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Horrible Histories
The Savage Stone Age
After fifteen fearsome years on the page, "Horrible Histories" are coming to the small screen - with all the nasty bits intact - of course. In "Savage Stone Age" readers can discover the full story: what Stone Age people used instead of toilet paper; why a hole in the skull is good for headaches; and, how to make a Stone Age mummy. Join Rattus Rattus and the gang for the funniest, fastest, nastiest and daftest ride through history you're ever likely to see.
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 1999
About the author
Terry Deary
556 books742 followersA former actor, theatre-director and drama teacher, Deary says he began writing when he was 29. Most famously, he is one of the authors of the Horrible Histories series of books popular among children for their disgusting details, gory information and humorous pictures and among adults for getting children interested in history. Books in the series have been widely translated into other languages and imitated.
A cartoon series has been made of the series of books and was shown on CiTV for a period in 2002.
The first series of a live-action comedy sketch show of the same name was shown on CBBC in 2009 and a second series is due.
Terry is also known widely throughout children and adult reading groups alike for his True Stories series (see below for series list).
He received an Honorary Doctorate of Education from the University of Sunderland in 2000. His numerous accolades also include the Blue Peter "Best Nonfiction Author of the Century" Award in the U.K.
-Wikipedia
A cartoon series has been made of the series of books and was shown on CiTV for a period in 2002.
The first series of a live-action comedy sketch show of the same name was shown on CBBC in 2009 and a second series is due.
Terry is also known widely throughout children and adult reading groups alike for his True Stories series (see below for series list).
He received an Honorary Doctorate of Education from the University of Sunderland in 2000. His numerous accolades also include the Blue Peter "Best Nonfiction Author of the Century" Award in the U.K.
-Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
January 17, 2021
Just for fun! I bought a box set of these children's books for a light hearted look at history.
Yes I am a 44 year old woman and these certainly aren't aimed at me but I dont care!
I enjoyed this...it's funny and informative!
Yes I am a 44 year old woman and these certainly aren't aimed at me but I dont care!
I enjoyed this...it's funny and informative!
December 17, 2019
The first book I’m going to talk about is Savage Stone Age and is actually the third one I’ve read, but its special subject forces me to put it in the top of the list. Throughout this book you will read about the timeline of human evolution and the three prehistoric periods of mankind (in a brief introductory chapter), how Stone Agers lived, the animals they hunted till becoming extinct. We will also learn more about the food they ate, how they cooked it, about their weird beliefs and gruesome burials, about brainy archaeologists, treasure hunters, accidental discoveries, stone circles legends and mysteries (including many fascinating facts about Stonehenge) and many other curious facts which won’t let you put the book or reading device down.
I don’t want to spoil your read, in case you plan to go through this book, but I will give you a tiny hint. For example, in the chapter Rotten Rituals, among many bizarre and pretty horrible funeral rituals, you will find out that there are many stone circles spread across Britain and their presence brings luck and good energies. Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly what they were made for. Tradition says that if a girl wanted to know who will be her future husband, she had to travel to Arthur’s Stone (at Gower near Swansea, Wales), "wait until midnight when the moon was full and put cakes, milk and honey on the ancient stone. Crawl around the stone on your hands and knees and if the vision of your lover appears, then you will marry him. If not, then he’s probably too busy watching telly." (Loc. 969-970)
There are also some little tests, through which Terry Deary challenges you to remember what you have learnt about the Stone Agehorrible histories Period. But don’t worry if you get the answers wrong, because you are doing it just for fun. For instance, there’s a test where the author asks you a few questions about the way Stone Agers lived and you have to choose the correct answer. If you get all the answers right, then you are a modern human being. If you get less answers right, depending on the number of wrong answers, you are a Neanderthal, chimpanzee or less than that.
