The Groovy Greeks

Apparently the Greeks (we are talking about the Ancient variety) were a rather groovy bunch. The boys didn't start school until they were seven and girls didn't have to go at all. Greek children invented all manner of cool games just for something to do, and the grown-ups invented the Olympic Games and made the men run naked.

As Terry Deary points out, though, in his Horrible Histories: Groovy Greeks, things were not always quite as jolly and some of the more disturbing facts unearthed in this funny and clever alternative to the history book are actually quite, well, horrible.

Illustrated by the talented Martin Brown, Horrible Histories: Groovy Greeks adds a certain edge to the study of Ancient Greece by getting down to the nitty-gritty of Greek life and letting rip with the kind of nasty, revolting facts that any kids would kill to get their hands on.

View other editions of The Groovy Greeks.
View books by Terry Deary.

HOT OFF THE PRESS - APRIL 2007 - REPRINTED EDITION with a NEW COVER!, - Rated
'Find out about horrible heroes, savage Spartan soldiers, phoolish philosophers and suffering slaves
Want to know:-

why some groovy Greek girls ran about naked pretending to be bears?
who had the world`s first flushing toilet?
why dedicated doctors tasted their patients' ear wax?

Read on for some amazing information on awful ancient food, groovy Greek Olympic games, and the gruesome god who ate his own children.
History with the nasty bits left in!
History has never been so horrible!'

A witty, colourful cover opens to 134 pages, split over 15 chapters:-

Groovy Greek Timeline
The gruesome gods
Fight like a Greek
Petrifying plays and electrifying epics
The savage Spartans
The odd Athenians
The power of the Persians
Alexander the Great-er
Think like a Greek
Live like a Greek
Die like a Greek
Odd Olympics
Funny food
Groovy Greek growing-up
The Romans are coming

with an introduction and an epilogue.

Written with the typical Deary humour, in a variety of fonts, and superb illustrations/cartoons throughout, from Martin Brown.

'Find out about horrible heroes, savage Spartan soldiers, phoolish philosophers and suffering slaves....' - Rated
Want to know:-

why some groovy Greek girls ran about naked pretending to be bears?
who had the world`s first flushing toilet?
why dedicated doctors tasted their patients' ear wax?

Read on for some amazing information on awful ancient food, groovy Greek Olympic games, and the gruesome god who ate his own children.
History with the nasty bits left in!
History has never been so horrible!'

A witty, colourful cover opens to 128 pages, split over 15 chapters:-

Groovy Greek Timeline
The gruesome gods
Fight like a Greek
Petrifying plays and electrifying epics
The savage Spartans
The odd Athenians
The power of the Persians
Alexander the Great-er
Think like a Greek
Live like a Greek
Die like a Greek
Odd Olympics
Funny food
Groovy Greek growing-up
The Romans are coming

with an introduction and an epilogue.

Written with the typical Deary humour, in a variety of fonts, and superb illustrations/cartoons throughout, from Martin Brown.

A fun and educational way to learn! - Rated
This book, along with the others in the Horrible Histories series, is perhaps one of the greatest ways to teach children, or indeed learn, about periods of history.

The books all contain funny cartoons, and are written to be entertaining and educational at the same time--sometimes lacking in the educational books of this era.

Children will love Terry Deary's clever quirky moments, and will find the books all fun to read.

Overall, a fantastic book which is perfect for any child studying any period of history.

Fun - Rated
I really like this. The scenes are absolutely hilarious. The actors do a great job. My favourite bit is the bit about the Olympics. If you like the books you will love this.

First Horrible History I ever read - Rated
Many a year ago I was given this book as a present for my 8th birthday. I began my "Horrible Histories" collection directly afterwards. The informative content is supported by witty little sketches and historical gags. The Groovy Greeks contains recipes and quizzes giving it an interactive dimension that will appeal to children and teens.

I'm 18 now and I can testify that I owe a great deal of my foundation historical knowledge and my general interest in the events of the past to these delightful books. I remember details from pages I read years ago, regarding Greek Gods and the Olympic Games (etc.)

So parents, get buying!