Dear Terry Deary
I’ve just started reading your book, Stormin’ Normans. I’m only up to page 10, I’m afraid, but then I’m a slow reader.
You describe the site of William the Conqueror’s first battle, Val-es-Dunes, as being ‘on the Norman border with France’. It’s actually just outside Caen, nowhere near the French border.
I’ve just started reading your book, Stormin’ Normans. I’m only up to page 10, I’m afraid, but then I’m a slow reader.
You describe the site of William the Conqueror’s first battle, Val-es-Dunes, as being ‘on the Norman border with France’. It’s actually just outside Caen, nowhere near the French border.
You say that William died a year after 1085, i.e. 1086. He actually died in 1087.
You say that Henry I’s only son died in 1119. The correct date is 1120.
You say that William’s queen, Matilda, was only 127cm tall. This is a modern myth caused by misreporting. The French archaeologists who examined her partial remains actually concluded she was 152cm (about 5’).
You say William was buried in a cathedral he founded in Caen. There is no cathedral in Caen. William founded an abbey.
I'll get back to you again when I've finished the rest of the book. But in the meantime, I can't help wondering: do you think you should have spent more time in the library?
best wishes
Dr Marc Morris
Thank you Dr. Morris. I am a lover of English history, especially the early middle ages and hate it when "authors" butcher it. I look forward to reading your books. And, checking out the prices of some of them, I will probably be getting them from the library...I'm sure you won't mind.
ReplyDeleteI think Mr Deary is going to need some aloe for that burn.
ReplyDeleteThank you. That was beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteWell said, good sir.
ReplyDeleteAmazing!
ReplyDeleteGlad I got here before Neil Gaiman's wave of followers crashes your site. Awesome retort to that arse who doesn't know his chapel from his church-bells. Keep it up, you've got a follower in me. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! thank you sir! (@neilhimself just had the idea to follow on twitter, as a way of saying "thanks". Expect a lot of new followers!!!)
ReplyDeletenicely done
ReplyDeleteWoot! Excellently done, good sir. Excellently done indeed. I think you are correct - Mr. Deary should have spent more time in a library. As an author he should have at the very least completely done his research before releasing his book to the public. Perhaps this is why he is in favor of closing libraries down? If people are allowed to read, they will find his historical inaccuracies!!
ReplyDeleteAs a student in library- and informationscience plus historic science, I now have two reasons to despise this man :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful stuff. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this lovely rebuttal to that atrocious man. It is short, sweet, and brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI've got to say though- five errors in ten pages? did this git use Google to do his research?
No, just Wikipedia.
DeleteThank you for this intelligent and funny response to Terry Deary's foolishness. I predict that the backlash against his temper tantrum will generate greater awareness of, and support for, public libraries while killing his book sales.
ReplyDeleteOh look, the answer to this is in your very first line: Terry Deary is the author of horrible histories. Just remove the capitalization and it all makes sense.
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful reply. Thank-you!
ReplyDeleteYes, a good deal of TV makes both the bystander and the participant rather daft.
ReplyDeleteI checked Google and the first source it pulled up about William and his wife, etc., even had the facts straight!
ReplyDeleteA history loving and working friend of mine once emailed TD to say that he loved the books and to suggest some joint venture. What he got back was an explosive and abusive email.....the well published Mr Deary appears to have had a personaliy bypass at some point or other
ReplyDeleteGoooooooaaaaal to Mr Morris!
ReplyDeleteI salute you, sir, and will now also Follow you (in a non-stalkerish way).
ReplyDeleteOops. Only up to page ten? He could totally re-write history by the end of the book!
ReplyDeleteI guess we now know why the series is called Horrible Histories.
ReplyDeleteAs a librarian and as a fellow human being, I thank you very much for this. Nicely done.
ReplyDeletePointing out historical inaccuracies and the value of libraries all in one fabulous burn. As a medievalist and a librarian, this made my day!
ReplyDeleteA friend just posted the controversy about author Terry Deary. He had to know that there would be a backlash against him; he would be a fool if he didn't.
ReplyDeleteI cannot begin to understand this person's position. I suppose that every person is entitled to their own opinion.
This was an excellent rebuttal. Thank you for posting it.
