Charles River Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures of the battle's important generals. *Includes several maps of the battle. *Includes accounts of the fighting written by generals and soldiers. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. The Overland Campaign that pitted Robert E. Lee against Ulysses S. Grant is one of the most famous campaigns of the Civil War, but one of the most overlooked aspects of the entire campaign was the action around the North Anna River between the fighting at Spotsylvania Court House and Cold Harbor. In fact, it represented Lee's last great chance to destroy the Army of the Potomac. At the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864), Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee had fought to a standstill in their first encounter, failing to dislodge each other despite incurring nearly 30,000 casualties between the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Despite the fierce fighting, Grant continued to push his battered but resilient army south, hoping to beat Lee's army to the crossroads at Spotsylvania Court House, but Lee's army beat Grant's to Spotsylvania and began digging in, setting the scene for on and off fighting from May 8-21 that ultimately inflicted more casualties than the Battle of the Wilderness. In fact, with over 32,000 casualties among the two sides, it was the deadliest battle of the Overland Campaign. After Spotsylvania, Grant and Lee both raced to the next natural defensive line, the North Anna River. Ironically, before Lee blocked him in the Wilderness, Grant had anticipated the Overland Campaign starting with fighting around the North Anna, but once they arrived in the vicinity on May 23, Lee was unsure of Grant's intentions and didn't immediately have his army dig in. The Confederates blocked two attempted river crossings by separate wings of the Army of the Potomac in the first day's fighting, but the battle is best known for Lee's ingenious defensive line along the river. Springing a trap for Grant, Lee established an inverted V as a defensive line, with the salient touching the North Anna River, which would allow the Army of Northern Virginia to use interior lines to fall upon the separate wings of the Union army if it tried to cross the river. As fate would have it, Grant would fall into Lee's trap, only for Lee to be debilitated by illness at the crucial moments, allowing Grant to realize the potential mistake and avoid a major pitched battle. Grant would swing his army southeast toward the crossroads at Cold Harbor convinced that Lee's army was on the verge of collapse, while Lee was uncharacteristically fiery and ornery as a result of the missed chance at the North Anna. The Greatest Civil War Battles: The Battle of North Anna comprehensively covers the campaign and the events that led up to the battle, the fighting itself, and the aftermath of the battle. Accounts of the battle by important participants are also included, along with maps of the battle and pictures of important people, places, and events. You will learn about the Battle of North Anna like you never have before, in no time at all.

The Battle of North Anna

The Greatest Civil War Battles

*Includes pictures of King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, and important people and events in their lives. Although the last Tudor ruler died over 400 years ago, it still remains England's most famous royal line, and it produced the most famous king and queen in history, both of whom continue to fascinate people around the world today. Over 450 years after his reign, Henry VIII is still the most famous and recognizable King of England, but it's for all the wrong reasons. Though well regarded by contemporaries as a learned king and "one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne," he is best remembered today for his gluttony and multiple marriages, particularly the gruesome way in which he was widowed on more than one occasion. Naturally, that was the focus of the popular Show Time drama series centered around his life, The Tudors. Henry VIII will probably continue to be best known for beheading some of his wives, most notably Anne Boleyn, so it is somewhat fitting that his most decisive act came as a result of a marital mishap. Sharply at odds with the Catholic Church over his attempt to dissolve his marriage with Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII ultimately broke with the Church and established the Church of England, which forever both the religious history of England and the social hierarchy of the nation and its empire. When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, many commentators heralded the beginning of her reign as the second Elizabethan age. The first one, of course, concerned the reign of Henry VIII's second surviving daughter and middle surviving child, Queen Elizabeth I, one of England's most famous and influential rulers. It was an age when the arts, commerce and trade flourished. It was the epoch of gallantry and great, enduring literature. It was also an age of wars and military conflicts in which men were the primary drivers and women often were pawns. Elizabeth I changed the rules of the game and indeed she herself was changed by the game. She was a female monarch of England, a kingdom that had unceremoniously broken with the Catholic Church, and the Vatican and the rest of Christendom was baying for her blood. She had had commercial and militaristic enemies galore. In the end, she helped change the entire structure of female leadership. Elizabeth was the last Tudor sovereign, the daughter of the cruel and magnificent King Henry VIII and a granddaughter of the Tudor House's founder, the shrewd Henry VII. Elizabeth, hailed as "Good Queen Bess," "Gloriana" and "The Virgin Queen" to this day in the public firmament, would improve upon Henry VIII's successes and mitigate his failures, and despite her own failings would turn out to "have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too." Indeed, that was the phrase she would utter in describing herself while exhorting her troops to fight for England against the Spanish Armada. The Tudors chronicles the reigns of England's most famous king and queen, but it also humanizes the man who fashioned himself both an athlete and scholar and the woman who ruled one of the world's most powerful kingdoms in an age dominated by men. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in their lives, you will learn about Henry VIII and Elizabeth I like you never have before, in no time at all.