Before ending this review, I must tell you that, although Savage Stone Age is a book for children, it helped me understand better my anthropology class and those history lessons from my childhood. Through the jokes and anecdotes inserted between the lines, the author reminds us that history can be child’s play and its main role is to captivate the audience, because history also means story.
http://elitere.ro/savage-stone-age/
I don’t want to spoil your read, in case you plan to go through this book, but I will give you a tiny hint. For example, in the chapter Rotten Rituals, among many bizarre and pretty horrible funeral rituals, you will find out that there are many stone circles spread across Britain and their presence brings luck and good energies. Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly what they were made for. Tradition says that if a girl wanted to know who will be her future husband, she had to travel to Arthur’s Stone (at Gower near Swansea, Wales), "wait until midnight when the moon was full and put cakes, milk and honey on the ancient stone. Crawl around the stone on your hands and knees and if the vision of your lover appears, then you will marry him. If not, then he’s probably too busy watching telly." (Loc. 969-970)
There are also some little tests, through which Terry Deary challenges you to remember what you have learnt about the Stone Agehorrible histories Period. But don’t worry if you get the answers wrong, because you are doing it just for fun. For instance, there’s a test where the author asks you a few questions about the way Stone Agers lived and you have to choose the correct answer. If you get all the answers right, then you are a modern human being. If you get less answers right, depending on the number of wrong answers, you are a Neanderthal, chimpanzee or less than that.
Before ending this review, I must tell you that, although Savage Stone Age is a book for children, it helped me understand better my anthropology class and those history lessons from my childhood. Through the jokes and anecdotes inserted between the lines, the author reminds us that history can be child’s play and its main role is to captivate the audience, because history also means story.
http://elitere.ro/savage-stone-age/
January 21, 2023
PUZZOLENTI PRIMITIVI di Terry Deary e Martin Brown. Un divertente e irriverente racconto illustrato per bambini e ragazzi, con illustrazioni e vignette a fumetti, con il quale scoprire l'origine e la storia degli sviluppi della specie umana. Da 9 anni <3 https://ilmondodichri.com/puzzolenti-...
#puzzolentiprimitivi #salanieditore #bruttestorie
#puzzolentiprimitivi #salanieditore #bruttestorie
September 28, 2023
Really interesting and gory facts about history written in a fun and funny way. You learn lots of fact but you don't realise it as you're laughing at the jokes and illustrations. There really are lots of rats btw. Favourite joke: One caveman to another - why do we only eat sloths? Second caveman - because fast food is bad for you
March 3, 2023
تاریخ عصر حجر شگفت انگیزترین قسمت ماجرای بشر است،حکایت حیات مردمانی که از آن ها جز نشانه ها و حروفی باقی نمانده،مردمانی که کلماتی از افکار و تجربه ها و احساسات زندگی های فراموش شده شان برایمان باقی نمانده،عصر حجر روایت نمایشی صامت اما تکان دهنده است،آن هنگام که پرده نمایش بالا می رود و در صحنه نمایش در چهره بیگانه ایشان خود را باز میابیم.
September 2, 2017
The book was interesting, some jokes better than other. It had some fun facts in it that I didn’t know or had forgotten, so that was really cool to read about.
Nevertheless, I had a problem with the author's continuous explanations that one is wrong and the other thing is right. He even used the words “stupid archeologists” describing a group of people who tried to prove something they believed in, but weren’t successful (and someone else proved them wrong).
It might have been meant to be a lighthearted remark, but it struck me as cold and evil. Many of the things that are presented as truths are actually guesses, it is mentioned even in the text “The guess is…”
And that is obvious, because we still find artefacts, bones, fossils etc. and learn new things about our past. So I don’t find it correct to say that something is the (only) right thing (especially if it is a guess) and don’t think that people with older ideas and research deserve bashing. If something is considered to be truth at the moment, you don’t have to all the other theories in the field - some might be true AS WELL - come on, it is history.
The book is quite harsh on religion too, I am not religious, but I think that some of the comics went a bit far.
Nevertheless, I had a problem with the author's continuous explanations that one is wrong and the other thing is right. He even used the words “stupid archeologists” describing a group of people who tried to prove something they believed in, but weren’t successful (and someone else proved them wrong).
It might have been meant to be a lighthearted remark, but it struck me as cold and evil. Many of the things that are presented as truths are actually guesses, it is mentioned even in the text “The guess is…”
And that is obvious, because we still find artefacts, bones, fossils etc. and learn new things about our past. So I don’t find it correct to say that something is the (only) right thing (especially if it is a guess) and don’t think that people with older ideas and research deserve bashing. If something is considered to be truth at the moment, you don’t have to all the other theories in the field - some might be true AS WELL - come on, it is history.
The book is quite harsh on religion too, I am not religious, but I think that some of the comics went a bit far.
