Synopses & Reviews
The author of children's series Horrible Histories presents the first book in his new offbeat popular history series for adults—Bill Bryson meets Blackadder
With his trademark crisp, wry writing style and dark sense of humor, Terry Deary begins with the Roman Empire, in the first in a new series offering concise, informative histories that delve into myths and traditions surrounding its subjects and attempts to extract cohesion—and possibly even some truth. The Romans have long been held up as one of the first "civilized" societies, and yet in fact they were capable of immense cruelty. Not only that, but they made the killing of humans into a sport. The spoiled emperors were the perpetrators (and sometimes the victims) of some imaginative murders. This book includes some of the violent ways to visit the Elysian Fields (i.e. death), including by animal attack in the Coliseum; by being thrown from the Tarpeian Rock—the fate of 370 deserters in 214 AD alone (could also occur if the emperor didn't like your poetry); by volcanic eruption from Vesuvius; by kicking (Nero's fatal quarrel with the Empress Poppea); or from poison mushrooms (Claudius). Not to mention great fires, torturous tarring, flogging to death, boiling lead (the invention of "kind" Emperor Constantine), or being skinned alive by invading barbarians. This book looks at the backstory leading up to the victims' deaths, and in doing so gives the general reader a concise history of a frequently misunderstood era.
Synopsis
DANGEROUS DAYS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE is the first in a new adult series by Terry Deary, the author of the hugely bestselling Horrible Histories, popular among children for their disgusting details, gory information and sharp wit, and among adults for engaging children (and themselves) with history.
The Romans have long been held up as one of the first 'civilised' societies, and yet in fact they were capable of immense cruelty. Not only that, but they made the killing of humans into a sport. The spoiled emperors were the perpetrators (and sometimes the victims) of some imaginative murders. DANGEROUS DAYS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE will include some of the violent ways to visit the Elysian Fields (i.e. death) including: animal attack in the Coliseum; being thrown from the Tarpeian Rock - 370 deserters in 214 AD alone (or if the emperor didn't like your poetry); by volcanic eruption from Vesuvius; by kicking (Nero's fatal quarrel with the Empress Poppea); from poison mushrooms (Claudius); by great fires; torturous tarring; flogging to death; boiling lead (the invention of 'kind' Emperor Constantine); or being skinned alive by invading barbarians.
DANGEROUS DAYS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE looks at the back-story leading up to the victims' deaths, and in doing so gives the general reader a concise history of a frequently misunderstood era.
About the Author
Terry Deary is the author of more than 200 books, including the Fire Thief Trilogy and the Horrible Histories series, and was voted Outstanding Children's Non-Fiction Author of the 20th century by Books for Keeps magazine.