Showing results by author "Michael Burgan" in All Categories

The Titanic sinking is one of the most memorable tragedies in history. Find out what really happened when the doomed ship sank on April 15, 1912.

In an immersive, exciting narrative nonfiction format, this powerful book follows a selection of people who experienced the D-Day invasion.

London, 1716. Lord William Nithsdale has been found guilty of treason after fighting alongside the other rebels against the British crown. For his crime, he is sent to the infamous Tower of London, where he awaits his punishment: the executioner’s blade. Upon learning of the lord’s death sentence, his wife, Lady Winifred Maxwell, sets out to free him from the “Bloody Tower”. She plots and plans to pull off a daring and dangerous breakout. If her idea works, Lord Nithsdale might just escape his deadly fate. If it doesn’t, both their heads will roll!

When it went down in flames, the Hindenburg went down in history. The era of airship travel ended with a disastrous explosion May 6, 1937. Sam Shere's photo of the Hindenburg in flames has been called the most famous news photograph ever taken....

On a business trip to Transylvania, Jonathan Harker stays at an eerie castle owned by a man named Count Dracula. When strange things start to happen, Harker investigates and finds the count sleeping in a coffin! Harker isn't safe, and when the count escapes to London, his friends aren't either.

 The mighty Soviets were the favorites to win hockey gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics. But a team of US college players had other ideas. The stunning upset of the Soviet hockey team by the young Americans has been called the greatest moment in international hockey. And to many people the victory was about much more than sports.

Some of the most important changes in American culture have been driven by people born outside the United States. Immigrants may come as refugees, as workers, or as students. They may come as children or as adults. Once here, many speak out for the rights of others or try to build a better country by working within the government. Here are 25 immigrants who have made a difference by taking a stand.

No one knew his name. But soon millions would know about his bravery. For almost two months in spring 1989, Beijing’s Tiananmen Square had been the site of growing protests against China's hardline communist  government.

A raging wildfire burns thousands of homes. A violent earthquake creates a giant tsunami that destroys countless lives. A giant tornado wipes a small town off the map. Discover the true stories of people who survived these terrible disasters and lived to tell the tale in this book from the Fighting to Survive series.

Discover the true tales of daring people who survived through bitter cold, deadly storms, and other dangers with little food or other resources in this book from the Fighting to Survive series.

In spring 1942, Royal Air Force Pilot Bill Ash’s plane was shot down by Germans, who captured and eventually brought him to Stalag Luft III, a notorious camp for prisoners of war. The Germans boasted that the camp - which was isolated, heavily guarded, and surrounded by wire fences - was escape proof.

By February 1945, the United States had been fighting World War II for more than three years. Soldiers were worn down from battle, and civilians were drained by sacrifice. But a photograph of Marines raising an American flag on Japanese soil gave a wearied nation a renewed sense of pride and hope. 

On and off the field, Jackie Robinson never backed down from a challenge. The baseball legend broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947, changing the sport forever. It was eight years later that a photo of him stealing home during the 1955 World Series became one of the most famous images from his historic career. The iconic photo of his daring base running seemed to sum up the way Robinson lived his life. He acted on his own, doing what he thought was right. He took risks. He used his talents the best way he knew how. And he made baseball - and the world - a better place.

The influence of the Roman Empire has been widespread and profound, perhaps more so than that of any other empire or civilization. Rome laid the foundation for many of the institutions and ideas in the modern Western world, including the common political and legal systems. Roman ruins can still be found in distant England, and Roman aqueducts still bring fresh drinking water to modern Rome.

On a trip to Transylvania, Jonathan Harker stays at an eerie castle owned by Count Dracula. When strange things start to happen, and the count escapes to London, Harker realizes that he and his friends are in grave danger. 

Over centuries and around the world, there is a long history of ruthless people who have wreaked havoc to get what they want. Whether empire-building or simply displaying a cruel streak, is there any excuse for the actions of people who have been responsible for the deaths of so many? Find out in these sixteen biographies of men and women throughout history who have left there deadly mark on history. From Attila the Hun and Vlad the Impaler to Adolf Hitler, listeners will learn the wicked origins of the world's most dangerous people.

 It’s one of the most famous sports images of all time. Former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston is sprawled on his back in the boxing rim. Muhammad Ali stands over Liston, holding his right hand as if ready to throw another punch. 

It didn't seem possible. Four college students shot dead May 4, 1970, by Ohio National Guardsmen during a protest against the Vietnam War. The shootings at Kent State University would shock the nation and spark a mass student strike across the country, the only one in U.S. history.

Jesse Owens’ gold-medal winning feats at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin struck a mighty propaganda blow against Adolf Hitler. The Nazi leader had planned to use the German games as a showcase of supposed Aryan superiority. Instead, there was American, Black athlete Owens on the podium being photographed by Hitler’s personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann. 

Little boys, some as young as 6, spent their long days, not playing or studying, but sorting coal in dusty, loud, and dangerous conditions. Many of these breaker boys worked 10 hours a day, six days a week all for as little as 45 cents a day. Child labor was common in the United States in the 19th century. It took the compelling, heart breaking photographs of Lewis Hine and others to bring the harsh working conditions to light.