The Tudors: the Lives and Legacies of King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I

Jesse Harasta

*Includes pictures of important places and historic art depicting Athena and other Greek gods and goddesses. *Explains the historical origins of the goddess and the mythological tales about her. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "I begin to sing of Pallas Athene, the glorious goddess, bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart, pure virgin, saviour of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia. From his awful head wise Zeus himself bare her arrayed in warlike arms of flashing gold, and awe seized all the gods as they gazed. But Athena sprang quickly from the immortal head and stood before Zeus who holds the aegis, shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly at the might of the bright-eyed goddess, and earth round about cried fearfully, and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves, while foam burst forth suddenly..." - "The Hymn To Athena," attributed to Homer For the ancient Greeks, there were few divine beings more important, and more generous, to humanity than the goddess Athena, who was also called "Pallas," "Pallas Athena" and (to the Romans) "Minerva." The daughter of Zeus, Athena was famous as a virgin warrior woman who was born from her father's skull bearing a helmet, shield and spear, but she was far more than simply a warrior goddess. She was at heart the patronage of civilization and all of the arts that made advanced human society possible. She was the mistress of weaving, navigation, craftsmanship, and she gave her patronage to defensive wars, wise laws, and the "city" itself. Since the city-state, known as a "Polis" by the Greeks, was the center of Ancient Greek life, law and politics, this made her all the more important as a deity, especially since she lent her name to one of the most famous of them all: Athens. The pervasive nature of her influence in the Greeks' everyday life has ensured that Athena remains one of the most instantly recognizable goddesses. She is mentioned in diverse works like Hesiod's Theogony, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and several of Plato's philosophical texts. These works shine light on what contemporary Greeks said about their goddess and how they understood the relationship she had with humanity. At the same time, there were temples, festivals, and everyday forms of worship that the Greeks dedicated to her. What did the worship of this goddess provide for her worshipers? How did belief in her existence fulfill their spiritual needs? How was she different from other members of the Greek pantheon? This book explores the figure of Athena, including her origins, the stories told about her, the way she was worshiped and how she is remembered today. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about the Greek goddess like you never have before, in no time at all.

The Origins and History of the Greek Goddess

Athena

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the blackout by NYC residents *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "Perhaps the most significant effects of the blackout were those felt by public and private organizations with responsibility for the economic and social activities of New York City and its inhabitants. In many cases, these organizations were ill-prepared for the blackout and much of the chaos, economic loss and individual inconvenience resulted from this lack of preparedness." - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's "Impact Assessment of the 1977 New York Blackout Report" Throughout history, light has been associated with goodness and darkness has been a connotation for evil. This is no coincidence, given that many bad deeds that take place in the world under the cover of darkness. It's no surprise civilizations have always valued the ability to keep light present, even when the sun goes down and the world itself becomes dark. Beginning with the first discovery of fire, men and women have struggled with ways to tame it for their use so that they might have a sense of safety at night. Just as a roaring fire lit at the mouth of a cave would keep out four-legged predators, so it was widely believed that electric lights could discourage marauders of the two-legged kind. But what happens when the awesome - and occasionally awful - power of nature snatches light away from those who depend on it to feel safe? This question was answered in a most dismaying way in July 1977 when New York City was plunged into darkness for over 24 hours following a thunderstorm. New Yorkers across the city quickly learned that without the light, they could fall prey to looting and violence of just about every kind imaginable. It did not help that this disaster occurred at a time when the city was under more stress than usual due to a poor economy and frequent reports of a new murder by a serial killer calling himself the "Son of Sam." On the other side, for some, the opportunity to take things without much danger of getting caught was about survival, a chance to stock up on items that they felt they needed but could not afford to buy. For others, the looting was a way to blow off steam and strike back at what they perceived to be an unjust system that kept them from having the things they wanted in life. There was even a third group comprised of people who told themselves that what they were doing was not really stealing since the stores were left unguarded and someone else would take the items if they did not. Working near those bent on destruction during that terrible night were men and women trying to save and restore what was being lost. Police, firefighters and workers from Con Ed electric company toiled away to try to restore some semblance of order to the city, but unfortunately, by the time they accomplished their tasks, each group had lost more than it won. The police arrested thousands but knew that they missed thousands more. The firefighters put out many fires, but many more spread their destructive flames through homes and businesses of people just trying to make a living. And those men who worked through the night to restore power quickly found themselves accused of negligence for letting it go out in the first place. Overall, the blackout yielded many losers and few winners, for even those who got away with looting and arson would have to live with their own consciences. In the wake of the blackout, Mayor Abe Beame may have put it best when he complained, "We've seen our citizens subjected to violence, vandalism, theft and discomfort. The Blackout has threatened our safety and has seriously impacted our economy. We've been needlessly subjected to a night of terror in many communities that have been wantonly looted and burned. The costs when finally tallied will be enormous."

The History of the Power Failure That Led to Looting and Arson Across the Big Apple

