Books in Fact or Fiction series

Audie Murphy was a dirt-poor Texas farm boy without a future. He spent much of his childhood working at low-paying jobs and hunting to keep his family from starving. Audie's future looked bleak--until the United States entered World War II. Audie lied about his age to join the army, and soon this baby-faced soldier was fighting in Europe. Audie became a fearless leader and the most decorated combat soldier in American history. His war experiences became a popular book and movie, and Audie went on to a career as a Hollywood star. However, the story of America's most honored soldier is not what it seems to be. Audie may have been a hero, but his war experiences affected his life long after the shooting stopped. Find out the fact and fiction about this war hero and movie star and learn the true story of Audie Murphy.

Ethan Allen is one of the great folk heroes of the American Revolution. But he did not become a legend all by himself. The Green Mountain Boys, the freedom-loving landowners who fought beside him, share the story of this daring patriot. Even before the victorious Battle of Fort Ticonderoga, Allen and the Green Mountain Boys were well known for defending settlers rights in the part of the country now known as Vermont. Often acting without orders or permission, Allen and his Boys fought bravely in the war for America s independence from England. But the passing of over two hundred years has blurred the lines between fact and fiction about Ethan Allen and his men. A deeper understanding of the events of Allen s lifetime helps us understand the man behind this larger-than-life hero and his mighty Green Mountain Boys.

Wyatt Earp is a legend of America's Wild West. Books, movies, and television shows portray him as a fearless lawman who was quick with a gun and able to take down outlaws in one gunfight after another. The truth is that Wyatt Earp rarely had to shoot to keep the Wild West's outlaws under control. Then came the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Wyatt became an outlaw himself. What is the truth about Wyatt Earp, and why do people believe the things they do about him? Read this exciting book to find out what is fact and what is fiction about one of America's most notable heroes.

Nestled in the heart of England is the small city of Nottingham. Today it is home to a variety of tourist attractions. The most famous is Sherwood Forest--the legendary home of Robin Hood. Nottingham's library includes more than 700 different books about this outlaw, who is best-known for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. And it's not just Nottingham. The adventures of Robin Hood have become the subject of countless movies, cartoons, and bedtime stories around the globe. Nearly everyone knows his name and exploits. But was Robin Hood a real, living person? Is his story based on actual events? Or is it merely a legend?

Francis Marion, often referred to as the Swamp Fox, was one of America's most important Revolutionary War leaders. He and his small band of men battled the British in the fields, woods, rivers, and swamps of South Carolina. They never let up, disrupting communications and supply lines. His daring raids helped America gain independence. But how much of his story is true? This new story for children helps them find out.

The African-American troops known as the Buffalo Soldiers helped change the American West. From 1867 to 1891 they fought over a hundred battles in the Indian Wars. They risked their lives in other ways, including enforcing the law, guarding wagon trains, exploring unknown territory, and building forts, roads, and telegraph lines. They helped win the famous Battle of San Juan Heights in Cuba, perhaps saving the life of future president Theodore Roosevelt.Everywhere they went, the faced racism and bigotry. They defended themselves, but almost never over-reacted to the threats against them. They showed courage not only in what they did, but what they didn't do. For many years, they were forgotten heroes. No longer. Their history is America's history.

Tens of thousands of Americans flew aircraft in World War II. These brave young men risked their lives by serving their country. And they were greatly admired for their courage and their piloting skills. But many white Americans did not want blacks to become pilots. Rumors claimed that blacks were less capable of learning how to fly than whites. A group of servicemen would crush those racist rumors. A project created by the United States Army Air Corps in 1941 at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) trained nearly a thousand African Americans to become fighter pilots, and many more to be ground crewmen servicing the planes the pilots flew. Called the Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black group was credited with 15,500 sorties (individual missions) during the war. This book about the brave Tuskegee Airmen will help you separate the legend from the fact.

If you have heard the name Al Capone, chances are good that you know a thing or two about Eliot Ness as well. During the Prohibition era in the United States, this opposing pair played a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Capone was the leader of one of the largest organized crime divisions in the country. Ness was the Prohibition agent who dedicated his life to sending this high-ranking criminal to prison. Countless books, films, and even a comic book or two have told their story. But how much about Eliot Ness and his pursuit of Capone is actually true? This book examines the facts--and the fiction--surrounding these now-famous names and the many stories they have inspired.

Davy Crockett claimed he was half-horse, half-alligator, with a touch of snapping turtle. He could wade the Mississippi, leap the Ohio, and ride on a streak of lightning. Davy had a grin powerful enough to bring critters to their knees. He was The King of the Wild Frontier, a backwoods hunter who once killed 105 bears in one season. He even saved the world by twisting the tail off Halley s Comet. He fought with Andrew Jackson in the Creek Indian Wars. His funny, homespun style convinced voters to send him to the U.S. Congress three times. He died fighting on the walls at the Alamo, swinging his rifle like a club. So, what s fact and what s fiction? This book separates truth from tall tales and reveals the two Davy Crocketts one a myth, the other a real man.

He battled Native Americans, hunted for buffalo, panned for gold, and rode for the Pony Express. He could ride, shoot, and rope cattle, and he worked as a scout for the Army. Much of what we imagine about the Wild West, from cowboys to stagecoach raids, is because of William ""Buffalo Bill"" Cody. Books told the stories of his exploits, and his Wild West Show toured the United States and Europe. But which of Buffalo Bill's legends are true, and which are fiction?