Order of Book Series
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Terry Deary Books in Order

Terry Deary has written 340 books, published between 1977 and 2026. The first book is Teaching Through Theatre (1977) and the newest is Football (2026). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
340
Published
1977–2026
Confirmed
70 of 340 titles
Pages on record
20,152 in 184 of 340 books
Reading time
336–504 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 20,152 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 184 of 340 titles with a page count on record.

See all 340 books in order Printable Terry Deary checklist
Photo of Terry Deary, author

Terry Deary is a British children's author, born in 1946, best known as the writer of the Horrible Histories series. Deary has written 351 books, which have sold more than 38 million copies in over 45 languages, and has ranked among Britain's best-selling authors since 1994. In 2012 Deary was the tenth most-borrowed author in British libraries, and Books for Keeps magazine named Deary the Outstanding Children's Non-Fiction Author of the 20th Century. The catalogue lists 340 titles from Teaching Through Theatre (1977) onward, including the True Stories and Tudor Terror series.

How many Terry Deary books are there?

Terry Deary has 340 books, released between 1977 and 2026. They include 36 series and 49 titles listed outside any series.

Terry Deary Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 340 Terry Deary books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

There are 340 recorded titles, more than one list usefully holds. The 300 earliest are below; the series linked further down carry the rest, each in its own order.

  1. Cover of Teaching Through Theatre by Terry Deary (1977)
  2. Cover of The Lambton Worm by Terry Deary (1981)
  3. Cover of The Custard Kid by Terry Deary (1982)
  4. Cover of The Wishing Well Ghost by Terry Deary (1983)
  5. Cover of The Treasure Of Skull Island by Terry Deary (1986)
  6. Cover of Spine Chilling Stories Three Stories by Terry Deary (1987)
  7. Cover of Skeleton in the Cupboard by Terry Deary, book 1 of the Ganders series (1988)
  8. Cover of Bad Bart And Billy The Brave by Terry Deary, book 2 of the Ganders series (1989)
  9. Cover of The Magic And The Mummy by Terry Deary, book 1 of the Egyptian Tales series (1990)
  10. Cover of The Big Fat Father Christmas Joke Book by Terry Deary (1990)
  11. Cover of Treasure Of Grey Manor by Terry Deary (1990)
  12. Cover of The Treasure Of Crazy Horse by Terry Deary (1990)
  13. Cover of The Joke Factory by Terry Deary (1991)
  14. Cover of The Great Father Christmas Robbery by Terry Deary (1991)
  15. Cover of True Monster Stories by Terry Deary, book 1 of the True Stories series (1992)
  16. Cover of Shadow Play by Terry Deary (1992)
  17. Cover of Ghost Town by Terry Deary (1992)
  18. Cover of Terrible Tudors by Terry Deary, book 1 of the Horrible Histories series (1993)
  19. Cover of Awesome Egyptians by Terry Deary, book 2 of the Horrible Histories series (1993)
  20. Cover of True Horror Stories by Terry Deary, book 2 of the True Stories series (1993)
  21. Cover of The Vile Victorians by Terry Deary, book 3 of the Horrible Histories series (1994)
  22. Cover of True Crime Stories by Terry Deary, book 3 of the True Stories series (1994)
  23. Cover of Vicious Vikings by Terry Deary, book 4 of the Horrible Histories series (1994)
  24. Cover of Rotten Romans by Terry Deary, book 5 of the Horrible Histories series (1994)
  1. 1
    Teaching Through Theatre1977 · 49 pages · confirmed 2/4
    197749
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Real Maria Marten1979 · confirmed 2/4
    1979–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Calamity Kate1980 · 112 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1980112
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Hope Street1980 · 64 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198064
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The Lambton Worm1981 · 88 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198188
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Twist of the Knife1981 · confirmed 2/4
    1981–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Custard Kid1982 · 62 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198262
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Walking Shadows1983 · 138 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1983138
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Wishing Well Ghost1983 · 88 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198388
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    The Silent Scream1984 · 64 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198464
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    I Met Her on a Rainy Day1984 · 128 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1984128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    The Windmill Of Nowhere1984 · 96 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198496
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    A Witch in Time1986 · confirmed 2/4
    1986–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    The Treasure Of Skull Island1986 · 164 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1986164
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Spine Chilling Stories Three Stories1987 · 132 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1987132
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Skeleton in the CupboardGanders #11988 · 48 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198848
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    The Dream SellerComet #11988 · 72 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198872
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Knockout: Short Stories1988 · 160 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1988160
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    The Ghosts of Batwing Castle1988 · 91 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198891
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Bad Bart And Billy The BraveGanders #21989 · 48 pages · confirmed 2/4
    198948
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    The Magic And The MummyEgyptian Tales #11990 · 64 pages · confirmed 2/4
    199064
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Father Christmas' Joke Book1990 · 144 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1990144
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    The Big Fat Father Christmas Joke Book1990 · 240 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1990240
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Treasure Of Grey Manor1990 · 147 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1990147
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    The Treasure Of Crazy Horse1990 · 72 pages · confirmed 2/4
    199072
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    The Joke Factory1991 · 64 pages · confirmed 2/4
    199164
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    The Great Father Christmas Robbery1991 · 96 pages · confirmed 2/4
    199196
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    True Monster StoriesTrue Stories #11992 · 112 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1992112
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Shadow Play1992 · 201 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1992201
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Ghost Town1992 · 80 pages · confirmed 2/4
    199280
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Terry Deary series and characters in order

