🎯 Where to Start with Horrible Histories

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Terrible Tudors (1993), book 1 of Publication Order of Horrible Histories Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 8 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Horrible Histories Books in Order

Publication Order of Horrible Histories Books
77 books
1
Terrible Tudors book cover1Terrible Tudors1993Buy on Amazon
Awesome Egyptians book cover2Awesome Egyptians1993Buy on Amazon
The Vile Victorians book cover3The Vile Victorians1994Buy on Amazon
Vicious Vikings book cover4Vicious Vikings1994Buy on Amazon
Rotten Romans book cover5Rotten Romans1994Buy on Amazon
Groovy Greeks book cover6Groovy Greeks1995Buy on Amazon
Dreadful Diary book cover7Dreadful Diary1996Buy on Amazon
The Measly Middle Ages / Plague And Peril book cover8The Measly Middle Ages / Plague And Peril1996Buy on Amazon
Poisonous Postcards book cover9Poisonous Postcards1996Buy on Amazon
The Cut-Throat Celts book cover10The Cut-Throat Celts1997Buy on Amazon
Angry Aztecs book cover11Angry Aztecs1997Buy on Amazon
Terrifying Tudors / Even More Terrible Tudors book cover12Terrifying Tudors / Even More Terrible Tudors1998Buy on Amazon
The Savage Stone Age book cover13The Savage Stone Age1999Buy on Amazon
Woeful Second World War book cover14Woeful Second World War1999Buy on Amazon
The Gorgeous Georgians and the Vile Victorians book cover15The Gorgeous Georgians and the Vile Victorians1999Buy on Amazon
Horribly Huge Quiz Book book cover16Horribly Huge Quiz Book2000Buy on Amazon
The Incredible Incas book cover17The Incredible Incas2000Buy on Amazon
Horrible Christmas book cover18Horrible Christmas2000Buy on Amazon
Brat Pack: Measly Middle Ages book cover19Brat Pack: Measly Middle Ages2002Buy on Amazon
Cruel Crime And Painful Punishment book cover20Cruel Crime And Painful Punishment2002Buy on Amazon
Barmy British Empire book cover21Barmy British Empire2002Buy on Amazon
The Terrible Tudors Awful Anniversary Pack book cover22The Terrible Tudors Awful Anniversary Pack2003Buy on Amazon
Ruthless Romans book cover23Ruthless Romans2003Buy on Amazon
Wicked History Of The World book cover24Wicked History Of The World2003Buy on Amazon
The Slimy Stuarts book cover25The Slimy Stuarts2004Buy on Amazon
Smashing Saxons book cover26Smashing Saxons2004Buy on Amazon
The Stormin' Normans book cover27The Stormin' Normans2004Buy on Amazon
Villainous Victorians book cover28Villainous Victorians2004Buy on Amazon
Awesome Egyptians Activity Book book cover29Awesome Egyptians Activity Book2004Buy on Amazon
Rotten Romans Sticker Book book cover30Rotten Romans Sticker Book2004Buy on Amazon
Vile Victorians Activity Book book cover31Vile Victorians Activity Book2004Buy on Amazon
The Mad Miscellany book cover32The Mad Miscellany2004Buy on Amazon
Groovy Greeks Activity Book book cover33Groovy Greeks Activity Book2004Buy on Amazon
Vicious Vikings Sticker Book book cover34Vicious Vikings Sticker Book2004Buy on Amazon
Blitzed Brits book cover35Blitzed Brits2004Buy on Amazon
Frightful First World War book cover36Frightful First World War2004Buy on Amazon
Gorgeous Georgians book cover37Gorgeous Georgians2004Buy on Amazon
Loathsome London book cover38Loathsome London2005Buy on Amazon
Measly Middle Ages Activity Book book cover39Measly Middle Ages Activity Book2005Buy on Amazon
Slimy Stuarts Sticker Book book cover40Slimy Stuarts Sticker Book2005Buy on Amazon
Horribly Huge Press-Out-And-Build Book book cover41Horribly Huge Press-Out-And-Build Book2009Buy on Amazon
Who's Horrible in History book cover42Who's Horrible in History2009Buy on Amazon
Horribly Hilarious Joke Book book cover43Horribly Hilarious Joke Book2009Buy on Amazon
Horribly Huge Book Of Terrible Tudors book cover44Horribly Huge Book Of Terrible Tudors2009Buy on Amazon
Tudors - A High-Speed History book cover45Tudors - A High-Speed History2010Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Frighfully Funny Quiz Book book cover46Horrible Histories Frighfully Funny Quiz Book2010Buy on Amazon
