think she’d enjoy these books
I bet she would Bryony
My Grandson has just started to enjoy ‘chapter books’ so he would love these
Glad to hear and good luck to you
I’m always looking to boost my classroom library (and I love reading Terry Deary too!)
Even adults love reading these books
My nephew would love to read these! He would really enjoy them!
Good luck to you Emma
My granddaughters love all the Horrible Histories books and have even seen the stage show
Glad to hear that she loves the show and books, these make learning history such fun
These look really fun books
Perfect for tweens and teens
These books look to be so much fun! I would enjoy them myself, but I would give them to my godaughter if lucky enough to win.
Yes they make a lovely read
My daughter is a massive Horrible Histories fan so would absolutely love these!
How lovely to hear that, so these are perfect for her
My daughter would really love them 🙂
I am sure she will, good luck to you
the kids would love these
I am sure they would Janine, good luck
my grandson would love these
So glad to hear that
id love to read these with my nephew
It would be such a wonderful experience, good luck to you Logan
for my grandson who loves reading when hes at our house
Good luck to you and ope you win this for him
id loved to treat my nephew
What a wonderful treat indeed Nicole
My Daughters would love to give these books a read!
Good luck to you Leanne
the kids would loved to read these
Glad to hear that
my niece is such a bookworm and would love these
Good luck to you and hope you win this for her
my son is a massive horrible histories fan!
How wonderful to hear that
My children love their history, and so do I!
How lovely to hear that. I bet you all would love both the books
perfect for my niece
Good luck to you Tammy
My daughter would love this – she’s just done a project in the Victorians at school and was fascinated by it all!
I bet this book would be fascinating for her
My daughter loves Horrible Histories so I’m sure she would love these!
I bet she would Jenny, good luck!
perfect for my great niece
Good luck to you Dawn
The children at the school I work at are huge Terry Deary fans, I would love to add these to our library for them to enjoy.
How lovely to hear that, good luck
My nephew would love to read these!
Good luck
Because my twin girls would love them
Good luck
my grandson bertie would love these
Good luck
I would like both books so i can actually compare what was really the worst period of History. Saxons or Victorians
Two interesting periods indeed
I would love to win these books for my nephew. Thank you for the chance to win!
You are so welcome
for my kids
Good luck
my grandaughter would love them, her reading is coming along brilliantly.
Good luck
I’d love to win these for my grandchildren. They love history
Good luck