Each link below opens a reading-order page with every book in publication order.

Terry Deary books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. A group whose heading is a link has its own reading-order page; the other groups have no page of their own on this site.

Horrible Histories books in order

61 books by Terry Deary
  1. 1. Terrible Tudors
  2. 2. Awesome Egyptians
  3. 3. The Vile Victorians
  4. 4. Vicious Vikings
  5. 5. Rotten Romans
  6. 6. Groovy Greeks
  7. 7. Dreadful Diary
  8. 8. The Measly Middle Ages / Plague And Peril
  9. 9. Poisonous Postcards
  10. 10. The Cut-Throat Celts
  11. 11. Angry Aztecs
  12. 12. Terrifying Tudors / Even More Terrible Tudors
  13. and 49 more in the table above

Classified in order

7 books
  1. 1. Breakout!
  2. 2. The Nuclear Winter Man
  3. 3. Vanished!
  4. 4. The Philadelphia Experiment
  5. 5. The Discovery at Roswell
  6. 6. Encounter on the Moon
  7. 7. Alien Landing

Horrible Histories Handbooks in order

7 books
  1. 1. Pirates
  2. 2. Horrible History of the World
  3. 3. Knights
  4. 4. Warriors
  5. 5. Witches
  6. 6. Villains
  7. 7. Trenches

Horrible Histories Gory Stories in order

7 books
  1. 1. Shadow of the Gallows
  2. 2. Tower of Terror
  3. 3. Wall Of Woe
  4. 4. Raiders And Ruins
  5. 5. Blackout In The Blitz
  6. 6. Pirates and Plunder
  7. 7. Big Book Of Gory Stories

Horrible Histories Handbook in order

7 books
  1. 1. Blitz
  2. 2. Spies
  3. 3. Nasty Knights
  4. 4. Perilous Pirates
  5. 5. Wicked Witches
  6. 6. Wild Warriors
  7. 7. Terrible Trenches

Tudor Terror in order

6 books
  1. 1. The Prince of Rags and Patches
  2. 2. The King in Blood Red and Gold
  3. 3. The Lady of Fire and Tears
  4. 4. The Knight of Stars and Storms
  5. 5. The Lord of the Dreaming Globe
  6. 6. The Queen of the Dying Light

Egyptian Tales in order

5 books
  1. 1. The Magic And The Mummy
  2. 2. The Phantom And The Fisherman
  3. 3. The Gold In The Grave
  4. 4. The Plot On The Pyramid
  5. 5. The Phantom of the Nile

Viking Tales in order

5 books
  1. 1. The Eye of the Viking God
  2. 2. The Sword of the Viking King
  3. 3. The Hand of the Viking Warrior
  4. 4. The Last Viking
  5. 5. The Battle for the Viking Gold

Shivers in order

4 books
  1. 1. Disaster
  2. 2. Mysteries
  3. 3. Spooks
  4. 4. Terror

Truly Terrible Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. Writers
  2. 2. Inventors
  3. 3. Scientists
  4. 4. Explorers

Spark Files Flip Quiz in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Secrets Of Science
  2. 2. How Things Work
  3. 3. Mysteries of the Human Body
  4. 4. The Wonders of Maths

Time Detectives in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Witch of Nightmare Avenue
  2. 2. The Pirates of the Dark Park
  3. 3. Princess In Terror Tower
  4. 4. King Arthur's Bones