April 4, 2024
بسمه تعالی
هشدار!!! این کتاب به هیچ وجه مناسب کودکان و افراد دل نازک نمی باشد
این کتاب چند حُسن بی بدیل و چند عیب آشکار دارد اول به خوبی ها می پردازیم
1-کتاب تاریخ را با روشی سرگرم کننده بیان می کند
2-کتاب حقایق را بدون سانسور بیان می کند
3-روند کتاب یکنواخت نیست و شامل مواردی مانند تست، دانستنی و آزمایش می باشد
اما عیوب کتاب:
1- کتاب اصلا مناسب کودکان یا افراد زیر 15 سال نمی باشد
2-خشونت در کتاب بیداد می کند(هر چند تاریخ بدون ان وجود نداشت)
هشدار!!! این کتاب به هیچ وجه مناسب کودکان و افراد دل نازک نمی باشد
این کتاب چند حُسن بی بدیل و چند عیب آشکار دارد اول به خوبی ها می پردازیم
1-کتاب تاریخ را با روشی سرگرم کننده بیان می کند
2-کتاب حقایق را بدون سانسور بیان می کند
3-روند کتاب یکنواخت نیست و شامل مواردی مانند تست، دانستنی و آزمایش می باشد
اما عیوب کتاب:
1- کتاب اصلا مناسب کودکان یا افراد زیر 15 سال نمی باشد
2-خشونت در کتاب بیداد می کند(هر چند تاریخ بدون ان وجود نداشت)
Read
May 9, 2020I won't be giving these numbered ratings - but I had a good chuckle reading this one! And I learnt some things about Stonehenge!
August 11, 2020
This is my second trip into the world of Horrible Histories and it didn’t disappoint – Terry Deary is truly brilliant at translating history to be accessible, funny and very interesting for children in a way that can be thoroughly enjoyed by adults too! It does not include quite as much range as the Frightful First World War; however, this can surely be expected given that we know a lot less about the Stone Age. Indeed, history as a discipline is explained well in the book, emphasising that with every new discovery our understanding of early humans is changing. This even debunks the ‘savage’ stereotype, stating that over time our perspective on Stone Age people and early humans has become more sophisticated and thus appreciates that they were a lot more intelligent than they have previously been given credit for: ‘These were clever hominids and not simple, hairless apes. Can you say the same about your classmates?’ (p18). This is a good assumption to debunk due to the negative stereotyping it can cause towards people who continue to live in hunter-gatherer-based societies. This thus teaches children to appreciate that modern, Western civilisation is not the only way life should be lived. This book not only informs you about early and Stone Age humans, but instils in children an excitement for discovery, learning about others, and the practices of archaeology and history.
August 7, 2024
This book is great for those who want to dip their toe into the history of the Stone Age but struggle to read a typical history textbook.
With fun facts and quizzes, written and laid out in both small, 'easily-digestible' sections of information and a comic-book style layout, this book is suitable for both children and adults to enjoy.
This is the second book I have read in the series and again, I really enjoyed it.
With fun facts and quizzes, written and laid out in both small, 'easily-digestible' sections of information and a comic-book style layout, this book is suitable for both children and adults to enjoy.
This is the second book I have read in the series and again, I really enjoyed it.
February 9, 2020
My history mad son really enjoyed this as a bedtime read
June 8, 2024
These books are good for kids who want to learn about history and it is generally an all around good laugh.
I read these books as a child and i loved them, wanted to see if i still did so i tried the first book. There’s little comic strips on different pages amd gives a lot of information about the stone age and further into the iron age. Was a good read and i recommend for anyone who is looking for a book for children aged 8 and over
I read these books as a child and i loved them, wanted to see if i still did so i tried the first book. There’s little comic strips on different pages amd gives a lot of information about the stone age and further into the iron age. Was a good read and i recommend for anyone who is looking for a book for children aged 8 and over
December 2, 2021
I have fond memories of this series as a teen and felt like re-reading it again. The content is still as engaging, though I do remember finding the books funnier last time.
This one ends on a surprising note that makes you wonder if the Stone Age is really as savage as perceived. Very interesting and I love how the book makes you question common assumptions.
This one ends on a surprising note that makes you wonder if the Stone Age is really as savage as perceived. Very interesting and I love how the book makes you question common assumptions.
February 24, 2019
I love the eponymous BBC show so, naturally, I love these books. I wish they had been around when I was growing up. Granted, had this been the case I would have become an even bigger history nerd than I already am, but I'm ok with that. These books are accessible and fun for anyone. And, yes, I even learned stuff I didn't know!
