Horrible Histories Handbook Books in Order
Part ofHorrible Histories Books in OrderDiscover the Horrible Histories Handbook titles in order, with brief summaries, topic background, and help choosing a fast, fact-filled place to begin.
Last updated: July 20, 2026
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Horrible Histories Handbook books in publication order
7 books
Blitz
by Terry Deary
2009
This guide examines the Blitz through air raids, shelters, blackouts, rationing, evacuation, and civilian life. It balances wartime facts with strange details about how families, children, and emergency workers managed during repeated attacks.
Spies
by Terry Deary
2009
A brisk history of espionage, secret messages, disguises, double agents, and dangerous missions. From ancient tricks to wartime intelligence, it shows how spies gathered information and why getting caught could have terrible consequences.
Nasty Knights
by Terry Deary
2010
This handbook cuts through the polished image of medieval knighthood to reveal hard training, brutal battles, strange rules, and uncomfortable castle life. It is packed with fast facts about armor, weapons, tournaments, and medieval violence.
Perilous Pirates
by Terry Deary
2010
A comic guide to pirate life, covering crews, ships, treasure, punishment, and famous sea raiders. It exposes the hunger, disease, danger, and bad decisions behind the swashbuckling stories, with facts designed for quick browsing.
Wicked Witches
by Terry Deary
2010
This history guide explores witchcraft, fear, folklore, and the cruel trials that followed accusations. It mixes strange beliefs and magic tales with the real human cost of witch hunts, showing how dangerous superstition could become.
Wild Warriors
by Terry Deary
2010
A fast-moving guide to warriors from different times and places, with facts about fighting, weapons, leadership, and survival. It looks at what battle demanded of people and why the stories behind famous fighters are often messy.
Terrible Trenches
by Terry Deary
2011
An illustrated handbook about the First World War trenches, from mud and rats to gas attacks and shellfire. Short sections explain how soldiers lived, fought, communicated, and tried to survive one of history’s most punishing battlefields.
Horrible Histories Handbook books in chronological order
Blitz
by Terry Deary
2009Horrible Histories Handbook, Book 1
Spies
by Terry Deary
2009Horrible Histories Handbook, Book 2
Nasty Knights
by Terry Deary
2010Horrible Histories Handbook, Book 3
Perilous Pirates
by Terry Deary
2010Horrible Histories Handbook, Book 4
Wicked Witches
by Terry Deary
2010Horrible Histories Handbook, Book 5
Wild Warriors
by Terry Deary
2010Horrible Histories Handbook, Book 6
Terrible Trenches
by Terry Deary
2011Horrible Histories Handbook, Book 7
Series background & context
The Horrible Histories Handbook titles are short, illustrated guides for readers who want a focused subject rather than a long trip through one historical period. They cover topics that suit the series especially well: pirates, warriors, knights, witches, villains, espionage, trench warfare, and the Blitz.
Every subject comes with plenty of trouble.
These books take a broad view. A handbook about warriors may jump between armies, weapons, training, famous fighters, and the cost of war across different eras. A book about villains can move from cruel rulers to criminals and traitors, asking what made people feared or remembered. The material is organized around an idea, so readers can make connections between places and centuries.
The format is quick and visual. Expect cartoons, bite-sized information, lists, questions, jokes, and vivid details instead of dense chapters. That makes these books useful for reluctant readers, for children looking for a school-project subject, or for anyone who wants a few pages of historical weirdness without committing to a full survey of an era.
The books are not meant to offer the final word on their subjects. They are invitations. A reader may finish Perilous Pirates wanting to know more about ships and sea battles, or read Terrible Trenches and want a fuller picture of the First World War. The series gives the memorable details first, then leaves room for curiosity to grow.
Some titles overlap in spirit with the larger Horrible Histories books and the Handbooks line. That is part of their appeal. A reader who loved Rotten Romans might move toward Wild Warriors, while someone drawn to Frightful First World War can try Terrible Trenches. The approach stays consistent even as the topic changes.
There is no continuing plot and no required sequence. Start with the subject you already enjoy, then follow the trail to the next one. Nasty Knights and Perilous Pirates are good for adventure-minded readers, while Wicked Witches, Villains, and Spies lean into secrets, fear, and bad behavior.
They are history books built for readers who like their facts quick, strange, and a little bit alarming.
Edited by
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