The New York City Blackout of 1977

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts of the battle *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "Few battles of ancient times are more marked by ability...than the battle of Cannae. The position was such as to place every advantage on Hannibal's side. The manner in which the far from perfect Hispanic and Gallic foot was advanced in a wedge in echelon...was first held there and then withdrawn step by step, until it had reached the converse position...is a simple masterpiece of battle tactics. The advance at the proper moment of the African infantry, and its wheel right and left upon the flanks of the disordered and crowded Roman legionaries, is far beyond praise. The whole battle, from the Carthaginian standpoint, is a consummate piece of art, having no superior, few equal, examples in the history of war." - Theodore Dodge, military historian Although the Romans gained the upper hand over Carthage in the wake of the First Punic War, the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal brought the Romans to their knees for over a decade during the Second Punic War. While military historians are still amazed that he was able to maintain his army in Italy near Rome for nearly 15 years, scholars are still puzzled over some of his decisions, including why he never attempted to march on Rome in the first place. Regardless, Hannibal was such a threat that the Romans responded in an unprecedented nature when the Carthaginians resumed the campaigning season in the spring of 216 BCE by capturing the city of Cannae, a crucial supply hub, and placing themselves along the line that convoys from the ports and warehouses of the south needed to travel to reach Rome. This was something the Romans could not and did not take lying down; Rome raised the largest army in their city's history, a force of between 80,000 and 100,000 men, and marched south with Consuls Varro and Paullus at the head of the army. This military behemoth disregarded the delaying tactics that Maximus had favored, fully determined to destroy Hannibal once and for all as quickly as possible. Despite the massive horde headed his way, Hannibal was ready for them. He encamped his army near the Aufidus, a river not far from Cannae, and waited. His intelligence told him that Consul Varro, the more influential of the two Roman generals, was a firebrand, talented in attack but with a tendency to overreach himself, and Hannibal resolved to use this flaw to his advantage. Hannibal arrayed his army in the open, sure that Varro would be unable to resist the temptation to offer battle, and then deliberately placed his weakest infantry in the center of his battle-line. Varro led the Roman legions straight at the centre of Hannibal's formation, proceeding in characteristic bull-headed fashion and spearheading the assault himself. Hannibal's troops in the center yielded before the legions, as Hannibal had anticipated, sucking the bulk of the Roman force deep into the centre of Hannibal's formation. Meanwhile, the wings of Hannibal's infantry automatically swung against the flanks of the Roman force while Hannibal's cavalry, led by his celebrated general Maharbal, crushed the Roman cavalry and light infantry deployed to protect the formation's flanks and rear and, in so doing, succeeded in encircling it completely. The Roman force now found itself unable to run or maneuver, completely surrounded by Hannibal's forces. It was one of the earliest examples of the pincer movement in the history of warfare. The result was a massacre, one of the most vicious battles in the history of the world. Around 75% of the Roman army was cut down in the ensuing melee, which would be in the vicinity of between 50,000-80,000 soldiers depending on which initial estimates are considered to be accurate. Among the casualties was the luckless Consul Paullus."

The History and Legacy of Ancient Rome's Most Decisive Military Defeat

The Battle of Cannae

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field." - Niels Bohr Sticky, flaky pastries injected with generous dollops of custard or fruit fillings. The iconic, brightly colored building blocks better known as Lego bricks. The scenic Nyhavn, a picturesque waterfront and entertainment district featuring a variety of traditional vessels and multicolored houses that color the reflections of the canal's glass-like surface. These are only a few of the plentiful fruits that have blossomed on Danish soil, and they demonstrate some of the many reasons why Denmark has been crowned among the top three happiest countries in the world (out of 155 nations surveyed) for seven consecutive years and counting. The Danes have incorporated a system that prizes a balance between work and play, the concept of "hygge," solid investments made towards the treatment of mental illness, and a stellar welfare model. That has helped ensure that an endless stream of intellectuals, inventors, creative legends, and pioneers have hailed from Denmark over many centuries, from classical scholar Ada Adler to fabled 16th century astronomer Tycho Brahe. One of the most famous, and important, is Niels Bohr, a world-famous physicist and one of the patriarchs of quantum theory. Given the vibrant, peaceful haven that is Denmark today, it's somewhat ironic that Bohr played an instrumental role in the development of the atomic bomb. Even so, the truth and depth of the matter, much like the self-professed pacifist himself, is far more complex. Niels Bohr: The Life and Legacy of the Influential Atomic Scientist examines the life and work that made Bohr one of the 20th century's most important scientists. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Bohr like never before.

The Life and Legacy of the Influential Atomic Scientist

Niels Bohr

Gustavo Vzquez Lozano

*Includes pictures *Includes Villa's own quotes about his life and career *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "My sole ambition is to rid Mexico of the class that has oppressed her and given the people a chance to know what real liberty means. And if I could bring that about today by giving up my life, I would do it gladly." - Pancho Villa "Pancho Villa," people whispered at the beginning of the 20th century, "can march 100 miles without stopping, live 100 days without food, go 100 nights without sleep, and kill 100 men without remorse." The legend of Francisco Villa is full of heroism, tragedy and romance. It is the story of a poor farmer boy who became a bandit out of necessity, after avenging an injustice on his family; a military genius who flew from an oppressive government to lead the largest revolutionary army in his country's history, and defeated dictatorship to become Mexicos liberator, only to fall again in disgrace when his troops abandoned him or were massacred by the enemy. Pancho Villa and his cavalry, Mexicans point out with a certain amount of pride, invaded the United States, and although they came and tried to capture him, they never found him. This is, at least, the version that most of them know, but it's certainly not the same as in their textbooks. The story of Francisco Villa bypassed official censorship from generation to generation, like leaves sailing at full speed on the surface of a stream. But the historical reconstruction is full of nuances. Was he a freedom fighter, or a bandit? Was he a Mexican Robin Hood, or a thief and a murderer? Was he present when his troops invaded U.S. territory? Was the advance of his famous "Dorados" (the "golden ones," the name of his troops) the cause for joy, or terror among the people as they passed the countryside towards Mexico City? Pancho Villas personality has been controversial since the very beginning of his career as a General of the revolutionary army. Many biographies have been written about him, the first of which dates back to only a few years after his death. Counting the number books who take one of those two sides-butcher or freedom fighter-would be impossible, but they would probably form two piles of equal size. Through them, readers can learn divergent tales about one of the most widely known Mexicans, both in his country and abroad. For many Mexicans, he is a hero. In schools, teachers still speak cautiously about him to new generations of children, who are amazed by the tough guy with hat and pistols. And the old, those who had heard about his exploits from their parents, declare that Villa himself will ride again through the mountains of Mexico, on the day when the poor can no longer stand and a new revolution explodes. As Octavio Paz eloquently put it, "The brutality and uncouthness of many of the revolutionary leaders has not prevented them from becoming popular myths. Villa still gallops through the north, in songs and ballads; Zapata dies at every popular fair. ... It is the Revolution, the magical word, the word that is going to change everything, that is going to bring us immense delight and a quick death." Pancho Villa: The Life and Legacy of the Famous Mexican Revolutionary chronicles the controversial life of one of Mexico's most legendary fighters. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Pancho Villa like never before, in no time at all."