July 13, 2020
i impulse bought a box set of horrible history books and... theyre just as incredible as i remember. mr deary spitting FACTS. also the story at the very end of the book nearly made me cry.... thanks mr deary
Read
February 12, 2018good
July 14, 2020
Not much you can say about these books, as they are exactly what you would expect - a funny, informative and interesting journey into the past. I loved it
Read
April 27, 2021I’ve decided to not rate any of the horrible history books as I feel that would be unfair as they aren’t extremely well written books and I am only reading them to gain a bit of knowledge. It was an interesting read though and I am looking forward to reading another one, and getting another glimpse into the worlds history and ours as human beings.
October 4, 2016
Alright. When I read a history book, I expect historical fact. I'll willingly excuse some inaccuracies in some history books if their focus is not just history; however, I do not disregard such blatant rejection and misinterpretation of facts as found in this one. Nor do I savor the incomprehension that caused it, which is always clearly manifested unto the reader in such writings.
I must say that some parts were enjoyable and quite a few parts could easily have been, therefore I grant an extra star. But, simply because of the fallaciousness and sheer foolishness of the words, I cannot afford it three.
I must say that some parts were enjoyable and quite a few parts could easily have been, therefore I grant an extra star. But, simply because of the fallaciousness and sheer foolishness of the words, I cannot afford it three.
September 8, 2015
As a child history was one of my favourite school subjects thus making Horrible Histories the perfect books for me.
Nowadays children have the television series yet I belong to the older group that had the books. Personally, I believe any child who has an interest in history should give these books a go. They’re truly gripping and so many topics are covered.
Honestly, Horrible Histories are well worth a read.
Nowadays children have the television series yet I belong to the older group that had the books. Personally, I believe any child who has an interest in history should give these books a go. They’re truly gripping and so many topics are covered.
Honestly, Horrible Histories are well worth a read.
January 29, 2013
It was a nice before bed-read. nice little facts about life in den stone age, and mysteries like stone circles.
December 27, 2021
3.75 stars*
This review is 100% my own opinion! I did enjoy this book - obviously it’s written for kids so there is that element of toilet humour etc but I did find myself chuckling at some parts. I love the Horrible Histories show (up to & including series 5) and have always wanted to read the books so I’m glad to have got started on my collection! (I also read this because I want to read 60 books this year and this was a helpful way of reaching that oops).
Savage Stone Age isn’t my favourite era in history (actually it’s probably my least favourite unfortunately) so that’s partly why I gave this a slightly lower rating. I’m not sure if I’ll enjoy the books as much as the show but I’ll read them all anyway as I love learning & history!
I did enjoy learning about the Stone Age including how people lived, what they ate, how they cared for their deceased relatives & how Stone Henge came to be. I thought it was explained clearly and was fairly accessible for all ages - it gives you a good starting point if you want to learn more about a particular era.
Unfortunately there were a couple of parts I wasn’t too keen on. There is a part which talks about how God apparently made Adam out of clay and blew up his nostrils to bring him to life (and something about getting snot as a result?). As someone who is religious, I found this slightly offensive and not really necessary for the story? And when talking about archaeologists, they are referred to as clever or good archaeologists and dumb archaeologists - I feel this was sort of rude? In my opinion, any finding (no matter if it is right or what was expected) is a beneficial finding and if perhaps someone was wrong in their finding, it just means that another route should be explored. I don’t think the fact that an archaeologist was wrong in their finding makes them dumb - everyone is learning & it just opens new paths for exploration.
Overall, I did enjoy this one but it is definitely geared towards children - I do think it is a good way to engage children with history at a young age, but I did feel slightly uncomfortable with some of the narrative in terms of religion and calling someone who is doing good work ‘dumb’. But I’m glad to have read this & made a start in the box set I have - and it will help me towards my end of year goal!
This review is 100% my own opinion! I did enjoy this book - obviously it’s written for kids so there is that element of toilet humour etc but I did find myself chuckling at some parts. I love the Horrible Histories show (up to & including series 5) and have always wanted to read the books so I’m glad to have got started on my collection! (I also read this because I want to read 60 books this year and this was a helpful way of reaching that oops).
Savage Stone Age isn’t my favourite era in history (actually it’s probably my least favourite unfortunately) so that’s partly why I gave this a slightly lower rating. I’m not sure if I’ll enjoy the books as much as the show but I’ll read them all anyway as I love learning & history!
