Books with author Smithsonian Institution

A landmark in reference publishing and overseen and authenticated by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, Natural History presents an unrivaled visual survey of Earth's natural history. Giving a clear overview of the classification of our natural world-over 6,000 species-Natural History looks at every kingdom of life, from bacteria, minerals, and rocks to fossils to plants and animals. Featuring a remarkable array of specially commissioned photographs, Natural History looks at thousands of specimens and species displayed in visual galleries that take the reader on an incredible journey from the most fundamental building blocks of the world's landscapes, through the simplest of life forms, to plants, fungi, and animals.

From the origin of life, through the age of dinosaurs stalked by the terrifying Tyrannosaurus rex, to the earliest humans, this book tells the story of life on Earth.Dinosaurs may be the stars of the show, but the book is truly comprehensive, with fossil plants, invertebrates, amphibians, fish, birds, reptiles, mammals, and even early bacteria conjuring up an entire past world. To put all of these extinct species in context, the book explores geological time and the way life forms are classified. It also looks at how fossils preserve the story of evolution and how that story can be deciphered.The "Young Earth" chapter explains how forces shaped Earth and steered the course of life. The main part of the book, "Life on Earth," lays out and catalogs the rich story of life, from its beginnings 4 billion years ago, through each geological period, such as the Jurassic and Cretaceous, to the present. The stunning visuals and authoritative text make Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life a fascinating and revealing encyclopedia that will appeal to the whole family.

Featuring amazing images of trains, virtual tours of engines, and profiles of key innovators, designers, and engineers, Train: The Definitive Visual History traces the history of the railroad and the role of trains, from the first steam engines to today's high speed bullet trains. Comprehensive catalogs feature the most important trains from each period, exploring in detail iconic trains such as the Fairy Queen, Orient Express, and Javelin, and follows the development of trains from early steam to Diesel engines and modern electronic locomotives. Beautiful photographs and detailed maps explore some of the world's most impressive rail routes from South Africa to Siberia, including the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the trans-Siberian Railway, and the high-speed Japanese Tokaido Shinkansen line. Includes 2 exclusive prints.

Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, this authoritative guide chronicles America's fight against Communism in southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s, and comprehensively explores the people, politics, events, and lasting effects of the Vietnam War.Honoring those who served in the war at home or abroad, the inside covers of this book feature images of submitted photographs of Vietnam veterans.Filled with more than 500 photographs, The Vietnam War tells the story of Vietnam through powerful images; profiles of the war's most influential figures, such as Henry Kissinger and Pol Pot; and a complete overview of the conduct, strategies, and events in this controversial war, including Ho Chi Minh's rise to power, the Geneva conference, America's intervention, and the Christmas bombings. Gallery spreads feature collections of infantry weapons, artillery, aircraft, and armored vehicles, and diagrams and maps show exactly where battles and key moments happened.A divisive and destructive event, the Vietnam War was the world's first televised war, and photographs from its front lines powerfully convey war's complex reality. Taking a global perspective, The Vietnam War remembers the people who served and features full spreads about prisoners of war, anti-war protest movements, and the significance of the war for black Americans as they struggled for civil rights.A powerful gift for the military enthusiast, The Vietnam War is a stirring visual record of the suffering, sacrifice, and heroism in America's longest and bloodiest conflict of the 20th century.

Meet the people of the world and find out about some of the fascinating cultures that make up our global community.From Spaniards to Samoans, and the Miao to the Miskitu, this fully updated edition of DK's popular Encyclopedia of People will take you on a worldwide tour of continents, peninsulas, and islands to discover what life is like for the billions of people on our planet. Discover how the Yakut people survive in the Arctic temperatures of Siberia, or why tattoos are so important in Maori culture. Learn about the Mbendeje people's hunting sign language that lets them silently creep up on unsuspecting prey. People and Places: A Visual Encyclopedia allows you to explore different cultures through illuminating photography and bitesize chunks of information. The perfect companion to geography and culture projects for school-aged children, this book is a treasure trove of facts and information about the people that make up our world.

Journey back in time and find out where the dinosaurs roamed. This unique children's atlas explores each continent, revealing fossil sites and stories on every map.Part of the best-selling What's Where on Earth series, this atlas is packed with maps of early Earth and more than 50 profiles of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Stare down a T. Rex in North America. Watch out for the Velociraptors' slashing claws in the Gobi Desert. Trek across the Siberian tundra and discover a woolly mammoth. This stunning book makes every animal come to life using breathtaking computer-generated imagery. Using specially commissioned maps, this dinosaur atlas shows you what the world looked like millions of years ago. A modern 3D globe next to each map helps you understand the arrangement of the continents over time and why we find fossils where we do. You can see what paleontologists (dinosaur experts) have dug up over the centuries in each continent and learn how they put together a picture of the past from a puzzle of ancient clues. Where on Earth? Dinosaurs reveals the prehistoric world as never before, and is an essential addition to the library of every young dinosaur expert.

