Books published by publisher The Natural History Press

The author of the Tattooed Girl series and the author of The Corpsewood Manor Murders of North Georgia team up to delve into Chattanooga’s spirited past. It is the home of one of the most famous railways in American history, the site of a historically vital trade route along the Tennessee River, and the gateway to the Deep South. Chattanooga has a storied past, a past that still lives through the spirits that haunt the city. Whether it is the ghost of the Delta Queen still lingering from the days of the river trade, the porter who forever roams the grounds of the historic Terminal Station, or the restless souls that haunt from beneath the city in its elaborate underground tunnel system, the specter of Chattanooga’s past is everywhere. Join authors Jessica Penot and Amy Petulla as they survey the most historically haunted places in and around the Scenic City. Includes photos! “Until quite recently, Chattanooga was a city whose ghosts were ill documented. Jessica Penot and Amy Petulla’s recent book, Haunted Chattanooga, has helped to fix that.” —Southern Spirit Guide

The outbreak of war in 1914 was greeted with euphoria by many in Europe, and it was widely believed that the conflict would be "over by Christmas." In the event, millions of men were destined to spend the first of four seasons away from their families and loved ones. Amid the shortages, tedium, and dangers of life in the trenches, those at "the sharp end" remained determined to celebrate Christmas as a time of comradeship and community, a time when war could be set aside, if only for a day. Unlike the famous Christmas truce of 1914, the Christmas experiences in other years and on other fronts have received scant attention. Alan Wakefield has trawled the archives of the Imperial War Museum, National Archives, and National Army Museum to provide a fascinating selection of first-hand accounts of the six wartime Christmases of World War I.

True stories of the spookiest sites in this beautiful South Carolina city—includes photos! On the historic streets of Charleston, true life is sometimes stranger than fiction. In this book, Ed Macy and Geordie Buxton share stories of the paranormal in ghastly and sometimes dreadful detail. Combing through the oft-forgotten enclaves of the Holy City, they bring readers face to face with: The orphans who haunt a dorm at the College of CharlestonA Citadel cadet who haunts a local hotelThe specter of William Drayton at Drayton Hall PlantationAnd more! Enriched by historic background information and specific details that are often lost in ghost stories, this collection sparks curiosity about what might still be lurking in the alleyways of Charleston’s storied streets.

Discover the paranormal past of this historic Georgia river town on the outskirts of Atlanta—includes photos! Roswell, Georgia, is haunted by the lingering ghosts of generations long dead. In this historic town, spirits roam through ruined mills, antebellum mansions, and slave cabins, searching for those lost in the battles of the Civil War. From the banks of the Chattahoochee to the streets of Roswell’s historic district, chilling specters remind us of this charming Southern town’s shocking past. Author Dianna Avena blends Roswell’s history with tales of the city’s most famous haunts—from the slave quarters of Bulloch Hall to the cracked graves in Founder’s Cemetery—to send chills down the spines of locals and visitors alike.

On September 17, 1862, the forces of Major General George B. McClellan and his Union Army of the Potomac confronted Robert E. Lee's entire Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Union forces mounted a powerful assault on Lee's left flank in the idyllic Miller Cornfield. It was the single bloodiest day in the history of the Civil War. The elite combat units of the Union's Iron Brigade and the Confederate Texas Brigade held a dramatic showdown and suffered immense losses through vicious attacks and counterattacks sweeping through the cornstalks. Author Phillip Thomas Tucker reveals the triumph and tragedy of the greatest sacrifice of life of any battleground in America.

The guerrillas who terrorized Missouri during the Civil War were colorful men whose daring and vicious deeds brought them a celebrity never enjoyed by the Federal soldiers who hunted them. Many books have been written about William Quantrill, "Bloody Bill" Anderson, George Todd, Tom Livingston and other noted guerrillas. You have probably not heard of George Wolz, Aaron Caton, John Durnell, Thomas Holston or Ludwick St. John. They served in Union cavalry regiments in Missouri, where neither side showed mercy to defeated foes. They are just five of the anonymous thousands who, in the end, defeated the guerrillas and have been forgotten with the passage of time. This is their story.