The Life and Legacy of the Famous Mexican Revolutionary

Pancho Villa

*Includes pictures *Includes historical accounts describing vampires *Discusses the legends of vampires across various cultures and the evolution of the folklore *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents People have always been afraid of the dead. Since the dawn of humanity, people have both cared for those who have deceased yet also tried to keep them away. There are a myriad of legends and beliefs about the dead coming back, and one of the more persistent ones is of the vampire. Everyone has heard of vampires, but few people are truly familiar with the history and folklore that have made the mythical beings so popular. Indeed, there are so many legends from so many cultures that it is difficult to come up with a hard definition, and folklore is by its very nature unscientific, but most people in the Western world think of vampires as those who come back from the grave to suck the blood or life essence from the living. This common understanding of vampires actually obscures many European and most non-European traditions of bloodsucking monsters. For example, in China, Japan, and the Middle East, there are spirits that will drain the life force of an unwary person, but these magical beings were never mortal humans. In African and Native American traditions, there are monsters that do the same, but while they are supposed to be of this Earth, they too are not human beings. Furthermore, folklore changes over time, so the vampires people are familiar with today (and the ones some people claim to actually meet) bear little resemblance to the vampires of early modern Europe. Stories change, fiction turns to fact and vice versa, and beliefs are constantly reinvented. Ideas are adopted, adapted, and presented as true. All the while, the legend of the vampire remains. The History and Folklore of Vampires chronicles how vampires became so popular. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about vampires like never before, in no time at all.

The Stories and Legends Behind the Mythical Beings

The History and Folklore of Vampires

*Includes pictures of Diana and important people, places, and events in her life. *Discusses the controversies surrounding her life and the conspiracy theories about her death. *Includes lesser known details of her life. "Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can." - Diana A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' British Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of Great Britain's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Born in 1961, the woman who would become Princess of Wales and one of the most famous people in the world was literally nameless for a week. Expecting a boy, the parents finally came to grips with the fact that she was a girl and eventually named her Diana. Fittingly, even though Diana had been born into one of Britain's most historic and prominent families, the world came to know her better for her first name than her last name, Spencer. Diana's first brush with Prince Charles came when the prince was dating her older sister, but the world met Lady Diana after Charles began courting her from 1980-1981. The two were married in the most famous and watched wedding of the 20th century, with nearly 750,000 tuning and over half a million standing outside to see the Royal Wedding. From then on, Diana became one of the most famous people in the world, with every step she took and every decision she made heavily scrutinized across the world. Though she stayed busy with international charities, human rights work, being a mother, and all of the necessities being part of the Royal Family required, Diana remained a tabloid fixture all the while. Thanks to her fame, the life and tragic death of "Princess Di" are known the world over, and despite all of the controversies that swirled around her during her final years, Considered a saint by some and a traitor to the established order by others, Diana nevertheless remains one of the most famous and popular Britons in history. Ranked the 3rd Greatest Briton of All Time in a nationwide poll, Diana ranked ahead of icons like Isaac Newton and William Shakespeare, and she continues to be the standard by which all future women in the Royal Family will be judged. British Legends: The Life and Legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales details Diana's life and career, including its famous ups and infamous downs, but it also humanizes her and intimately explores what Lady Di was like before Legend Di enveloped her legacy. Beyond the smoke and mirrors, here is the story of an extraordinary life. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about Diana like you never have before, in no time at all.

British Legends: the Life and Legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales

