Books with author Michael Collier

Worlds of dark and ghoulish delight. Are you ready to read Some Scary Stories? Take a ride in someone’s head as they try to survive the rigors of a demonic exorcism. Step back in time as a young puritan lad is tempted by the children of the forest. Find out what’s it’s like to be haunted by a spirit that both loves and hates you. Go on an innocent date that ends up opening the gates of Hell here on Earth. These and many more eerie tales await.Dim the lights. Settle in. It’s time for Some Scary Stories.

The last of a manufacturing dynasty in a dying industrial town, Bill lives alone in the family mansion and works for the Truth, the moribund local paper. He yearns to write long philosophical pieces about the American dream gone sour, not the flaccid write-ups of bake-off contests demanded by the Truth. Then, old man Lawton goes missing, and suspicion fixes on his son, Ronny. Paradoxically, the specter of violent death breathes new life into the town. For Bill, a deeper and more disturbing involvement with the Lawtons ensues. The Lawton murder and the obsessions it awakes in the town come to symbolize the mood of a nation on the edge. Compulsively readable, The Keepers of Truth startles both with its insights and with Collins's powerful, incisive writing.

In a marble crypt in Annapolis, Maryland, at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel, lies an American hero. In death, as in life, John Paul Jones commands the deepest affection of his fellow countrymen. Veteran children's writer Michael Cooper takes a fresh look at one of the most colorful characters of the Revolutionary War period. The war is viewed from Jones's perspective and the reader lives out all the uncertainties, the risks, and the dangers faced by Jones with each dramatic battle at sea. A Scots immigrant, John Paul Jones arrived in America on the eve of the War for Independence, and went on to serve in the Continental Navy. The arc of his exciting life's narrative would lead him to deliver the sting of war to the British people. We follow Jones's seaborne odyssey until his fate is forged in the biggest naval battle of the American Revolution. Jones and his crew aboard the Bonhomme Richard engage the Royal Navy's Serapis and vanquish the world's greatest sea power. The name of John Paul Jones is thereafter etched into the imagination of generations of American schoolboys. Now, Hero of the High Seas gives our generation an original, accurate, and objective historical reference point for one of our country's earliest naval heroes. In Jones we meet a determined, commanding man who demanded perfection and constantly strove for improvement. Although he remained a well-respected inspirational figure to his men, Jones's fiery temper also led him into several clashes with authority. Michael Cooper tells the story of this hero of the high seas with an invigorating realism and eye for detail. This historical biography is generously illustrated with period artwork, and photographs of historical artifacts. Fine National Geographic cartography traces the voyages and ports of call of this American hero.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

The last of a manufacturing dynasty in a dying industrial town, Bill lives alone in the family mansion and works for the Truth, the moribund local paper. He yearns to write long philosophical pieces about the American dream gone sour, not the flaccid write-ups of bake-off contests demanded by the Truth. Then, old man Lawton goes missing, and suspicion fixes on his son, Ronny. Paradoxically, the specter of violent death breathes new life into the town. For Bill, a deeper and more disturbing involvement with the Lawtons ensues. The Lawton murder and the obsessions it awakes in the town come to symbolize the mood of a nation on the edge. Compulsively readable, The Keepers of Truth startles both with its insights and with Collins's powerful, incisive writing.

Back in 1992, English football was stuck in the dark ages, emerging from a five-year ban from European competition. The game was physical, bruising and attritional, based on strength over speed, aggression over finesse. It was the era of the midfield general, reducers, big men up front and getting it in the mixer; 4-4-2 was the order of the day. Few teams experimented tactically.And then, almost overnight, it all changed. The creation of the Premier League coincided with one of the most seismic rule changes in football history: the abolition of the back-pass. Suddenly defenders had no-get-out-of-jail-free card, goalkeepers had to be able to field and play the ball and the pace of the game quickened immeasurably. Tactics evolved dramatically, helped by an increased foreign influence.The Mixer is the first book to delve deep into the tactical story of the Premier League, and take a long view of how the game has developed over the last quarter century. From Fergusons directness to Keegans relentlessly attacking Newcastle outfit, to Mourinhos cagey, reactive Chelsea, all the way to Ranieris counter-attacking champions, The Mixer is one of the most entertaining, rich and knowledgeable football books ever written.

Presenting a mind-blowing line-up of musical talent! Superstar Rock n' Roll legends Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard! Cool classical megastars Mozart, Beethoven, Pavarotti! Mega pop legends The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, Oasis! AND many more special guests...Tune in to all sorts of COOL musical happenings, from the birth of the blues to the AMAZING invention of a sound recording machine. Get into the groove with MIND-BOGGLING musical instruments, and read about a tragedy that sparked the biggest MUSICAL EXPLOSION ever. PLUS how to become and overnight pop sensation! If you want to be in the know, get The Knowledge!

Jeremy and Reggie Mayer watched their mother die at the ethereal hands of three terrifying phantoms. Now they live their lives as best they can, outrunning the memory, and hope to put enough distance between them and their tormentors. Unfortunately, their tormentors won’t be kept away so easily. They have plans for the brothers and their friends. As the attacks escalates, no one is safe. In their efforts to rid themselves of the spreading evil, Jeremy and Reggie will find themselves in places that blur the lines of reality, as well as life and death.

In this entrancing account, space traveler Michael Collins recalls his early days as an Air Force test pilot, his astronaut training at NASA, and his unparalleled experiences in orbit, including the Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar landing. The final chapter to his autobiography, revised and updated for this edition, is an exciting and convincing argument in favor of mankind's continued exploration of our universe. "Several astronauts have written about their experiences, but none so well as Michael Collins...This is just the book to give the child whose parents made Yeager and The Right Stuff best sellers."-The Washington Post Book World