Many Americans are familiar with Thomas Edison's "invention factory" in Menlo Park, where he patented the phonograph, the light bulb and more than one thousand other items. Yet many other ideas have grown in the Garden State, too--New Jerseyans brought sound and music to movies and built the very first drive-in theater. In addition to the first cultivated blueberry, tasty treats like ice cream cones and M&Ms are also Jersey natives. Iconic aspects of American life, like the batting cage, catcher's mask and even professional baseball itself, started in New Jersey. Life would be a lot harder without the vacuum cleaner, plastic and Band-Aids, and many important advances in medicine and surgery were also developed here. Join author Linda Barth as she explores groundbreaking, useful, fun and even silly inventions and their New Jersey roots.

In this wide-ranging book, a prominent zoologist conducts a personal guided tour through the zoos of the world - out front and behind the scenes - their history and future prospects, their problems and contributions. A book about zoos could be a mere menagerie of unusual specimens for the diversion of the public. Or it can be a creative effort that not only entertains the public but also informs them and advances the field. This book is an example of the latter. It approaches zoos as part of the age-old tradition of animals and man living in association, and as a reflection of the broader patterns of man's history, culture, and science. It tells of the history of zoos from the dawn of antiquity. It tells of the future prospects of zoos in the vital area of research and development. And it tells of the present-day zoos, with all of their problems of obtaining, transporting, feeding, and housing vast numbers of animals. All of this is brought to life by a scientist whose first-hand experience of zoos equips him to give us an authoritative picture of the world of animals in captivity. James Fisher is a British scientist with an international reputation for the excellence of his writing and research. As part of the Nature and Science Library series, "Zoos of the World" is designed particularly for readers of junior high school age, but can be read and enjoyed by the whole family.

Before Texas was Texas, it was a lot of things to a lot of different people. Comanche, Choctaw, French, Spanish, Mexican and more laid claim to Texas soil as their own, and no one wanted to share. The fights and alliances that arose out of the colonization of Texas shaped the state's future. Find out all about the beginning of the state and the colonists who helped pave the way for the Texas we now know. Saddle up with Betsy and George Christian for an interactive, fun chapter in Texas history for kids that challenges them to ask questions about the history they're told and the world in which they live.

Local storyteller Jonathan Kruk shares the mysterious lore of the Hudson Valley, best known among them Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman is one of America's best known fables, but what other stories does the Hudson Valley hold? Imps cause mischief on the Hudson River, a white lady haunts Raven Rock, Major Andre's ghost seeks redemption and real headless Hessians search for their severed skulls. These mysterious and spooky tales from the region's past that inspired Irving and continues to captivate the imagination to this day.

Memories of lost pirates' treasure, daring rescues off the coast and prowling German U-boats linger amidst the dunes and sea grass of Rehoboth Beach. From modest beginnings as a religious retreat, the town has survived fierce storms and gales to blossom into a vibrant community and the nation's summer capital. With spirit and a touch of wry humor, Delmarva journalist Michael Morgan regales his audience with tales of intrepid explorers, brave guardians of the beach and ever-evolving trends in swimwear. Morgan invites his readers beyond the boardwalk to catch a glimpse of the true Rehoboth Beach.

One of history's greatest naval engagements, the Battle of Hampton Roads, occurred on March 8 and 9, 1862. On the first morning, the Confederate ironclad the CSS Virginia, formerly known as the Merrimack, sank two Union wooden warships, proving the power of the armored vessels over the traditional sailing ships. The next morning, the Virginia engaged the Union ironclad USS Monitor to a draw in a battle that significantly altered naval warfare. It was the first engagement between ironclads and ushered in a new era of warship construction and ordnance. The 25, 000 sailors, soldiers and civilians who witnessed the battle knew then what history would soon confirm: wars waged on the waters would never be the same. The seemingly invincible Monitor and Virginia were experimental ships, revolutionary combinations of new and old technology, and their clash on March 9, 1862, was the culmination of over 2, 000 years of naval experience. The construction and combat service of ironclads during the Civil War were the first in a cascade of events that influenced the outcome of the war and prompted the development of improved ironclads as well as the creation of new weapons systems, such as torpedoes and submarines, needed to counter modern armored warships.