Books in The Changed History Series series

Amazing true stories about Shakespeare, Hiawatha, Homer, George Washington, and more. If you like to think of Shakespeare only as a brilliant bard, or prefer only to know Pythagoras by his math skills, then you might want to put this book down. Seriously. Because this book is about to change your idea of history. But if you like a little controversy, or want to impress your parents and friends with some little-known tidbits of historical drama, then Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History is for you. Over the centuries, plenty of scandals, swindles, and skeletons have passed under history’s radar and missed out on being included in your textbook. (We’re looking at you, George “I cannot tell a lie” Washington.) Some of the biggest names in history can be found between these pages—and the light isn’t flattering. These figures are lucky that prime-time TV and all-access internet didn’t exist in Ancient Greece, Renaissance Europe, medieval England, or Revolutionary America, or else they could have kissed their sterling reputations goodbye. Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History explores the underbelly of history, making you question everything you thought you knew about history’s finest. Follow the fake lives of these twelve history-changers to uncover the fabrications of the famous and the should-be-famous!So, if you can handle it, take a peek at inside. Some of the famous “phonies” covered in this book include:George WashingtonPythagorasHiawathaGilgameshConfuciusMajor William MartinWilliam ShakespearePope JoanHomerPrester John HuangdiThe Turk

Fakes, frauds, and phonies. Sounds like a book filled with criminals and delinquents, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not. Some of the biggest names in history can be found between these pages—and the light isn’t flattering. (We’re looking at you, George “I must not tell a lie” Washington.) Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History is the first book in a new nonfiction middle grade series that will explore the underbelly of history, making you question everything you thought you knew about history’s finest. Follow the fake lives of these twelve history-changers to uncover the fabrications of the famous, and the should-be-famous!Famous “Phonies”:Confucius • George Washington • Pythagoras • Hiawatha • Gilgamesh • Major William Martin • William Shakespeare • Pope Joan • Homer • Prester John • Huangdi • The Turk

Dramatic True Tales of Thomas Edison, Catherine the Great, Boss Tweed, Queen Elizabeth I, and More What do Mother Theresa, Honest Abe, and Mahatma Gandhi have in common? They’re all too upstanding to be included in Thrilling Thieves: Liars, Cheats, and Cons who Changed History. Sure, you’ll find some familiar faces like Queen Elizabeth I and Thomas Edison in here, but you’ll learn that behind their angelic smiles were cunning con artists who stole their way to gold, glory, and greatness. Follow the twisting trail of twelve troublemakers to learn what really made the Mona Lisa the most iconic painting in the world, meet the most powerful pirate from history (it’s probably not who you’re expecting), and watch empires rise and fall with the theft of a simple tea plant. Turns out our world owes a lot to those who dabble on the dark side. If you’re not scared of crooks, cons, and criminals, take a peek at this new side of history. Tales of twelve troublemakers inside include: The VenetiansFrancisco PizarroQueen Elizabeth ICatherine the GreatMadame ChengRobert FortuneRobert SmallsWilliam TweedThomas EdisonVincenzo PeruggiaKlaus Fuchs

Caution: don’t look for the good guys in here.What do Mother Theresa, Honest Abe, and Mahatma Gandhi have in common? They’re all too good for this book, that’s what.Sure, you’ll find some familiar faces like Queen Elizabeth I and Thomas Edison in here, but you’ll learn that behind their angelic smiles were cunning con artists who stole their way to gold and greatness. Follow the trail of twelve troublemakers to learn what really made the Mona Lisa the most iconic painting in the world, meet the most powerful pirate from history (it’s probably not who you’re expecting), and watch empires rise and fall with the theft of a simple tea plant. Turns out our world owes a lot to those who dabble on the dark side.If you’re not scared of crooks and criminals, take a peek at this new side of history . . .

Think fugitives are always bad guys running from the law? Think again! The twelve fugitives in this book annoyed everyone, including queens, presidents and popes. But they didn’t let the peeved or the powerful stop them from breaking laws. They stood up for what they believed in, which could be as noble as freedom or as greedy as money. They founded countries, won wars, and even ended empires—all while on the run! Follow the twists and turns of these lawbreaking lives to learn how anyone can change the world. Even you! Just make sure you have your running shoes tied tight.Fantastic Fugitives: Criminals, Cutthroats, and Rebels Who Changed History While on the Run! is the second book in Brianna DuMont’s Changed History series. The series includes Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History (2015) and a forthcoming book on thieves who changed history.Fantastically fast fugitives hiding inside:Spartacus * Cleopatra * Martin Luther * Koxinga * Mary, Queen of Scots * The Pilgrims * Harriet Tubman * Typhoid Mary * John Dillinger * Emmeline Pankhurst * Virginia Hall * Nelson Mandela

The Galileo mission to Jupiter explored an exciting new frontier, had a major impact on planetary science, and provided invaluable lessons for the design of spacecraft. This mission amassed so many scientific firsts and key discoveries that it can truly be called one of the most impressive feats of exploration of the 20th century. In the words of John Casani, the original project manager of the mission, “Galileo was a way of demonstrating . . . just what U.S. technology was capable of doing.” An engineer on the Galileo team expressed more personal sentiments when she said, “I had never been a part of something with such great scope . . . . To know that the whole world was watching and hoping with us that this would work. We were doing something for all mankind.” When Galileo lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on 18 October 1989, it began an interplanetary voyage that took it to Venus, to two asteroids, back to Earth, and finally on to Jupiter. The craft’s instruments studied Jupiter’s enormous magnetosphere and its belts of intense radiation. The spacecraft also sent off a planetary probe that accomplished the most difficult atmospheric entry ever attempted. After this, the craft spent years visiting Jupiter’s moons and delving into their structures and properties. This book attempts to convey the creativity, leadership, and vision that were necessary for the mission’s success. It is a book about dedicated people and their scientific and engineering achievements. The Galileo mission faced many significant problems. Some of the most brilliant accomplishments and “work-arounds” of the Galileo staff occurred precisely when these challenges arose. Throughout the mission, engineers and scientists found ways to keep the spacecraft operational from a distance of nearly half a billion miles, enabling one of the most impressive voyages of scientific discovery.

The purpose of this book is only partly to record the engineering and scientific accomplishments of the men and women who made it possible for a human to step away from his home planet for the first time. It is primarily an attempt to show how scientists interested in the moon and engineers interested in landing people on the moon worked out their differences and conducted a program that was a major contribution to science as well as a stunning engineering accomplishment. When scientific requirements began to be imposed on manned space flight operations, hardly any aspect was unaffected. The choice of landing sites, the amount of scientific equipment that could be carried, and the weight of lunar material that could be brought back all depended on the capabilities of the spacecraft and mission operations. These considerations limited the earliest missions and constituted the challenge of the later ones.