Tudor Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Actor, The Rebel, And The Wrinkled Queen
  2. 2. The Prince, the Cook, and the Cunning King
  3. 3. The Thief, the Fool, and the Big Fat King
  4. 4. The Maid, The Witch And The Cruel Queen

Greek Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Tortoise and the Dare
  2. 2. The Town Mouse and the Spartan House
  3. 3. The Lion's Slave
  4. 4. The Boy Who Cried Horse

Roman Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Captive Celt
  2. 2. The Goose Guards
  3. 3. The Fatal Fire
  4. 4. The Grim Ghost

Master Crook's Crime Academy in order

4 books
  1. 1. Burglary for Beginners
  2. 2. Robbery For Rascals
  3. 3. Classes In Kidnapping
  4. 4. Safe Cracking For Students

Knights Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Knight Of Silk And Steel
  2. 2. The Knight Of Spurs And Spirits
  3. 3. The Knight of Sticks and Straw
  4. 4. The Knight Of Swords And Spooks

Pirate Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Pirate Lord
  2. 2. The Pirate Queen
  3. 3. The Pirate Prisoner
  4. 4. The Pirate Captain

Victorian Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Fabulous Flyer
  2. 2. Terror on the Train
  3. 3. Sea Monsters
  4. 4. The Twisted Tunnels

Dangerous Days in order

4 books
  1. 1. Dangerous Days in the Roman Empire
  2. 2. Dangerous Days on the Victorian Railways
  3. 3. Dangerous Days in Elizabethan England
  4. 4. Dangerous Days in Ancient Egypt

World War I Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Last Flight
  2. 2. The War Game
  3. 3. The Bomber Balloon
  4. 4. The Pigeon Spy

World War II Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Apple Spy
  2. 2. The Bike Escape
  3. 3. The Barrel Burglary
  4. 4. The Phantom Farm

Shakespeare Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. Macbeth
  2. 2. A Midsummer Night's Dream
  3. 3. Romeo and Juliet
  4. 4. Twelfth Night

Stone Age Tales in order

4 books
  1. 1. The Great Cave
  2. 2. The Great Flood
  3. 3. The Great Monster
  4. 4. The Great Storm

History Mystery in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Real Joan Of Arc?
  2. 2. The Truth About Guy Fawkes?
  3. 3. Who Killed Kit Marlowe?

Terribly True Stories in order

3 books
  1. 1. Terribly True Spy Stories
  2. 2. Terribly True War Stories
  3. 3. Terribly True Horror Stories

Horrible Histories Novelty in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Mad Millennium Play
  2. 2. The Massive Millennium Quiz Book
  3. 3. Terrible Trenches Field Book

Fire Thief Trilogy in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Fire Thief
  2. 2. Flight of the Fire Thief
  3. 3. The Fire Thief Fights Back

Ganders in order

2 books
  1. 1. Skeleton in the Cupboard
  2. 2. Bad Bart And Billy The Brave

100% Horrible in order

2 books
  1. 1. 10 Best Greek Legends Ever!
  2. 3. 10 Best Shakespeare Stories Ever!

Wiggott's Wonderful Waxworld in order

2 books
  1. 1. Terror Train
  2. 2. Fire Flight

Peasants' Revolting in order

1 book
  1. 1. The Peasants' Revolting Crimes

Flashbacks in order

2 books
  1. 3. Put Out The Light
  2. 22. The Silver Hand

Comet in order

1 book
  1. 1. The Dream Seller

Standalone books

49 books

49 Terry Deary titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Terry Deary books in order?

You only need to read Terry Deary books in order within each series: the books listed here span 36 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Terry Deary

Start with the first book of the Terry Deary series you want to read: Saxon Tales starts with The King Who Threw Away His Throne (2017), True Stories starts with True Monster Stories (1992) and Horrible Histories Specials starts with Cruel Kings and Mean Queens (1995). The earliest catalogued title overall is Teaching Through Theatre (1977).

What is the newest Terry Deary book?

Football (2026) is the newest Terry Deary book released so far.

Is there a new Terry Deary book coming?

No next Terry Deary book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Terry Deary at a glance

Still publishing
Terry Deary published a book as recently as 2026.
Release pace
Terry Deary books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
20,152 pages across the 184 of 340 books with a recorded length, a median of 96 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Terry Deary books, 102 of 340, were published in the 2000s.

What the Terry Deary books are about

216 of the 340 Terry Deary books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: juvenile literature is tagged on 85 of 216. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.