Imprisoned for 27 years, Nelson Mandela became a symbol in the fight against the oppression of the black majority by South Africa's apartheid government. The first in his family to attend school, Mandela was given the English name Nelson by his teacher on his first day. As Mandela moved up the educational ladder, he became more and more involved in social justice. When he became a lawyer, he joined the African National Congress (ANC), an organization whose purpose was to increase the rights of black South Africans. In 1961, Mandela helped found a military branch of the ANC that used guerrilla attacks against the government. His imprisonment became a rallying point for black South Africansand eventually the world. International pressure against the government helped bring about the end of apartheid and Mandela's release in 1990. Mandela was elected president, serving from 1994 to 1999, and remains a figure revered and loved by his grateful nation.
Before they spearheaded the musical phenomenon called the British Invasion, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were just four kids from Liverpool. Throughout the 1960s, however, they embodied, as the Beatles, the musical, artistic, social, and spiritual promise of an entire generation. After their stormy breakup in 1970, the Fab Four became four solo artists, at times even appearing on each others recordings. In addition to the millions of records each band member has sold on his own since their breakup, more than 40 Beatles compilation albums have been released and continue to sell millions of copies. To this day, more than one billion Beatles recordings have sold, and thousands of books, academic papers, blogs, and websites are dedicated to the group. Despite being the Beatles for only a decade, John, Paul, George, and Ringo together formed the most successfuland arguably the most influentialmusical group in history.
By the time Roberta Bondar became Canada's first woman in space in 1992, she already had careers as a doctor, a scientist, and a professional photographer. Born in 1945 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, a town on the border between Canada and the United States, Roberta has had an active career in both countries. Today she is well known for her continuing work on behalf of the planet, writing and appearing on TV and in documentaries, covering Space Shuttle launches at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and shedding new light on the needs of the natural world.
Steve Jobs was a pioneer of the personal computer age. This compelling biography describes his life and career as a visionary entrepreneur who helped usher the world into the digital agein style and comfort. Born in 1955, Jobs grew up tinkering with electronics in the garage with his father. Although he dropped out of college, he would follow his passion for electronics and become well known for founding the computer company Apple. Equally well known for his uncompromising product philosophy, he continued to innovate in the fields of animation, personal electronics, and marketing. Both Jobs and Apple had their share of ups and downs. After an amazing comeback in the 2000s, Jobs was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at the early age of 56 in 2011.
Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist and an intellectual giant of the twentieth century. This fascinating biography reveals Einsteins life story, and how his theories changed the way we looked at the universe. Born in Germany in 1879, Einstein focused his studies on science and mathematics. He won a Nobel Prize in Physics and was instrumental in persuading U.S. President Roosevelt to pursue the development of the atomic bomb in World War II. Einstein published hundreds of research papers, articles, and books and lectured at universities in Europe and the United States until his death in 1955. Einsteins name is synonymous with genius, and, not surprisingly, his brain has been preserved for study.
Born in Romania in 1928, Eliezer (Elie) Wiesel had a childhood steeped in the traditions of his Orthodox Jewish family. From the moment of his familys deportation to the death camp at Auschwitz and the horrors that awaited there, the teenaged Elie focused all his energies on staying alive. Elie has dedicated his life to the pursuit of peaceful, humanitarian goals as a writer and activist. He is a Holocaust survivor, Nobel Laureate and the author of 57 books, including the Night trilogy, based on his experiences as a prisoner. In 1986 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and called, a messenger to mankind.
Politician Al Gore has lent both his voice and his political influence in the fight against global warming. His work and creative energy have earned him numerous forms of public recognition, most notably the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Ed Begley, Jr. is a Hollywood actor, who inspires, entertains, and motivates a new generation of environmental activists, fans, and consumers with his all-encompassing green lifestyle. Whether he is promoting his own line of green products, lending his voice to further environmental awareness and action, or walking the walk of the life he touts in his own solar-powered home, the star of Living with Ed is constantly on the lookout for ways to live more green - and get others onboard in the process.
David Suzuki is a prominent environmental activist. Throughout his adult life, he has been the creative force behind numerous television shows on science and the environment. He has used his voice to advocate for the environment and to take to task political leaders whose action and inaction have been part of the problem behind the global warming crisis.
Rachel Carson was a marine writer, biologist, and ecologist whose work inspired millions to take seriously the danger that human activity poses to the environment. She both revealed the wonders of the natural world and exposed the sinister threat to that world posed by DDT and other pesticides.