*Includes pictures. *Includes historic accounts that describe the Lighthouse. *Explains the debates over how the lighthouse was built and operated, and how it was destroyed. *Includes a bibliography for further reading. "At the harbor of Alexandria stands the tower called Pharos, the first wonder. It is held together by glass and lead and is 600 yards high" - Epiphanius the Monk "The Pharos today is composed of four stages. The first, of a rectangular design, is remarkably built in rectangular cut stones, of which the joints are so well concealed that the whole seems to be formed of a single block of stone, remaining insensible to the ravages of time." - Al Bakri, a medieval traveler and writer. Over 2,000 years ago, two ancient writers named Antipater of Sidon and Philo of Byzantium authored antiquity''s most well known tour guides. After the two Greeks had traveled around the Mediterranean, they wrote of what they considered to be the classical world''s greatest construction projects. While there is still some question as to who actually authored the text attributed to Philo and when it was authored, their lists ended up comprising the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, igniting interest in the ones they chose and inspiring subsequent generations to identify their own era''s Seven Wonders. The youngest of the Wonders also turned out to be the most practical and one of the longest-lived, surviving into the late Middle Ages. It was a lighthouse built on the northern coast of Egypt in Africa, at the Greek city founded in Alexander''s name. It was the Pharos, the Great Lighthouse of Alexandria. Among antiquity''s wonders, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was fairly unique both in terms of its purpose and its secular nature. While pyramids and statues served religious purposes in Egypt and Greece, and others were impressive works of art, the origins of the Lighthouse were not even as a lighthouse at all. Instead, the large formation on the island of Pharos in the harbor of Alexandria was originally meant to help sailors identify the location of the city during the day, and some speculate it was not until later that Alexandrians decided to make it a true lighthouse that would serve sailors at night. Julius Caesar himself noted the Lighthouse''s other practical use in his commentaries about Rome''s civil wars: "Now because of the narrowness of the strait there can be no access by ship to the harbour without the consent of those who hold the Pharos. In view of this, Caesar took the precaution of landing his troops while the enemy was preoccupied with fighting, seized the Pharos and posted a garrison there. The result was that safe access was secured for his...supplies and reinforcements." It''s easy to understand Caesar''s point, because while there is still debate over its height, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was unquestionably one of the tallest man-made structures in the world at the time, if not the tallest. While ancient accounts often exaggerated its height, medieval Arab sources often claimed it was somewhere around 300-350 feet tall, with an incredibly wide base, and those sources wrote at a time where it had already required repairs due to earthquake damage. Efforts to repair it kept going until the 14th century, when the damage was so extensive that it was mostly left in ruins, the last of which were taken for other building projects and/or slipped underneath the Mediterranean. Fortunately, due to descriptions of the lighthouse and archaeological remains, modern scholars are able to understand this wonder better than most, and there may even be future attempts to build a replica and bring it back to life. The Lighthouse of Alexandria covers the ancient wonder''s history and the mysteries surrounding it, including the debate over how it was built, operated, and destroyed. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about the Lighthouse of Alexandria like never before.

The History and Legacy of an Ancient Wonder of the World

The Lighthouse of Alexandria

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the explosion and sinking of the Sultana *Includes a bibliography for further reading There is a popular saying that declares "timing is everything," and in no other field of study is that truer than in history. For instance, under normal conditions, a ship that sank with more than 2,000 passengers aboard - most of whom died - would be big news, yet today the sinking of the SS Sultana is often overlooked if not entirely forgotten. While it might have generated the type of publicity and reaction of the Johnstown Flood of 1889 or the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 under normal circumstances, the explosion and sinking of the Sultana on April 27, 1865 has become something of a historical footnote. The irony is that the Sultana is a historical footnote because of the Civil War, but it was also intimately tied to the war. Although Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses Grant at Appomattox was not technically the end of the Civil War, it took one of the last remaining Confederate armies out of the field. Furthermore, on the night of April 14, many of the Union's hopes for the future were dashed when President Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D. C. The people of the nation quickly became a volatile mix of grief and outrage, uninterested in anything that did not relate to the death of their beloved president. In fact, just the day before the disaster, as the Sultana was sailing up the Mississippi River to her rendezvous with destiny, Union Army soldiers cornered and killed Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. The Sultana's chief engineer, N. Wintringer, tried to give his readers a sense of the context in which the accident took place when he wrote, "As I was chief engineer of that ill-fated steamer at the time of her explosion I thought that my recollections of that terrible calamity would be of some interest. I believe that George Oayton, one of the pilots and myself were the only officers of the boat that escaped with our lives. ... The 'Sultana' left Cairo on that fatal trip the 15th of April, 1865, the day after the death of President Lincoln, and as all wire communications with the south were cut off at that time, the 'Sultana' carried the news of his assassination and death to all points and military posts on the Mississippi river as far as New Orleans." In short, the entire nation was in a state of chaos and too exhausted from four years of war that culminated in the death of the president to give the disaster the attention and grief it deserved. Perhaps the cruelest irony of the disaster is that the Sultana was packed full of men who had survived every conceivable trial and tribulation of the war, from wounds and sicknesses to being prisoners. Having lost hundreds of thousands, America was almost numb to the loss of a couple of thousand more, especially when many of the dead were soldiers themselves, and in a sense, it was left for future generations to try to unravel what went wrong and to pay tribute to the men who died on that dark night. The Explosion of the SS Sultana chronicles the story of America's deadliest maritime disaster. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the explosion and sinking of the Sultana like never before, in no time at all.