I did enjoy learning about the Stone Age including how people lived, what they ate, how they cared for their deceased relatives & how Stone Henge came to be. I thought it was explained clearly and was fairly accessible for all ages - it gives you a good starting point if you want to learn more about a particular era.
Unfortunately there were a couple of parts I wasn’t too keen on. There is a part which talks about how God apparently made Adam out of clay and blew up his nostrils to bring him to life (and something about getting snot as a result?). As someone who is religious, I found this slightly offensive and not really necessary for the story? And when talking about archaeologists, they are referred to as clever or good archaeologists and dumb archaeologists - I feel this was sort of rude? In my opinion, any finding (no matter if it is right or what was expected) is a beneficial finding and if perhaps someone was wrong in their finding, it just means that another route should be explored. I don’t think the fact that an archaeologist was wrong in their finding makes them dumb - everyone is learning & it just opens new paths for exploration.
Overall, I did enjoy this one but it is definitely geared towards children - I do think it is a good way to engage children with history at a young age, but I did feel slightly uncomfortable with some of the narrative in terms of religion and calling someone who is doing good work ‘dumb’. But I’m glad to have read this & made a start in the box set I have - and it will help me towards my end of year goal!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2023
The British museum was offering a 3-for-the-price-of-2 deal for “Horrible Histories” and I’ve always like their quick-and-dirty approach to history.
This particular book though was sold (and bought) at the Stonehenge sight which I enjoyed seeing in person a great deal.
They also still sold the Stonehenge model kit that I built a while go and I think traded away recently. They also sold a new version of “Risk” called “The Battle for Medieval England” which was sorely temping but did appear to be just a cash grab.
I’ve always loved the Horrible Histories series. A recent trip to London had me collecting almost all of them for a reading project I’ve always wanted to do.
Savage Stone Age seems a great place to start, both timeline wise and because I’ve always been a huge fan of the stone age, cavemen and dinosaurs. A 180 page paperback.
This series is hard to describe, but basically a history lesson using only the good parts. All factually but interesting and told in an interesting way.
Also wonderfully and generously illustrated in a consistent and cartoonish style, often with ‘dad-joke’ style captions. It breaks up the text nicely, but the text is almost always presented in a three pages or less.
But that’s not a put-down. I laughed out loud while reading this book — in between the whoa!, oh my god, and oh-s***’s.
So many people could be inspired by history had they grown up with these wonderful books.
As a fan of all things caveperson, I’m astonished that there is barely any story or factoid that I’ve heard before. That’s especially impressive in this series and makes me look forward to the rest of the series that I’ve nowhere near as much background.
It’s kind of neat reading a section on Stonehenge when I actually went to Stonehenge on that same trip. Definitely a trip worth making. I’m so glad it’s still relatively intact.
Very had to review a book like this. It’s a bit of a hodge podge of facts interspersed by jokes but that doesn’t make it less entertaining. I’m still enjoying it quite a bit.
And finally, the “Horrible Hominid Habits” Quiz.
The quizzes were fun too. So for being run to read and super informative I’ve got to give this one 5 stars and highly recommend it. And of course keep it.
This particular book though was sold (and bought) at the Stonehenge sight which I enjoyed seeing in person a great deal.
They also still sold the Stonehenge model kit that I built a while go and I think traded away recently. They also sold a new version of “Risk” called “The Battle for Medieval England” which was sorely temping but did appear to be just a cash grab.
I’ve always loved the Horrible Histories series. A recent trip to London had me collecting almost all of them for a reading project I’ve always wanted to do.
Savage Stone Age seems a great place to start, both timeline wise and because I’ve always been a huge fan of the stone age, cavemen and dinosaurs. A 180 page paperback.
This series is hard to describe, but basically a history lesson using only the good parts. All factually but interesting and told in an interesting way.
Also wonderfully and generously illustrated in a consistent and cartoonish style, often with ‘dad-joke’ style captions. It breaks up the text nicely, but the text is almost always presented in a three pages or less.
But that’s not a put-down. I laughed out loud while reading this book — in between the whoa!, oh my god, and oh-s***’s.
So many people could be inspired by history had they grown up with these wonderful books.
As a fan of all things caveperson, I’m astonished that there is barely any story or factoid that I’ve heard before. That’s especially impressive in this series and makes me look forward to the rest of the series that I’ve nowhere near as much background.
