Television presenter of all things historical and archaeological, Tony Robinson, takes you on a guided tour through all the lousiest places for a kid to work. With profiles of real kids in rotten jobs, this book will tell you things you probably didn't want to know about the back-breaking, puke-inducing bits of being a child long ago. And if your parents say they had it harder than you, then get them to read this book too!!! A deserving title to be shortlisted for the Blue Peter Award 'best books with facts'.
- Winner of the 2007 Blue Peter Best Book with Facts Award.
"The Worst Jobs in History" takes you back to the days when being a kid was no excuse for getting out of hard labour. This book tells the stories of all the children whose work fed the nation, kept trains running, and put clothes on everyone's backs, over the last few hundred years of Britain's history. No longer will you have to listen to your parents, grandparents, uncles, neighbours, and random old people in the Co-op telling you how much harder they had it in their young day. Next time you find yourself in that situation, ask them if they were a jigger-turner or a turnip-picker in their young day. No? An orderly boy, perhaps! A stepper! Maybe they spent their weekends making matchboxes! Still no? Then they have no idea about the real meaning of hard work. Tony Robinson takes you on a guided tour through all the lousiest places for a kid to work. With profiles and testimonies of real kids in rotten jobs, this book will tell you things you probably didn't want to know about the back-breaking, puke-inducing bits of being a child in the past.
'Kids will love the all-round ghastliness of this history lesson.' Belfast Telegraph'
'Salutary food for thought for today's disenchanted youth.' Bookseller
Author
About Tony Robinson
Tony presents Channel 4's archaeology series "Time Team", and played Baldrick in "Blackadder". He also devised and wrote four series of the BBC's "Maid Marian and Her Merry Men" in which he played the Sheriff of Nottingham.