At a time when much of the United States was still racially segregated, Jackie Robinson smashed the color barrier to become the first African-American player in Major League Baseball. Born in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers, Robinson excelled in sports throughout his school years. After serving briefly in the army during WWII, he briefly played ball in the Negro Leagues. At about the same time, a handful of all-white Major League teams paid lip service to trying out black players. But it was when Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 that he became a part of what would be called "The Noble Experiment." Outspoken in the past when it came to racial injustice, Robinson endured racist jeers from fans and players, and even death threats, with dignity and composure. His historic feat of crossing baseball's "color line" became a symbol in the American civil rights movement in the decades that followed.
This entertaining book follows the travels of Italian merchant and adventurer Marco Polo who traveled across Asia. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in a tabloid-news style that guides readers through major journeys, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include what led Polo to travel to China, the Silk Road, life in Central Asia, the Chinese empire, Polo's famous book, and his legacy.
This entertaining book follows the travels of Americans Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, explorers of the American West. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in an entertaining tabloid style that guides readers through a voyage of discovery. Topics include what led Lewis and Clark to become explorers, colonies in North America, The Corps of Discovery, and Sacagawea.
This engaging book follows the travels of French nobleman Sieur de la Salle who expanded the fur trade in North Americathen called New Franceand explored the Mississippi River down to the Gulf of Mexico. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in a tabloid-news style that guides readers through major voyages, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include La Salles quest for a new trade route to China, life in New France, interactions with the Seneca, the fur trade, sailing down the Mississippi, and La Salle's legacy.
This exciting book follows the travels of Viking explorer Leif Eriksson from Iceland to Greenland and on to North America. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in a tabloid-news style that guides readers through major voyages, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include what led Eriksson to sail west, Viking exploration, life on Viking longships, North American settlements, and Eriksson's legacy.
This informative book follows the travels of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Len to the Caribbean and Florida. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in a tabloid-news style that guides readers through major voyages, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include Ponce de Lens trip to the New World on Columbus second voyage, being appointed a governor in the Caribbean, his actions toward the Taino people, life in the Spanish colonies, claiming Florida for Spain, and his legacy.
This engaging book follows the travels of French mapmaker and navigator Samuel de Champlain as he mapped out the St. Lawrence River and the North American Coast. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in an entertaining tabloid style. Topics include what first led Samuel de Champlain to the New World, his role as the Father of New France and the St. Lawrence River, accurate mapmaking, establishing trade networks, and the legacy of Champlain.
This fascinating book follows the travels of English explorer and sea navigator Henry Hudson. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in an entertaining tabloid style that guides readers through major voyages, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include what led Hudson to become an explorer, Northern exploration, life on sea voyages, merchant companies, and Hudsons legacy.
This engaging book follows the travels of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in an entertaining tabloid style as Columbus navigates his way to the New World. Topics include what led Columbus to become an explorer, early beliefs about the geography of the world, life on sea voyages, failed colonies, and the legacy of Columbus.
This fascinating book follows French explorer Jacques Cartier to the New World where he claimed the new territory called Canada for France. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in a tabloid-news style that guides readers through major voyages, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include what led Cartier to sail west, life on board ship, Cartier's exploration along the St. Lawrence, his interactions with the Iroquois, establishing French settlements in Canada, and Cartier's legacy.
Abraham Lincoln. Robert E. Lee. Ulysses S. Grant. William Tecumseh Sherman. Jefferson Davis. Stonewall Jackson. These larger than life figures tower in history and their decisions and actions influenced the progress and outcome of the Civil War. This volume gives background on the politicians, generals, naval and militia commanders, and other prominent people who were involved in the Civil War, including African American leaders and women.
Kidnapped from West Africa and sold as a slave in Boston in 1761, the young girl who became Phillis Wheatley grew up to become an icon during the period of the American Revolution. Given the last name of her owner, Wheatley lived as a household slave but was encouraged to read and write. Readers will get a close-up look at this young African woman who became a celebrated poet of her time, writing elegies, or tributes to people she admired, as well as poems that used the themes of America's struggle for independence.
The Marquis de Lafayette was a young aristocrat from France who played a key role in the success of the American Revolution. From a wealthy family with a military history, he admired the struggle for independence in the American colonies and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to fight on the side of the colonists. Readers will learn how he became a longtime friend of the future president, George Washington, and how his skills both on the battlefield and in persuading the government of France to support the American colonists, earned him a lasting legacy in the history of the United States.
Born into a wealthy, plantation-owning family, George Washington grew up in privilege. He quickly rose in the ranks of the Continental Army until, ultimately, he became its commander-in-chief. Committed to the ideals of republicanism, he led the army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, and the United States of America was born. This revealing title examines the life of George Washington, "father of his country," with a focus on his military leadership during the Revolutionary War and his role and legacy as first President of the United States.
Sally Ride soared into outer space on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983, the youngest astronaut and the first U.S. woman in space. Just 32 years old that year, this California girl was already an accomplished astrophysicist when NASA chose her. Since then, she has written several books introducing young readers to the subject of space exploration and encouraging them to study the sciences.