You, sir, are a beautiful, beautiful man. Thank you for this. My librarian friends thank you. My authorial friends thank you. My history-loving friends thank you. You are a treasure!
ReplyDeleteI'm a really big fan of libraries, and work with and in them. I'm enjoying all the support that libraries are getting after Deary's comment, and I completely disagree with his perspectives (I think he has a limited vision about the actual and historic role and purpose of libraries).
ReplyDeleteBut - and just devil's advocate here - for fact checking snippets like the ones you mentioned, I think the most logical counter response would be that it's not an indication of needing more time at the library, but more time with accurate sources on the Internet. If I wanted to verify those facts, I would have turned to online resources - even online resources for books, like Google Books - so I'm not sure it's the argument I'd choose for why libraries are valuable.
In fact, I'd be surprised if in fact-checking the ten pages, that most of us would have gone to the library over the internet as the first source...
Though, also, I think you point was well made... :)
ReplyDeleteIn response to Aaron Stanton's comment, libraries are not just about books. They also offer free access to the Internet, including online databases that provide access to academic journals and the like that are far beyond the financial reach of the average person. Thus, libraries continue to have great relevance and value in the digital age for everyone, ranging form those who do not have Interent access at home to the serious researcher looking for the very highest quality information.
ReplyDeletePS - Well said, Marc! A fine retort!
Excellent points Mr Stanton. However for academic research a librarian, especially a reference librarian is trained to utilize sources that are not always internet based. They will use resources that may exist on the internet but that are not available or well known - such as historical records, etc. A reference librarian is specifically trained and authors of academic works have happily utilized these librarians for years to help with research.
ReplyDeleteDevil's advocate number 2. I've not read the book personally but little mistakes over dates are usually less important that the arguments he would draw from the facts. I think the Horrible Histories series is simply a way to draw in the minds of young (and not so young!) readers who have not considered reading more weighty tomes. Hopefully after reading something lightweight like this they might move on to more accurate and serious volumes. If this book achieves this then it has to be applauded. This is not an excuse to do better research I'm just arguing that we maybe don't need to be too picky about some of the numbers as long as the conclusions are right.
ReplyDeleteSecondly as someone who did a course in what basically was library studies I'd have to agree that the prevalence of the Internet has meant that public libraries really need to change drastically both in peoples minds and in resources. People consider them old and dusty which some (but certainly not all!) are. If instead they become a universal entry point for accessing online information at little or no cost then they will suddenly change into a primary force in the democratisation of information that we so desperately need.
Indeed, and well said!
ReplyDeleteBravo!
ReplyDeleteSorry, roly2020, I truly don't mean to be annoying, but publishing "little" mistakes like this and giving any sort of approval simply encourages more and more of the same not only in books for the young but also in those targeting older readers - after all if one learns early that slipshod work is acceptable then I can imagine one might just be tempted to forget bothersome details like actually researching the subject and fact checking.
ReplyDeleteExtract from Terry Deary interview in 'Daily Telegraph':
ReplyDeleteAnd don’t get him started on historians, not unless you’re fond of waving red flags in front of bulls. “I can’t abide historians! They’re all devious and dishonest.” What, all of them? “Yes! All of them. History is a vast canvas and they’ll pick 100 facts to prove their pet theory, rather than another 100 facts which would disprove it. They’re not interested in the truth, only in their careers. That makes me sick too.”
Methinks he just likes a good wind up!
Bravo!
ReplyDeleteI was actually in a public library when a librarian friend of mine forwarded this to me. Totally agree with his points. Accuracy is necessary for context and, Mr. Deary's comment, if you don't have accuracy in what you present you are not presenting all the history either. Libraries are great reservoirs of knowledge, not all of which is on the 'net
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of horrible histories since as a teacher, it has got a lot more kids to begin to enjoy history, however after going to a talk by Mr Deary and reading interviews with him, I have concluded he is rather unpleasant and thus enjoyed reading this!
ReplyDeleteOuch, remind me not send you any of my stuff to review ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreat piece
Late to this. I spent eighteen months volunteering as a community library manager. The Horrible Histories were just about the most popular children's non-fiction we had. And I don't think that many of the children borrowing would, if the library weren't there, have bought instead: there are many, many families for whom the library is an essential resource and who couldn't afford to replicate it at home. Deary doesn't understand his own business.
ReplyDelete