Awful Egyptians book cover47Awful Egyptians2010Buy on Amazon
Knights - A High-Speed History book cover48Knights - A High-Speed History2011Buy on Amazon
Rome - A High-Speed History book cover49Rome - A High-Speed History2011Buy on Amazon
Cruel Crime book cover50Cruel Crime2012Buy on Amazon
Deadly Days in History book cover51Deadly Days in History2013Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Big Fat Christmas Book book cover52Horrible Histories Big Fat Christmas Book2014Buy on Amazon
Top 50 Kings and Queens book cover53Top 50 Kings and Queens2015Buy on Amazon
Terrible Timeline book cover54Terrible Timeline2015Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Christmas Sticker Activity Book book cover55Horrible Histories Christmas Sticker Activity Book2015Buy on Amazon
This is a Horrible Journal book cover56This is a Horrible Journal2016Buy on Amazon
Crackin' Castles book cover57Crackin' Castles2016Buy on Amazon
This is a Horrible Book of Foul Facts book cover58This is a Horrible Book of Foul Facts2016Buy on Amazon
Top 50 Villains book cover59Top 50 Villains2016Buy on Amazon
Gruesome Great Houses book cover60Gruesome Great Houses2017Buy on Amazon
25th Anniversary Yearbook book cover6125th Anniversary Yearbook2017Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories 25th Anniversary Yearbook book cover62Horrible Histories 25th Anniversary Yearbook2018Buy on Amazon
Up In The Air book cover63Up In The Air2021Buy on Amazon
The Secret Diary of Henry VIII book cover64The Secret Diary of Henry VIII2021Buy on Amazon
The Secret Diary of Queen Victoria book cover65The Secret Diary of Queen Victoria2021Buy on Amazon
Right On Track book cover66Right On Track2022Buy on Amazon
Queen Boudica's Secret Diary book cover67Queen Boudica's Secret Diary2022Buy on Amazon
Ghosts book cover68Ghosts2022Buy on Amazon
William the Conqueror's Secret Diary book cover69William the Conqueror's Secret Diary2022Buy on Amazon
The Worst in the World book cover70The Worst in the World2023Buy on Amazon
On the Road book cover71On the Road2023Buy on Amazon
Terrible Thames book cover72Terrible Thames2023Buy on Amazon
Paws, Claws and Jaws book cover73Paws, Claws and Jaws2024Buy on Amazon
The Truly Terrible History of the Toilet book cover74The Truly Terrible History of the Toilet2024Buy on Amazon
On This Horrible Day in History book cover75On This Horrible Day in History2025Buy on Amazon
Terrible Traitors book cover76Terrible Traitors2025Buy on Amazon
Football book cover77Football2026Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Horrible Histories Gory Stories Books
7 books
2
Shadow of the Gallows book cover1Shadow of the Gallows2008Buy on Amazon
Tower of Terror book cover2Tower of Terror2008Buy on Amazon
Wall Of Woe book cover3Wall Of Woe2008Buy on Amazon
Raiders And Ruins book cover4Raiders And Ruins2009Buy on Amazon
Blackout In The Blitz book cover5Blackout In The Blitz2009Buy on Amazon
Pirates and Plunder book cover6Pirates and Plunder2010Buy on Amazon
Big Book Of Gory Stories book cover7Big Book Of Gory Stories2010Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides Books
11 books
3
Oxford book cover1Oxford2010Buy on Amazon
Stratford-Upon-Avon book cover2Stratford-Upon-Avon2010Buy on Amazon
York book cover3York2010Buy on Amazon
Edinburgh book cover4Edinburgh2010Buy on Amazon
London book cover5London2010Buy on Amazon
Dublin book cover6Dublin2010Buy on Amazon
Gruesome Great Houses book cover7Gruesome Great Houses2017Buy on Amazon
Liverpool book cover8Liverpool2024Buy on Amazon
Cardiff book cover9Cardiff2024Buy on Amazon
Bath book cover10Bath2025Buy on Amazon
Glasgow book cover11Glasgow2025Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Horrible Histories Handbook Books
7 books
4
Blitz book cover1Blitz2009Buy on Amazon
Spies book cover2Spies2009Buy on Amazon