The Deadliest Maritime Disaster in American History

The Explosion of the SS Sultana

History for Kids: the Ancient Roman City of Pompeii

*Includes pictures *Includes accounts by passengers describing what life on the Titanic was like *Includes a bibliography for further reading "Titanic started a voyage through history when it sailed away. One century later, there is still no port at sight." - Marina Tavares Dias Just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, the largest ship in the world, hit an iceberg, starting a chain of events that would ultimately make it history's most famous, and notorious, ship. In the over 100 years since it sank on its maiden voyage, the Titanic has been the subject of endless fascination, as evidenced by the efforts to find its final resting spot, the museums full of its objects, and the countless books, documentaries, and movies made about the doomed ocean liner. Thanks to the dramatization of the Titanic's sinking and the undying interest in the story, millions of people are familiar with various aspects of the ship's demise, and the nearly 1,500 people who died in the North Atlantic in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. The sinking of the ship is still nearly as controversial now as it was over 100 years ago, and the drama is just as compelling. However, the Titanic was neither the first nor last big ship to sink, so it's clear that much of its appeal stems from the nature of ship itself. Indeed, the Titanic stands out not just for its end but for its beginning, specifically the fact that it was the most luxurious passenger ship ever built at the time. In addition to the time it took to come up with the design, the giant ship took a full three years to build, and no effort or cost was spared to outfit the Titanic in the most lavish ways. Given that the Titanic was over 100 feet tall, nearly 900 feet long, and over 90 feet wide, it's obvious that those who built her and provided all of its famous amenities had plenty of work to do. The massive ship was carrying thousands of passengers and crew members, each with their own experiences on board, and the various amenities offered among the different classes of passengers ensured that life on some decks of the ship was quite different than life on others. Life Aboard the RMS Titanic: The Maiden Voyage Before the Sinking of the World's Most Famous Ship chronicles the ship's journey across the Atlantic, profiling what life was like on board for the crew and different classes of passengers. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the voyage of the Titanic like never before, in no time at all.

The Maiden Voyage Before the Sinking of the World's Most Famous Ship

Life Aboard the RMS Titanic

*Includes pictures *Includes letters written by Cnut *Includes a bibliography for further reading "King of all England and Denmark and the Norwegians and of some of the Swedes" - Cnut's self-proclaimed title "Knut was exceptionally tall and strong, and the handsomest of men, all except for his nose, that was thin, high-set, and rather hooked. He had a fair complexion none-the-less, and a fine, thick head of hair. His eyes were better than those of other men, both the handsomer and the keener of their sight." - Knytlinga Saga In a sense, Cnut the Great was practically destined for greatness, if only because he came from a distinguished Danish royal family. Cnut's father was Sweyn Forkbeard, and his grandfather was Harald Bluetooth, both prominent and legendary kings of Denmark. Meanwhile, his mother was the widow of the Swedish king Erik the Victorious, the daughter of the Polish duke Mieszko, and a sister of the Polish king Boleslav Chrobry (Lund 1999: 28). Thanks to his background and his own abilities, Cnut became the most prominent of the Danish kings of England (from 1016), but he was also at times king of Denmark (from 1018-9), Norway (from 1028), and parts of Sweden (after 1026). During his reign, he united England, protected Denmark, and had a lot of influence throughout Scandinavia, a remarkable feat that he managed to accomplish through careful alliances and diplomacy, yet most often through direct force. For that reason, Cnut has been referred to as the greatest Anglo-Saxon king of England, despite the fact he wasn't actually Anglo-Saxon. His death in 1035 came shortly before the Norman conquest of England by William the Conqueror. For centuries, the Vikings had been raiding throughout the region, including in the British Isles, and Cnut's campaigns represented the apex of that activity. Somewhat ironically, Cnut is one of the best-documented leaders of the Vikings, a civilization that fascinates people mostly because they still seem mysterious and different compared to their European counterparts. Like many rulers of that era, Cnut was mostly forgotten in the centuries after his death, even though some medieval texts and chronicles documented his life and reign. However, an association with the Vikings has helped resurrect interest in Cnut nearly 1,000 years after his death. Interest in the Vikings peaked across Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly during the so-called Viking Revival of that era. With that came scholarly pursuits that sought to discover more about the Viking Age, as archaeologists began digging for Viking remains in earnest and linguistic enthusiasts looked to the Old Norse languages to better understand the English language. During that same time, the Vikings became ubiquitous in pop culture; the cultural depictions of Vikings in art and literature all contributed to the colorful mischaracterizations still associated with the Vikings today. Cnut the Great chronicles the life and legacy of one of the most famous and influential kings of the Middle Ages. Along with a bibliography and pictures of important people and places, you will learn about Cnut like never before, in no time at all.

The Life and Legacy of Scandinavia's Most Famous King

Cnut the Great

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "To be born in Wales, not with a silver spoon in your mouth, but, with music in your blood and with poetry in your soul, is a privilege indeed." - Brian Harris Wales is a fascinating and ancient land filled with history. Prehistoric ruins, medieval castles, and old coaching inns are only some of the historic sites people visit. The Welsh have their distinct language and customs and have always felt themselves to be a people apart from the neighboring English. This division goes back to the 5th century, when the ancient Britons fled west in the face of the Anglo-Saxon incursion. The Anglo-Saxons were made up of three tribes-the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes-from what is now Denmark and northern Germany. These tribes took advantage of the Roman legion's departure to attack vulnerable Britons, taking over England until the Britons in Wales defied them. This defiance continued into the Middle Ages, and numerous wars occurred as successive English kings tried and eventually succeeded in asserting their will over the rebellious country. With such a storied and violent past, it is no surprise that Wales has many tales of ghosts. The Ghosts of Wales: A Collection of Ghost Stories across the Welsh Nation is a collection of such tales, just a few among the thousands of local legends and modern sightings that make people think Wales is one of the most haunted countries in the world. It is part of a collection of other books written by Sean McLachlan, including The Ghosts of England: A Collection of Ghost Stories across the English Nation and The Ghosts of Ireland: A Collection of Ghost Stories across the Emerald Isle. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the ghosts of Wales like never before.

