Terry Deary, the bestselling author of Horrible Histories, has launched a scathing attack on Britain’s imperial past, declaring he “loathes” the British Empire “with a passion”.
The 78-year-old writer, who has sold more than 36 million copies of his children’s books worldwide, dismissed any notions of British imperial bravery.
“The British Empire, which I loathe with a passion, wasn’t won with courage but with the machine gun,” Deary told All About History magazine.
“The British had the machine gun, the native populations didn’t. Nothing brave or courageous about it!”
Terry Deary (left) says he ‘loathes’ the British Empire
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“You’re only great if the opposition is great and that’s my mind shift which I then applied to the book,” he said.
The comparison drew parallels between his childhood football experience and what he sees as the unfair advantages wielded by the British Empire.
In the interview, Deary highlighted historical events he believes have been overlooked in British education.
“People forget things like the battles against the Tasmanians,” he said.
He pointed to the devastating impact of British colonisation on Tasmania’s indigenous population.
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Deary highlighted historical events he believes have been overlooked in British education
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“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?”
He argued that nations should be judged by “what they achieve in opposition to” rather than their easy victories.
Deary illustrated his point with a personal anecdote about playing football as a child.
“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,” he recalled.
He explained how for decades he believed himself to be a talented footballer, until he realised his opponents had been much younger children.
A production of Groovy Greeks and Incredible Invaders – Horrible Histories by the Birmingham Stage Company
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The author referenced the conflicts of the 1820s and 1830s, when British colonists fought with Aboriginal Tasmanians in a war that nearly eliminated the entire indigenous population.
Deary’s latest work marks a departure from his children’s books, with the release of his first adult-focused title “A History of Britain in Ten Enemies”.
The Horrible Histories series, which first launched in 1993, has grown into a cultural phenomenon.
The books have spawned numerous adaptations, including a BAFTA-winning CBBC television series.
The franchise has also expanded into successful theatre shows and a feature film.