Revolting cover art

Revolting

A riotous history of rebellions and revolutions

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Revolting

By: Terry Deary
Narrated by: Toby Longworth
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

This is history through the eyes of Mr and Mrs Peasant (and their good friend Monsieur Guillotine...). A globetrotting, laugh-out-loud funny history from the multi-million copy bestselling author of A History of Britain in Ten Enemies and Horrible Histories.

Remember, remember the 4th of November... *

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the rich and powerful always look after their own and the working people are always revolting.

But every now and again, a new group actually manages to seize power, and it changes history.

In his new book, Revolting, bestselling Horrible Histories author Terry Deary takes readers on a hilarious and eye-opening journey through some of the most significant rebellions and uprisings that have happened through the ages, including:

  • Ivaylo, the Bulgarian swineherd who managed to fight off the Mongols, slay the Tsar and marry his widow in the space of a year.
  • Spartacus, a touch more modest in his aims, who mainly wanted to go home to see his mum.
  • The two suffragists who posted themselves by Royal Mail to see the prime minister (a first-class idea, though Downing Street declined the parcel).

It seems we have much to learn from the tactics of revolutionaries gone by...

From the peasants to the slaves, the martyrs to the mutineers, Revolting celebrates the resilience and determination of those who dared to challenge the status quo through the ages.


* Turns out we've been getting the nursery rhyme wrong all these years. An explosive revelation.



© Terry Deary 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Activism & Social Justice Civilization Freedom & Security Military Politics & Government Social Sciences World Funny Witty

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Critic reviews

What readers are saying about Revolting:

'I loved this book and laughed whilst I learned... Look for mentions of the first Serf and Turf!'

'The breadth of this book is huge... It's wonderfully readable and of a huge scope'

'The history of revolts and protests is a rich one, and particularly poignant at the moment - so it's perfect that Terry Deary has written this book'

'I love the humour and the way he makes everything fun'

History's greatest ally (Dan Schreiber, author of The Theory of Everything Else and host of No Such Thing As a Fish and We Can Be Weirdos)
Nobody has changed history more than Terry Deary
All stars
Most relevant
It has good narration. Not what I was expecting, it was basically just a list of different rebellions.

A list

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