Showing results by publisher "Charles River Editors" in Biographies

They come in droves, busloads of tourists shepherded down through modern streets, shops, and stalls, past souvenir stands and hordes of local guides offering insight and spectacle. From all across the world they come to the Italian region of Campania, to walk the cobbles of ancient streets, peer at frescoes, marvel at sculptures, and visit the remnants of historic villas, bath-houses, and even brothels.

Harriet Tubman is one of the most famous women in American history, and from an early age, every American learns of her contributions to abolition and the Underground Railroad. The woman who became known as the Moses of her people personally led more than 13 expeditions to free slaves in the South, and she was so integral in helping escaped slaves achieve freedom that her name is practically synonymous with the Underground Railroad today.

Like Geronimo in the southwest during the same era, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were warriors and leaders of different groups of Lakota (Sioux), who fought in several skirmishes against settlers and U.S. forces across the Plains, during the 1860s and 1870s. Admired by their own people for their kindness and strong leadership, reviled by their enemies for their defiance, when The Great Sioux War of 1876 began, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were two of the most important leaders among all Native American tribes on the Plains.

During the last 100 years, Susan B. Anthony has been one of the most venerated women in American history, but in the 80 years before that, she was one of the most hated women in American history. Today, of course, every American is taught about their nation’s most famous suffragist, who tirelessly advocated and lobbied for women to be granted the right to vote. History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of Susan B. Anthony for Children chronicles the life of America’s greatest human rights champion, examining her writings and her work across the political spectrum.

In many ways, the narrative of the Wild West has endured more as legend than reality, and a perfect example of that can be found in the legend of James Butler Hickok (1837-1876), forever known as "Wild Bill". Indeed, separating fact from fiction when it comes to the life of Wild Bill is nearly impossible, something due in great measure to the fact that the man himself exaggerated his own adventures or fabricated stories altogether.

Hollywood has produced no shortage of famous movie stars, but none have been as culturally significant as John Wayne. Marion Morrison was born in a quintessentially quaint Midwestern town, but he eventually grew up to become John Wayne, the legend of the silver screen who embodied the Western frontier. History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of John Wayne for Children looks at the iconic actor's life on and off the silver screen, from his out-sized influence to Hollywood to his outspoken views on politics.

The importance of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (or as he was known from birth, Gaius Octavius “Octavian” Thurinus) to the course of Western history is hard to overstate. His life, his rise to power, his political, social, and military achievements, all laid the foundations for the creation of an empire which would endure for almost five centuries, and whose traditions, laws, architecture, and art continue to influence much of Europe and the world today.

The mere mention of his name, Tutankhamun, brings to mind visions of gold and splendor and thoughts of a majestic kingdom, but the reality of this young king is something quite different. His fame has less to do with his position in history and nearly everything to do with the discovery of his tomb by Howard Carter in 1922. There are many questions and mysteries still surrounding this famous king of Egypt. Who was Tutankhamun?

During the early 20th century, groundbreaking technology revolutionized transportation both on the ground and in the sky, with new motors making automobiles and airplanes a reality in the 1910s. Around that same time, the feminist movement was underway in the United States, spearheaded by women seeking the right to vote, lobbying for the temperance movement, and trying to make their voices heard. It was at that crossroads that flight pioneer Amelia Earhart found herself in 1919.

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) was one of the most famous Romans in his day, and posterity has been even kinder to him. Cicero was a legend in his own time for his oratory abilities, but he was also one of Rome’s most prodigious writers and political philosophers. History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of Cicero for Children chronicles the life, work, and legacy of the famous Roman politician and philosopher.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt might be America’s greatest 20th century president, but there’s no question that he was the most unique. Eleanor is one of her country’s most famous and admired first ladies, but history might remember Eleanor more for what she did outside of the White House, as she became a critically acclaimed author and advocate of civil and women's rights. This audiobook covers all the well-known highlights of their lives, their relationship, and their work.

Eleanor is one of her country’s most famous and admired first ladies, an ironic fact considering she was worried being the wife of a successful politician would force her to take on what she considered to be irrelevant ceremonial roles. History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of Eleanor Roosevelt for Children chronicles the amazing life and career of one of the nation’s most important First Ladies, but it also humanizes her to paint the fuller picture.

Marco Polo (1254-1324) is an instantly recognizable name, and he is known for his travels, but it's safe to say that his influence and importance has been greatly overlooked in the nearly 700 years since he died. Born in Venice, Marco Polo was in a fortuitous position to participate in the Mediterranean trade, but he was still a young man when he went on the journey that would make him famous and greatly inspire the Age of Exploration.

Over the last 2,000 years, ambitious men have dreamed of forging vast empires and attaining eternal glory in battle, but of all the conquerors who took steps toward such dreams, none were ever as successful as antiquity’s first great conqueror. History for Kids: The Illustrated Life of Alexander the Great provides an entertaining look at the facts and myths surrounding one of history’s most famous men and conquerors, while exploring the lasting legacy he left.

The lives of Wilbur and Orville Wright are quintessential American stories. But at the end of the 20th century, one of the brothers’ passions became an obsession, making history's first successful powered flights. History for Kids: The Illustrated Lives of the Wright Brothers profiles the lives, careers, and legacies of the famous brothers. Your kids will learn about the Wright Brothers like never before.

History for Kids: The Illustrated Life of Franklin D. Roosevelt covers all the well known highlights of Roosevelt's life and presidency, but it also humanizes the nation's longest-serving president, covering Roosevelt's family and famous wife, the philosophical shift Roosevelt led the country through with the New Deal, and the tenacious fighter who battled polio and Adolf Hitler.

It would be an understatement to say that pop culture's perception of piracy and pirates has been primarily influenced by Captain Edward Teach, known to the world as Blackbeard, the most famous pirate of all time. An English pirate who terrorized the high seas near the Carolinas in the early 18th century, a period often referred to as the Golden Age of Piracy, Blackbeard was the gold standard.

Rosa Parks is one of the most famous women in American history thanks to the events of December 1, 1955. That afternoon, on her way home from work, Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white person in defiance of Montgomery's segregated bus policies. Within days of her arrest, Montgomery's civil rights activists had organized a wide-scale boycott of Montgomery's buses by blacks. To lead the boycott, organizers formed the Montgomery Improvement Association, electing a young, 26-year-old pastor president of the new group. His name was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

History for Kids: The Illustrated Life of John F. Kennedy humanizes the nation's youngest elected president, explaining the roots of the Kennedy family, the basis for John’s presidential ambitions, his war service and journalism, his political career and assassination, and all of the accomplishments and shortcomings in between. Along the way, your kids will learn interesting facts about JFK you never knew, like which famous relative also died on November 22.

In Charles River Editors' History for Kids series, your children can learn about history's most important people and events in an easy, entertaining, and educational way. The concise but comprehensive book will keep your kid's attention all the way to the end.

Today, Alexander Graham Bell is remembered almost solely for one of the few things he didn't have in his laboratory: the telephone. Long hailed as the inventor of the telephone, that accomplishment has nevertheless overshadowed a long and legendary scientific career that saw Bell contribute to a vast number of fields, ranging from geology to aeronautics. Bell also had the misfortune of being outshined by his contemporary Thomas Edison, who invented the incandescent light bulb and has gone down in history as America's greatest inventor.