A Collection of Ghost Stories Across the Welsh Nation

The Ghosts of Wales

*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "I had carefully learned to understand, about that experience which I could have upon things of rule, how fortune is failing or great, subject to such rule in common, so that otherwise I would have had scant reason to desire such a rule, had I not found myself obliged to it through God's bidding and nature. Now it was of my acquaintance, that inasmuch as God had let me be born a prince, such as I then am born, then my good and my destruction were knotted into one with the common good; for every reason then, it was now my promise that I should take great pains about their well-being and good governance and management, and thereabout bear close concern." - Gustavus Adolphus "Read over and over again the campaigns of Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Gustavus, Turenne, Eugene, and Frederic," reads an excerpt from one of Napoleon's memoirs. "This is the only way to become a great general and master the secrets of the art of war." The "Gustavus" in question is none other than King Gustav II Adolf, widely remembered by the Latinized version of his name, Gustavus Adolphus. Some hailed him as the "Lion of the North," others called him the "Golden King," and a few knew him by the affectionate nickname "Hook-nose." Today, Swedish, Finland, and Estonian citizens alike continue to celebrate Gustavus Adolphus Day on the 6th of November each year, topping off the flag day with special cakes garnished with chocolates that featured his likeness. But who exactly was Gustavus Adolphus the Great, and why does Sweden continue to hold him in such prominence today? Gustavus Adolphus: The Life and Legacy of Sweden's Most Famous King explores the early life of the Swedish king, his ascension to power, and his greatest achievements, as well as the revolutionary military tactics he used to shape modern warfare.

The Life and Legacy of Sweden's Most Famous King

Gustavus Adolphus

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "In Scotland, beautiful as it is, it was always raining. Even when it wasn't raining, it was about to rain, or had just rained. It's a very angry sky." - Colin Hay Scotland evokes strong images in the minds of most people - castles and kilts, heather and the Highlands. It's a place many are from and many would like to see. It's an ancient land, filled with history and with a promising future. Not everything in Scotland is as it appears, however. Some Scots say this is a land haunted by spirits, a place of strange disappearances and unexplained phenomena. There is no shortage when it comes to the strange stories Scotland has to offer, and the legends and lore have compelled many to dig a little deeper and even explore this wonderful land for themselves. Weird Scotland: Monsters, Mysteries, and Magic Across the Scottish Nation is part of an ongoing series by Sean McLachlan and Charles River Editors that includes The Weird Wild West, Mysteries of the South, The Mysterious Midwest, and Mysterious New England, and more regional titles will be coming soon. This book offers a sampling of strange, unexplained, and just plain odd stories from Scotland that have fascinated people in and around the region for centuries. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Weird Scotland like never before.

Monsters, Mysteries, and Magic Across the Scottish Nation

Weird Scotland

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts describing the Etruscans and their wars with Rome *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "These people of Greek descent were called Etruscans, and it has been discovered that they had advanced so far in civilization, that they afterwards gave many of their customs to the city of Rome when it came to power. A confederacy known as the 'Twelve Cities of Etruria' became famous afterwards, though no one knows exactly which the twelve were." - Arthur Gilman, The Story of Rome from the Earliest Times to the End of the Republic When people think of ancient Italy, the Romans are usually the first and last people that come to mind, but long before Rome was built by Latin speaking people, the culture of Italy was dominated by the Etruscans. Although the Etruscans may not comprise the core of most histories of the ancient Mediterranean, they exerted a profound influence on the region from the 8th-5th centuries BCE that continued to resonate for centuries after as the Romans carried on many of their traditions. Today, much of what is known about the Etruscans comes from the ancient Roman and Greek writers who had a deep respect for them but saw them as exotic and foreign. As the famous Roman philosopher Seneca wrote about the Etruscans, "Whereas we believe lightning to be released as a result of the collision of clouds, they believe that the clouds collide so as to release lightning: for as they attribute all to deity, they are led to believe not that things have a meaning insofar as they occur, but rather that they occur because they must have a meaning." The Etruscans referred to themselves as "Rasenna" in their own language, but the Greeks called them "Tyrrhenians" and the Romans referred to them as "Etrusci," which is where the modern term "Etruscan" is derived (Cornell 1995, 45). As this suggests, reconstructing Etruscan history is based primarily on the Greco-Roman accounts, but other sources are utilized by modern scholars to create a more accurate picture. Unfortunately, despite the fact the Etruscans were a literate people, their own histories have disappeared without a trace. Nevertheless, even with this lack of primary sources, the abundance of classical writings about the Etruscans and modern historical, archaeological, and art historical studies can establish an image of Etruscan history and culture that, although not complete, is enough for scholars to arrive at some important conclusions. An in-depth examination of Etruscan history and culture reveals that the Etruscans developed a culture that was as advanced as that of their Greek contemporaries and was also one that the later Romans were indebted to on many levels. The Etruscans: The History and Culture of the Ancient Italian Civilization that Preceded the Romans looks at the influential civilization that helped give rise to the Roman Empire. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Etruscans like never before, in no time at all.

