Horrible Histories

Cassandra Jardine describes how she discovered the Horrible Histories through her children for the Telegraph. Here's the set up:

• "How these books – there are 50 of them – passed me by until now is a mystery to rank alongside the cause of Napoleon's death. At times in their 13-year history, they have occupied all top 10 positions in the children's non-fiction chart."

Terry Deary's Horrible Histories rock. They're funny, a little gruesome and still manage to give the facts. Jardine writes,

• "But although he and his readers love gore and lavatorial humour, cartoons and appalling jokes, his books actually contain vast amounts of information and give a vivid portrait of the past: the cruelty, the characters, the grisly lot of children. "

Oh, and the best part of Jardine's article? She reports, "More exciting still, Deary is in discussion with 'a major leisure enterprise' to establish Horrible Histories theme parks – each era housed in a different dome, like the Eden Project. So when children can visit the Terrible Tudors near Stratford or the Rotten Romans at Hadrian's Wall, we shall be having Horrible Holidays, too." I am so there--with or without the kids.

I really wish Horrible Histories were published here and a U.S. equivalent contracted.