Very Bloody History of Britain (Without the Boring Bits!)

The author puts interesting illustrations and focuses on what teenagers and tweens most care about: blood, gore, romance and spilled guts. As a teacher in middle and high school, I have found this book helpful in showing people that "yes, children and adults really lived without running water. It was a big thing to have indoor plumbing, especially a toilet. Yes, toilets had to be invented."

I used this with the POSTMAN QUESTIONS (asked by Neil Postman) in Teaching as a Subversive Activity. www.TINYURL.com/50TAASA to get a free copy of his book. www.TINYURL.com/PostmanQuestions to get the questions (formatted for classroom use) To participate in the Postman 50th anniversary, go to www.50yearsofsubversiveteaching.blogspot.com.

These items will put you in the mindset to use this book more creatively. Certainly do more than "assign reading" and "lecture about each chapter." Think about ways that you can use this book while employing tactics and procedures that innovative teachers have developed. PeterPappas.com has a blogpost that includes more questions that help students learn. (See his questions at http://tinyurl.com/peterquestions) For example, one of the Pappas questions is " Why do we usually teach all the boring facts first and save the interesting stuff for later?"

This is why THE VERY BLOODY HISTORY was created. TO PRESENT THE INTERESTING STUFF NOW.

The illustrations are often amusing and can stimulate discussion before anything is read on the page. I learned how to make an engaging "poster quote" when I first saw this book. It is highly recommended for any history class, since students can be asked, "Can we make a VERY BLOODY HISTORY of xxxxx?" (and the xxxx is whatever you are studying. Why not a bloody history of Biology? A bloody history of English Literature? A bloody history of Spanish Grammar and Pronunciation?

Send any suggestions to me at manyposters@gmail.com THANK YOU for reading this review.

It is difficult to find a PDF version of the book without registering in one of those "free for 1 month trial" sites. Often the result is a recurring charge of $9.99 on the credit card.

OzoneBenefits has the following review of the book: ===================== Warning: This book could change your ideas about history for ever!! Do you know why the Celts got the best girls? Or who had his portrait painted after he was dead? And have you any idea who planned the first Channel Tunnel? From the dawn of civilization to the end of the Second World War, it's all here in the factually accurate and hilariously funny Very Bloody History of Britain. Bizarre, barmy and almost beyond belief, you've never had a history lesson like it! ===========

THIS BOOK IS RECOMMENDED for Middle School and High School