It’s kind of neat reading a section on Stonehenge when I actually went to Stonehenge on that same trip. Definitely a trip worth making. I’m so glad it’s still relatively intact.
Very had to review a book like this. It’s a bit of a hodge podge of facts interspersed by jokes but that doesn’t make it less entertaining. I’m still enjoying it quite a bit.
And finally, the “Horrible Hominid Habits” Quiz.
The quizzes were fun too. So for being run to read and super informative I’ve got to give this one 5 stars and highly recommend it. And of course keep it.
Read
November 22, 2019The book i'm reading horrible histories Savage stone age, this book starts off by telling some of the things archaeologist have found back then throughout the years such as Lucy. They tell us about the people who lived back then which were called hominids, hominids are humans relating to other things like apes or monkeys, they explained how they survived such as what they ate, they weren't able to kill there own food they usually took other animal foods. other things they explained to us was what they wore, where they lived and what there houses looked like. Other things about the book is what they did in there free time, some of them played games or painted, they also had other beliefs and rituals that they believed in and used.
I would rate this book a 4 rating because it a very easy and fast book to get done, i really liked this book it had small adventurous stuff and kept me going, i also really liked it cause it was super funny and gave real facts about stuff from back then, i would recommend this book to anyone who needs a fast and easy book to read that is also interesting.
I would rate this book a 4 rating because it a very easy and fast book to get done, i really liked this book it had small adventurous stuff and kept me going, i also really liked it cause it was super funny and gave real facts about stuff from back then, i would recommend this book to anyone who needs a fast and easy book to read that is also interesting.
July 16, 2022
Brilliant book! Quick to read with lots of facts. Mind blowing to think about how humans evolved over those years developing primitive tools, fire, hunting techniques. Then slowly starting to settle down, farming, building houses... this book really helps me to see the timeline.
There are some things that just don't make sense like how they got from Africa to Australia and the Americas but apparently they did.
Although Terry Deary admits in the conclusion that our understanding of early hominins is constantly changing and what we thought we knew may be disproven by the next discovery. However he does reference famous archeologists (such as the Leakey family) and significant archaeological finds which will always be part of the timeline.
The book does lose it's way a little bit at the end when he's talking about different rituals & spirituality for just a little too long.
Having said that, it's an incredible feat to summarise human history from the Australopithecus (or Southern Apes as he calls them) 3.5 million years ago, right up to the construction of Stonehenge 2,500BC. I'm now interested to see what these homo sapiens do next.
There are some things that just don't make sense like how they got from Africa to Australia and the Americas but apparently they did.
Although Terry Deary admits in the conclusion that our understanding of early hominins is constantly changing and what we thought we knew may be disproven by the next discovery. However he does reference famous archeologists (such as the Leakey family) and significant archaeological finds which will always be part of the timeline.
The book does lose it's way a little bit at the end when he's talking about different rituals & spirituality for just a little too long.
Having said that, it's an incredible feat to summarise human history from the Australopithecus (or Southern Apes as he calls them) 3.5 million years ago, right up to the construction of Stonehenge 2,500BC. I'm now interested to see what these homo sapiens do next.
June 29, 2024
Based on an archaeological find in a cave:
"Here's a story about a Neanderthal. [...] The man was quite old for a Neanderthal— around 40 years old in fact. [...] he'd had a withered right arm that had never grown to full length or strength. The man had swollen joints (arthritis) and was blind in one eye. He'd been wounded on the skull but that had healed. Most gruesome of all he seems to have come off worst in a fight with an a wild animal and damaged the end of his arm. One hand had been amputated by a sharp but crude stone knife.
His Neanderthal tribe would have been hunters who wandered the forest trapping and shooting animals or gathering fruits and nuts. This half-blind, limping, damaged man couldn't hold a bow and couldn't have been a lot of use to the others.
In Victorian times they might have shut him away in a hospital; in the Middle Ages they might have put him on display in a travelling fair; in Ancient Greece they may have left him in the hills to die in the jaws of a wolf.
But in the Stone age, this man *lived*.
Someone helped him, someone shared their hard-earned food, someone tended his wounds.
Someone *cared*."
I love humans.
"Here's a story about a Neanderthal. [...] The man was quite old for a Neanderthal— around 40 years old in fact. [...] he'd had a withered right arm that had never grown to full length or strength. The man had swollen joints (arthritis) and was blind in one eye. He'd been wounded on the skull but that had healed. Most gruesome of all he seems to have come off worst in a fight with an a wild animal and damaged the end of his arm. One hand had been amputated by a sharp but crude stone knife.