Nasty Knights book cover3Nasty Knights2010Buy on Amazon
Perilous Pirates book cover4Perilous Pirates2010Buy on Amazon
Wicked Witches book cover5Wicked Witches2010Buy on Amazon
Wild Warriors book cover6Wild Warriors2010Buy on Amazon
Terrible Trenches book cover7Terrible Trenches2011Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Horrible Histories Handbooks Books
7 books
5
Pirates book cover1Pirates2006Buy on Amazon
Horrible History of the World book cover2Horrible History of the World2006Buy on Amazon
Knights book cover3Knights2006Buy on Amazon
Warriors book cover4Warriors2007Buy on Amazon
Witches book cover5Witches2007Buy on Amazon
Villains book cover6Villains2008Buy on Amazon
Trenches book cover7Trenches2008Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Horrible Histories Novelty Books
3 books
6
The Mad Millennium Play book cover1The Mad Millennium Play1999Buy on Amazon
The Massive Millennium Quiz Book book cover2The Massive Millennium Quiz Book1999Buy on Amazon
Terrible Trenches Field Book book cover3Terrible Trenches Field Book2018Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Horrible Histories Specials Books
15 books
7
Cruel Kings and Mean Queens book cover1Cruel Kings and Mean Queens1995Buy on Amazon
Wicked Words book cover2Wicked Words1996Buy on Amazon
Twentieth Century book cover3Twentieth Century1996Buy on Amazon
Dark Knights and Dingy Castles book cover4Dark Knights and Dingy Castles1997Buy on Amazon
Rowdy Revolutions book cover5Rowdy Revolutions1999Buy on Amazon
Ireland book cover6Ireland2000Buy on Amazon
The USA book cover7The USA2001Buy on Amazon
The Awesome Ancient Quiz Book book cover8The Awesome Ancient Quiz Book2001Buy on Amazon
France book cover9France2002Buy on Amazon
England book cover10England2004Buy on Amazon
Rotten Rulers book cover11Rotten Rulers2005Buy on Amazon
Wales book cover12Wales2008Buy on Amazon
Scotland book cover13Scotland2009Buy on Amazon
The Beastly Best Bits book cover14The Beastly Best Bits2013Buy on Amazon
All at Sea book cover15All at Sea2020Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Horrible Histories (Non-Fiction) Books
10 books
8
Terrible Tudors Sticker Book book cover1Terrible Tudors Sticker Book2004Buy on Amazon
Awesome Activity Book book cover2Awesome Activity Book2007Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Annual 2010 book cover3Horrible Histories Annual 20102009Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Annual 2011 book cover4Horrible Histories Annual 20112010Buy on Amazon
The Horrible History of Britain and Ireland book cover5The Horrible History of Britain and Ireland2010Buy on Amazon
Horrible History Annual 2012 book cover6Horrible History Annual 20122011Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides: London book cover7Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides: London2012Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides: Edinburgh book cover8Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides: Edinburgh2012Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Annual 2013 book cover9Horrible Histories Annual 20132012Buy on Amazon
Horrible Histories Annual 2014 book cover10Horrible Histories Annual 20142013Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Horrible Histories books are there?
There are 136 books in the Horrible Histories collection, organised into 8 series and published between 1993 and 2026.
What is the first Horrible Histories book?
The first book is Terrible Tudors, published in 1993.
What order should I read the Horrible Histories books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Horrible Histories books?
The Horrible Histories books were written by Terry Deary.
Is the Horrible Histories series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Horrible Histories Books, has 77 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Horrible Histories series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1993, and the most recent in 2026.