This captivating title examines the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii in 79 A.D. and what the remnants of this buried city can teach us today.
This modern-day pirate tale details the recent hijacking and daring rescue of the Maersk Alabama and places its gripping story in context with the evolution of piracy on the high seas.
In 1692, two young girls in Salem, Massachusetts, were diagnosed by the local doctor as being bewitched. Hysteria over witchcraft reached a fever pitch leading the Puritan townsfolk to accuse friends and neighbors of being under Satan's influence. This book tells the unbelievable, yet true, story of how innocent people were jailed on the evidence of dreams and visions, and how the legal system allowed nineteen people to be hanged before the governor of the state brought the people of Salem to their senses.
Mountaineer George Mallory disappeared attempting to conquer the highest peak in the world. Seventy-five years later, Mallory's body was finally found on Everest. This exciting book describes how his quest began an obsession by other climbers to be the first to the top, and how Everest has become a magnet for amateurs and tourists since it was finally conquered by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
The robots of today do more than just heavy lifting. Machines that can sense the world and make decisions are now being used in space, industry, medicine, and the military. This adventurous book follows the development of robots over the past century and describes how modern robots continue to revolutionize different fields making our lives easier, healthier, safer and more exciting.
This gripping title traces the causes, symptoms, and treatment of plague through the height of the Black Death in Europe and into the modern day.
For centuries, exploration of the Arctic has been pursued for its potential value as a commercial sea route. Many expeditions tried in vain to navigate its frozen waterways. This timely book tells the stories of famous expeditions to find a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to map the frozen wasteland, and to be the first to reach the North Pole.
On December 7, 1941, Americans woke up to find World War II had landed harshly at their doorstep. This amazing book describes the surprise air raid by Japan on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that shocked the United States into joining the war in Europe. This gripping account describes events leading up to the attack, the preparation made by the Japanese military, the chaos of the attack, and the unleashing of the atomic bomb afterward on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This fact-filled title profiles the celebrated heroes and unfortunate zeroes throughout Olympic history. Readers will learn about great athletic achievements and tales of scandal and dishonor.
One hundred years after its tragic voyage, the Titanic continues to capture our imaginations. This fascinating title looks at the building, voyage, sinking, and rediscovery of the Titanic.
First-hand accounts, historical photographs, and engaging text combine to explore the experiences of immigrants to North America during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This fascinating title details the reasons for immigration and the challenges faced and contributions made by immigrants. In addition to Ellis Island, Angel Island, Grosse-isle, Quebec, and other immigration points in North America are discussed.
On January 24, 1848 a man named James W. Marshall found gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. This compelling title explains how Marshalls discovery sparked gold fever and lured thousands of people west in search of great fortunes. Primary source accounts and historical photographs trace the history of the gold rush in California as well as the later Klondike gold rush.
This title provides a factual and in-depth look at one of the bloodiest battles in American history. Features include a day-by-day breakdown of events, profiles of major figures, and a detailed review of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, one of the most important speeches in American history.
The Samurai may have been the rock stars of the warrior class in medieval Japan, but the Ninjas were the secret agents. Known also as shinobi, which means "to steal away," Ninjas kept to the shadows and practiced espionage for their clan leaders. This exciting book details the history and skills of these stealthy, farming-class saboteurs who were masters of 18 warrior skills, including the martial art ninjutsu.
To be a spy in today's high-tech world, you've got to specialize whether you're keeping tabs on foreign governments, fighting terrorist organizations, or stopping cyber espionage. This fascinating book describes spying throughout history, the gadgetry of a spy, and what kind of training is required to join intelligence-gathering agencies around the world.
This captivating title looks at extinction--from the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago, to the possible extinction of species in our world today.
This gripping title describes the events of June 6, 1944 and explains how the Normandy landings had a momentous effect on the outcome of the war.
This title provides a detailed overview of the Navy SEALs, including the history of the organization, training programs, equipment, and the type of missions they perform.
This title takes us behind the scenes into president Abraham Lincoln's decision to end slavery 150 years ago.
As the 50th anniversary of the 1963 march for Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. approaches, this timely book looks at its organization, the key players, and why it is still relevant today.
This fascinating title takes the reader to one of the most isolated prisons on the planet where some America's worst criminals were held. This is the story of how Alcatraz was created, what it was like to live there, and why it was virtually impossible to escape from.
This fascinating title brings ancient history to life with a clear, easy-to-understand overview of the Mayan culture and the mystery surrounding their calendar.
Readers will discover that the natural element carbon is found in all living things, including people. This fascinating book explains how the Earth's supply of carbon moves among Earth's oceans, atmosphere, ecosystem, and geosphere in a process called the carbon cycle. Accessible text and detailed images help explain such processes as photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. Feature boxes highlight examples of the ways in which human activity, such as burning fossil fuels, releases too much carbon dioxide into the air disrupting the balance of the carbon cycle. Readers are encouraged to find ways to take action and find solutions.
This exciting title explores the groundbreaking modes of transportation that have helped define the modern age. From Henry Ford's Model T car to the bullet trains of Japan, students will travel along and learn about the monumental successes and failures that have driven our world ahead.
This volume details the crucial early battles of the Civil War in 1861-62, including the firing on Fort Sumter, the Confederate victory at First Manassas (Bull Run), Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign, the Union victory at Shiloh, and Robert E. Lee's Second Manassas (Bull Run) success. Timelines, annotated diagrams, and colorful maps bring each battle to life.
