Cricket History

Test cricket is on the cusp of its 150th anniversary. For the first time, Test Cricket: A History tells the full, gripping story of the players and stories that have shaped the game's evolution since 1877. Award-winning author Tim Wigmore brings to life both Test cricket on the pitch and the game's social significance around the world. This captivating tour is illuminated by dozens of exclusive interviews with the game's greatest players, including Sachin Tendulkar, Pat Cummins, Michael Holding, Muthiah Muralidaran, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Chappell, Dale Steyn and Rahul Dr

Want to know about the dots and dashes of Morse code? Learn how Morse code came into being and became less time-consuming and more efficient.

Who were Pocahontas and the Powhatan Indians? They were the Native Americans living in Virginia who met the English settlers when they arrived in 1607. Learn about their culture and how they celebrated their harvest every year!

In Colonial America, the port city of Philadelphia offered more opportunities for women like Rebecca Jones, a Quaker spinster and schoolteacher.

Have you ever looked into the night sky and wished that you could walk on the Moon? Find about what it is like from the astronauts that were first to do it! Learn about how Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins traveled into space and created history in 1969, and what it was like to take those famous first steps that made “one giant leap for mankind."

During the early 18th century, colonist John Peter Zenger printed a newspaper called the New-York Weekly Journal. Zenger helped bring information to the colonists of New York City. However, after publishing an editorial that opposed the actions of a local governor, Zenger was arrested for eight months before his trial. How would Zenger escape this situation?

Have you ever heard about the "Hello Girls" of World War I? These heroic women worked as telephone switchboard operators for the U.S. military. Despite the dangers of war, they kept American officers in contact with their soldiers during battle, and spoke in French and English. Yet, "Hello Girls" weren't recognized for their wartime service. What historic year did women win the right to vote?

A natural history of the wilderness in our homes, from the microbes in our showers to the crickets in our basements Even when the floors are sparkling clean and the house seems silent, our domestic domain is wild beyond imagination. In Never Home Alone, biologist Rob Dunn introduces us to the nearly 200,000 species living with us in our own homes, from the Egyptian meal moths in our cupboards and camel crickets in our basements to the lactobacillus lounging on our kitchen counters. You are not alone.

What is a space archaeologist? After decades of leaving behind old pieces of equipment orbiting in space, scientists want to clean it up. An archaeologist determines what is important to save for the history of human space exploration. Learn about new efforts to identify and even retrieve old space equipment! How should scientists determine what should be preserved or what is junk?

Weather affects us almost every day. When it's raining, we can't play outside. Sometimes weather is even more important. Sometimes weather shapes history.

Did you know there were several women and girls who worked as spies during the Civil War? Thanks to the voluminous hoop skirts and petticoats they wore, their clothing made it very easy to hide messages and smuggle them to the soldiers. Take a look at some of the women who served as Civil War spies!

Writing is very important to all of us! But did you know that people in the past did not have the same kind of writing instrument that we use today? Instead of using plastic or metals to create pens, people in the past used feathers to create pens! This story gives a brief history of what people used to write with and how they eventually developed the feather pen! Not only will you have a history of writing, but you will also learn how to create your very own feather pen!

Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were supporters of a strong federal government and participated in the Constitutional Convention. Together with John Jay, they wrote The Federalist Papers, one of many activities that led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about the Alexander Hamilton and the “Father of the Constitution," James Madison.

It was once common for children to work at jobs with little pay. Then a photographer named Lewis Hine urged this dangerous practice stop to with the power of his camera and the assistance of lawmakers. Learn more about the history of child labor in the United States and how it became outlawed.

Did you know that in the late nineteenth century, the United States military used bikes to travel from one place to another? They were a new invention and a quicker way to travel than walking. Lieutenant James Moss and twenty soldiers tested the durability of bikes by traveling through six states from the West to the Midwest to prove its usability in the military.

Aluminum was once more valuable than gold. A breakthrough in refining aluminum from rock transformed it from rare matter to sandwich wrapper. In this science story, you'll learn how two chemists, Charles Hall and Paul Héroult, solved the problem.

Native Americans like Squanto provided good fortune for the Pilgrims of colonial America. During this period, tensions were high between Europeans and the Native Americans in present-day Massachusetts. Squanto, Samoset, and Hobbamock served as interpreters and ambassadors, establishing peaceful alliances between these two groups.

Confederate Major Absalom Grimes carried letters between Civil War soldiers and their families, and became an expert prison escape artist in the process. Hear about Grimes' amazing life of adventure in this historical nonfiction story.

Philadelphia was a noisy and lively city in Colonial America. In this story, you can just imagine being surrounded by the influence of various cultures, the smells of food in the city and the sounds of craftsmen hard at work.

Emma Edmonds, a woman disguised as Private Frank Thompson, earned a spot in U.S. history as a successful Union spy during the American Civil War. At different times, she also posed as an Irish peddler woman, a black laundress, and a Confederate sympathizer.