Horrible Histories creator Terry Deary sensationally reveals he ‘hates the British Empire with a ardour’ and claims its success was like ‘taking part in soccer towards youngsters’

The author of celebrated children’s book series Horrible Histories has revealed what he really thinks about the British Empire 30 years after the first book was released. 

Award-winning writer Terry Deary has admitted he ‘loathes’ the British Empire ‘with a passion’ as he noted there was ‘nothing brave or courageous’ about how it was won.  

The 78-year-old, who published The Blitzed Brits back in 1994, said the British Empire achieved success because it won battles with machine guns against weak opposition.

For three decades, Deary’s beloved Horrible Histories series has been the top choice for British parents and children who want to learn about history.

More than 36 million copies of the amusing books have sold worldwide in more than 45 languages, and it was even turned into a TV show.

Speaking to the All About History magazine, Deary said: ‘You can’t judge people by what they achieve, but only by what they achieve it in opposition to.

Award-winning writer Terry Deary, 78, (pictured) has admitted he ‘loathes’ the British Empire ‘with a passion’ as he noted there was ‘nothing brave or courageous’ about how it was won

Measly Middle Ages by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown (pictured) 

Terry Deary (right) during Young BAFTA Showcase Children’s Achievement Award 2024 at BAFTA on November 29, 2024

‘All nations remember their successes against the odds, but they don’t remember the ones where they marched in with ease.

‘The British Empire, which I loathe with a passion, wasn’t won with courage but with the machine gun.

‘The British had the machine gun, the native populations didn’t.

‘Nothing brave or courageous about it!’

He compared it to playing football against children.

Deary said: ‘Seventy years ago I was playing for the Cubs football team and in the first half we were 7-0 up, and I’d scored six.

‘In the second half I ran up the field and scored my seventh.

‘My team was leading and the referee blew his whistle to put the other team out of their misery.

For three decades, Deary’s beloved Horrible Histories series has been the top choice for British parents and children who want to learn about history

More than 36 million copies of the amusing books have sold worldwide in more than 45 languages, and it was even turned into a TV show. Pictured: Terry Deary’s ‘Loathsome London’ illustrated by Martin Brown 

‘For 50 years I thought I was a great footballer and then I realised I wasn’t.

‘The opposition were probably little seven or eight-year-olds, who were easy to dribble around.

‘You’re only great if the opposition is great and that’s my mind shift which I then applied to the book.’

Deary recently released his first book aimed at adults, titled A History of Britain in Ten Enemies.

Deary’s hugely popular Horrible Histories books were first published in 1993 and have inspired a BAFTA-winning CBBC television series, theatre shows and a film.

He noted another part of British history which he believes has been forgotten.

‘People forget things like the battles against the Tasmanians.

‘Why? Because there were 20,000 Tasmanians and 60 years after the British landed there were no Tasmanians at all.

‘Why don’t we learn about that in school?’

The British colonised Tasmania in 1803, and almost the entire indigenous population is said to have been wiped out.