The Wicked History of the World
Bringing out the sinister side of world history, Terry Deary introduces us to the more gruesome details of mainstream history. With morbid wit and humor, Deary opens doors to our world's past that many of us have never stepped through.
Today, we have reality television to shock and horrify us. In the 1500s, Ivan the Terrible invented "Pick Off the Peasant" for his own entertainment using peasant girls and hens. The object of the game was for the peasant girl to catch any one of five hens while being shot at with arrows. If she was successful before being hit, she was free to go.
Today we have cosmetic surgery to help us improve our appearance. In the past, Native Americans once practiced head flattening. Thinking a flat head more attractive than a pointed one, they would tie a board to the top of a babies head and tighten it daily. After one year, the board was removed and the head stayed flat for life.
Today we have medications to cure our ails. In the Middle Ages spells were used to treat illnesses. To cure a headache some of the patient's hair was boiled in their own urine and thrown on a fire. To cure aching bones, the afflicted was instructed to jump in a river. The cure for madness was to release a live bat into the room of the mentally ill.
"The Wicked History of the World" is a fascinating take on world history. This is one of over 30 books from the Horrible Histories series. Factual tidbits enhance the basic history lessons our children are taught in school. Use this book, and the others in the series, to supplement their history and bring it to life for them.