The History and Culture of the Ancient Italian Civilization That Preceded the Romans

The Etruscans

*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading " [But] in the administration of Kenya His Majesty's Government regard themselves as exercising a trust on behalf of the African population, and they are unable to delegate or share this trust, the object of which may be defined as the protection and advancement of the native races." - Lord Devonshire, British Colonial Secretary, 1929 The U.S. Naval Station Argentia, located in Placentia Bay, a sheltered harbor on Newfoundland Island, was the unlikely setting for one of the most pivotal summit meetings of the 20th century. The meeting took place on August 9, 1941. World War II was in its second year, the British had won the Battle of Britain, but were still encircled by German U-Boats, and the British fleet was being decimated in the North Atlantic. In North Africa, a contest of armor was underway as Axis and Allied armies fought for control of Egypt, while Britain and her Commonwealth allies stood alone against the mighty German Wehrmacht. The British desperately needed more U.S. armaments and supplies, but most importantly, for the U.S. to throw its lot in with the Allies and join the war. In January of that year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn into office for his third term, realizing at last that U.S. isolationism was no longer a practical policy in a rapidly changing world. Roosevelt made no secret of his support for Britain and China, but grounds for bringing the United States into the war would not fully come until December 7, 1941, when the Japanese launched their infamous surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt, however, pictured a very different post-war world than his British counterpart, Winston Churchill. When he and Churchill met at what came to be known as the Atlantic Conference, Churchill's pleas for U.S. manpower and aid were accepted, but only under clear conditions. If the United States was to come to the aid of Britain, it would be for the purpose of defeating the Germans and the Japanese and not to support the insupportable institutions of empire. Britain and, by extension, France and Portugal, the only remaining major European shareholders in foreign empire, would have to commit to decolonization as a basic prerequisite of substantial U.S. assistance. Churchill, a vocal and forceful proponent of empire and a man of the generation that had conquered the world, did not receive this news well. On the other side of the world, British and allied European Asian colonies lay very much in the path of the Japanese imperial march into Southeast Asia. However, as the inevitability of war grew daily, the nationalist movement in India was also beginning to gather pace. Without India and Indian manpower, war with Japan would be lost before it could begin. The Indians in a sense could hold the British hostage, and ultimately, in exchange for Indian cooperation in the war, the British would first have to commit to a post-war independence process. Churchill wished to offer no encouragement to the Indians in this objective, nor to any other restive colonial territory encouraged to do the same, but in the end, he had no choice. In a somber ceremony held on August 14, 1941, he added his signature alongside Roosevelt's to a document that came to be known as the Atlantic Charter. Implicit in this declaration was a "New World Order," under which European colonialism would end, and independence, sovereignty, and self-determination would be basic rights for all people and nations. It was indeed a New World Order, the founding of a new age, but perhaps its most salient feature was less the advent of universal freedom than the decline of Britain as the leading world power and the emergence of the United States in its place.

The History and Legacy of the End of Western Imperialism in the 20th Century

Decolonization

*Includes pictures *Includes eyewitness accounts of the conferences *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Separated by vast gulfs of political, cultural, and philosophical divergence, the three chief Allied nations of World War II - the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain - attempted to formulate a joint policy through a series of three conferences during and immediately after the conflict. The first meeting took place in Tehran in late 1943, while the fate of World War II still hung in the balance. The fate of World War II hung in the balance in 1943. On the Eastern Front, the opposed juggernauts of the Wehrmacht, army of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, and the Red Army, the military force of Josef Stalin's Soviet Union, grappled in a nearly apocalyptic battle. Black smoke rose into the steppe air from burning vehicles strewing the landscape, while millions of men maneuvered, fought, and died in a series of brutal encounters. Meanwhile, the Western Allies succeeded in ousting the Germans from North Africa, then took Sicily with Operation Husky and landed in Italy. There, the tough, hardened warriors of the German military turned the Italian peninsula into a vast fortress; these seasoned fighters made the determined Anglo-American forces pay a bitter price for each mountain ridge, river crossing, and stony valley swept by cunningly-placed gun emplacements. Adolf Hitler's Third Reich had scant time remaining when the "Big Three" met at the Yalta Conference in February 1945 to discuss the future of Germany, Europe, and the postwar world as a whole. No doubt existed regarding the war's outcome; the Americans had shattered the Wehrmacht's desperate last throw in the west, the Ardennes Offensive, during the Battle of the Bulge in the weeks immediately preceding Yalta, and the Soviet front lay just 50 miles east of Berlin, with the Red Army preparing for its final push into the Reich's capital after a successful surprise winter campaign. Among the agreements, the Conference called for Germany's unconditional surrender, the split of Berlin, and German demilitarization and reparations. Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt also discussed the status of Poland, and Russian involvement in the United Nations. By this time Stalin had thoroughly established Soviet authority in most of Eastern Europe and made it clear that he had no intention of giving up lands his soldiers had fought and died for. The best he would offer Churchill and Roosevelt was the promise that he would allow free elections to be held. He made it clear, though, that the only acceptable outcome to any Polish election would be one that supported communism. Though it came so shortly after Yalta, the Potsdam Conference also highlighted a turnover of leadership on the world stage. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who gave his nation hope in the darkest days of World War II, had suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of the Labor candidate Clement Attlee, who replaced him towards the end of the Conference. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died prior to the meeting, leading to his replacement by the new president Harry S. Truman, a keen-minded pragmatist whose intense focus on America's advantage contrasted with Roosevelt's internationalism. Only General Secretary Josef Stalin, dictator of the Soviet Union, remained unchanged from the earlier summit. World War II was so horrific that in its aftermath, the victorious Allies sought to address every aspect of it to both punish war criminals and attempt to ensure that there was never a conflict like it again. World War II was unprecedented in terms of the global scale of the fighting, the number of both civilian and military casualties, the practice of total war, and war crimes. World War II also left two undisputed, ideologically opposed superpowers standing, shaping global politics over the last 65 years.

Charles River Charles River Editors

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