His Neanderthal tribe would have been hunters who wandered the forest trapping and shooting animals or gathering fruits and nuts. This half-blind, limping, damaged man couldn't hold a bow and couldn't have been a lot of use to the others.
In Victorian times they might have shut him away in a hospital; in the Middle Ages they might have put him on display in a travelling fair; in Ancient Greece they may have left him in the hills to die in the jaws of a wolf.
But in the Stone age, this man *lived*.
Someone helped him, someone shared their hard-earned food, someone tended his wounds.
Someone *cared*."
I love humans.
September 7, 2020
This is an excellent series to popularize history amongst younger people. It may appear somewhat juvenile at times (and offensive to some) but I found it pleasantly light-hearted and irreverent (with particular mercilessness reserved for authority, parochialism, organized religion, unimaginative high school teachers who discourage curiosity and creativity, and general daftness). Full of facts and trivia the books are cleverly illustrated and in between the puns the quips and the jokes contain a wealth of well-structured information in a highly interesting manner. There is also lore and stories and myths and hence the narration of facts is not linear or jaded. They are gory - because history is gory and also because this particular series has that slant - but provide a great break of conventional, sanitized accounts. The Savage Stone Age volumes is highly readable, informative and hard to put down.
January 17, 2022
I think this book is held back by the fact that it was first published in 1999, so while the subject matters that it talks about are interested they are also a bit limited by what was known at the time.
However, the writing style that Deary uses makes it very easy to follow and laugh about some horrible (and sometimes rather depressing) stuff. (I did not expect a story about Suicide in this book when I first opened it).
But even though prehistory is something I have a passing interest in, this book didn’t grab me as much as I thought it would. Though it must have done when I read this books years ago otherwise I wouldn’t like learning about the weird bits of history as much as I do now. So it’s worth a read if you’re the target demographic, yet even if you’re not you may learn something new.
However, the writing style that Deary uses makes it very easy to follow and laugh about some horrible (and sometimes rather depressing) stuff. (I did not expect a story about Suicide in this book when I first opened it).
But even though prehistory is something I have a passing interest in, this book didn’t grab me as much as I thought it would. Though it must have done when I read this books years ago otherwise I wouldn’t like learning about the weird bits of history as much as I do now. So it’s worth a read if you’re the target demographic, yet even if you’re not you may learn something new.
June 15, 2022
One of the benefits to being sick in bed is that no one can judge me for ploughing through some more of the HH books on my list.
I always imagine that it’s quite difficult to tell a lot about what everyday life was like for any of the early humanoids, as there was no way to write down what was happening around you. But what is also fascinating about those early humans, is how they still felt the need to show that they were there. That they existed. Whether it was the hand prints on a cave wall or the drawings of animals, people still needed to make their stamp on the world. And that’s quite beautiful really.
While I had memories reading this one as a kid, they were very faint so reading it again did feel like I was approaching it for the first time in my life which was a bit unusual. But what can you do.
I always imagine that it’s quite difficult to tell a lot about what everyday life was like for any of the early humanoids, as there was no way to write down what was happening around you. But what is also fascinating about those early humans, is how they still felt the need to show that they were there. That they existed. Whether it was the hand prints on a cave wall or the drawings of animals, people still needed to make their stamp on the world. And that’s quite beautiful really.
While I had memories reading this one as a kid, they were very faint so reading it again did feel like I was approaching it for the first time in my life which was a bit unusual. But what can you do.
December 26, 2023
When I am home for Christmas I usually take a break from my regular reading and revisit something from my childhood or teen years. Usually my routines are out of whack, I'm very busy, and I get to bed late and end up doing less reading. Not a great time to digest something I'd like to savour. So this year I picked up a Horrid Histories, a favourite of my pre-teen years.
I'd say I found this book quite interesting. My ideas about how long Homo Sapiens had been around where completely off, and some of the ideas about ancient rituals were compelling. As I remembered, the illustrations are almost the best thing about these books, and did garner a chuckle or two. But this might be the last time I reach for one of these.
I'd say I found this book quite interesting. My ideas about how long Homo Sapiens had been around where completely off, and some of the ideas about ancient rituals were compelling. As I remembered, the illustrations are almost the best thing about these books, and did garner a chuckle or two. But this might be the last time I reach for one of these.
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