Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly! sees public historian and podcaster Greg Jenner present the first book in a fantastically funny non-fiction series — Totally Chaotic History. Taking its cue from Horrible Histories, but with more text and its own distinctive brand of breakneck delivery, it’s co-written with expert Egyptologist Dr Campbell Price, and well-pitched for 7+ year-olds who have a penchant for “did you know?” nuggets.
Underpinned by the child-pleasing premise that history is outrageously, appealingly, TOTALLY CHAOTIC, Rikin Parekh’s comic illustrations add an extra edge of oomph to a tomb tome that already zings with zany energy, and more fascinating facts that you can shake a pharaoh’s sceptre at.
Taking readers on an epic journey through ancient Egypt, through time, with excellent “myth buster” and “accuracy alarm” sections putting paid to misconceptions, and fact files covering key figures, Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly! is also suffused in an infectious spirit of exploration and detection. Bravo!
Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly! Synopsis
The first book in a fantastically funny new history series from best-selling author and chart-topping podcaster Greg Jenner!
Think history is just a boring list of facts and dates? Think again! History is hectic, exciting and unpredictable – in fact, it’s absolute CHAOS! Join bestselling author Greg Jenner on a riotously fun journey through ancient Egypt, from brilliant beginnings to epic ending. With expert interruptions from Egyptologist Dr Campbell Price and with side-splitting illustrations from Rikin Parekh, Greg’s whirlwind tour will cover everything you need to know about the Egyptians and show you what it would REALLY have been like to live through thousands of years of chaotic history. Hold on tight, because with history, you’ll never believe what happens next!
Featuring a timeline, a chaos meter that tracks the level of ancient drama, a myth-busting buzzer and a fast-forward button to dive straight in to the action, this entertaining page-turner brings Ancient Egypt to life to captivate curious young minds like never before.
'Jenner makes a popular non-fiction topic feel fresh, condensing thousands of years of history into 156 pages of captivating text.' - The Bookseller
'This book is presented in a fun and informative way for kids to learn from and enjoy. It is written in an easy way to read and follow. It is funny and also has some gross moments for the kids to read about. The illustrations add another level to this book, they are well drawn and appealing to children.' - NetGalley Reviewer
'I have so far found it hard to find history books that are suitable for UKS 2 students who are not ready for full-on history books quite yet. This one is just perfect for them. There is enough information packed into this not-too-lengthy-or-wordy book to inspire further interest in the topic. It is written with lots of humour to keep children engrossed. A perfect history book for KS 2 students.' - NetGalley Reviewer
'A fun and educational romp from pre-dynastic Egypt to Roman times. It has Jenner's trademark wit all the way through so children take in a huge amount of knowledge while thinking they've just spent the last half hour laughing at jokes about bodily functions. The fun illustrations add to the accessibility of the book. Highly recommended.' - NetGalley Reviewer
'Greg’s style is informal, and chatty which is great for a young readership… a great way to introduce historical discussion and debates to a young reader and a good jumping off point to explore the history further. It is very much like what Greg does on his ‘You’re dead to me’ podcast but aimed at a young audience.' - NetGalley Reviewer
Author
About Greg Jenner
Greg Jenner is a historian, author and podcast host, specializing in communicating history through popular culture. He is best-known for his educational comedy podcast for the BBC, You're Dead to Me, which has had over 70 million downloads. His Homeschool History radio series won him an army of new fans when it launched on BBC Radio 4 during the Covid pandemic. As historical consultant to the BAFTA award-winning CBBC comedy series Horrible Histories, Greg ensured the factual accuracy of hundreds of side-splitting sketches. He's published several books for adults, and released his first children's book, You Are History, in 2022. Greg lives in Surrey.
Dr Campbell Price is Curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum, one of the UK’s largest collections of Egyptian antiquities. He grew up in Glasgow and studied Egyptology at the University of Liverpool. He’s passionate about learning about other cultures through objects. His favourite food is Egyptian lentil soup. You can find him online @EgyptMcr.