Explore our wonderful universe through stunning CGI illustrations and amazing stats that bring to life the incredible marvels that populate space.Bursting with fascinating facts and the latest breathtaking images, this space book for children brings the wonders of the Solar System to life. Find out about the never-ending storms on Jupiter. Learn about the towering volcanoes of Venus - all 1,600 of them, and see the Valles Marineris on Mars--a canyon that is ten times longer than Earth's Grand Canyon. Find out many more fascinating "super" facts about the cosmos with Super Space Encyclopedia. Based on recent research and discoveries, Super Space Encyclopedia showcases everything you need to know about the Universe--from the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies and planets as well as the technology used to explore it unimaginable depths. Fabulous cutaway artworks help to reveal the inner workings of the Sun, planets, and spacecraft. Super Space Encyclopedia brings the cosmos to life in a visually compelling and informative way, making it a must-have book for every budding space enthusiast.

A visual guide to aviation and man's conquest of the skies, covering the earliest pioneers of flight to modern-day space technology. Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution and now in paperback.Over 100 years ago, the Wright brothers flew in a shaky plane for the first time. Today, pilots can fly faster than the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom.Filled with thousands of full-color photographs and fact-filled profiles on 300 aircrafts, Flight follows the history of mankind taking to the skies. From Da Vinci's drawings of flying machines to Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight in The Spirit of Saint Louis to the Boeing 767, this reference guide breaks down the complete story of aviation into easy-to-read facts and sidebar pullouts.Study the advances in aircraft design, compare the times of record-breaking flights, see how airplanes became weapons of war, and follow the timeline of the space race.Discover how we claimed the skies in Flight, from aviation pioneers of the past to astronauts of the future.

Experience 13 billion years of history on planet Earth, starting with the Big Bang before time-travelling right up to the present day. History comes alive as more than 130 different timelines are presented in glorious illustrative and photographic detail, together with accessible and informative text. Covering the rise and fall of empires, major scientific breakthroughs, groundbreaking inventions, and monumental moments in art, this is the go-to guide for just about everything that has ever happened. This comprehensive visual encyclopedia for children is an unprecedented collection of timelines and a wealth of knowledge about the world. From the most bloodthirsty pirate of all time to the first crime to be solved by studying fingerprints, you'll find it in Timelines of Everything. Find your own place in the world and understand where you fit in with this exciting, entertaining, and educational tour through time.

Experience all the world's wonders at once in the ultimate children's encyclopedia.Spilling over with history, science, space, nature, and much, much more, this visual reference guide comes complete with more than 10,000 stunning photographs, illustrations, and maps. Every page is a mini-encyclopedia at your fingertips, perfectly designed to educate, engage, and entertain.From microscopic insects to the Big Bang theory, Picturepedia explains every subject under (and including) the Sun to satisfy the curious minds of young readers. Discover the secrets of prehistoric life, explore the inner workings of the human body, and lead an orchestra of musical instruments through breathtaking photographic galleries and detailed graphics that explain every topic in incredible depth and detail.With more than 150 essential topics covered, Picturepedia is ideal for homework, projects, or just for fun. This absolute must-have book is the ideal gift for young people eager to know about everything and anything.

This stimulating and comprehensive encyclopedia for children ages 8-12 provides answers to all the questions kids love to ask. Each chapter is jam-packed with maps, charts, timelines, diagrams, beautiful images, and amazing facts. Did you know, for example, that a single drop of blood contains around five million blood cells? Or that there are areas of desert in all seven of Earth's continents? Kids can build their knowledge on a wide range of topics-including Earth and beyond, plants and animals, history and politics, science, technology, and the human body-arranged thematically with more than 9,000 indexed entries and 2,500 colorful images. Cross-reference icons encourage children to explore and discover linked information, feeding their curiosity and building their general knowledge. The New Children's Encyclopedia, which has sold almost 500,000 copies worldwide since 2009, has now been fully updated in line with the latest knowledge and research. Developed, written, and checked by experts, this is the must-have reference book for every child's library.

An informative and visual guide to America's highest office, this DK Eyewitness book explores the history of the White House and the presidents who have served in it, and features a spread about the nation's 45th president, Donald Trump.Follow the early lives and political careers of the US presidents and see how they came into office, with full-color photographs of campaign memorabilia, family portraits, handwritten letters, mementos, and more. Discover how Abraham Lincoln saved the Union, why teddy bears are named after Theodore Roosevelt, and how Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the nation with the Louisiana Purchase.Flip to the reference section in DK Eyewitness Books: Presidents to learn even more fun facts. Read iconic speeches, including Ronald Reagan's Evil Empire speech, John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and Washington's farewell address. Learn about presidential libraries and homes, national parks, Mount Rushmore, and Washington, DC.DK Eyewitness Books: Presidents looks at key players, political events, and historic moments throughout each president's term. Learn how each commander in chief led the United States through war, political turmoil, and times of peace with full-page spreads and easy-to-understand information about America's history.Each revised Eyewitness book retains the stunning artwork and photography from the groundbreaking original series, but the text has been reduced and reworked to speak more clearly to younger readers. Still on every colorful page: vibrant annotated photographs and the integrated text-and-pictures approach that makes Eyewitness a perennial favorite of parents, teachers, and school-age kids.