From heroic George Washington to the dastardly Richard Nixon, the oval office has been occupied by larger-than-life personalities since 1789. The position comes with enormous power and responsibility, and every American president thus far has managed to achieve great things. However, the President of the United States is only human?and oftentimes far from perfect. While some men suffered through only minor mishaps during their time in office, others are famously remembered for leaving behind much bigger messes. In the third installment of the Epic Fails series, authors Erik Slader and Ben Thompson, and artist Tim Foley, take readers on another hilarious ride, exploring the lives, legacies, and failures of some of America's commanders in chief.
Christopher Columbus is one of the most famous explorers of all time, but he was neither the first nor last adventurer to ever stumble upon a great discovery. From the Silk Road of Asia to the icy shores of Antarctica, our knowledge of the world today is in large part due to several intrepid pioneers, risking life and limb for the sake of exploration. After all, setting off into the dark unknown requires an enormous amount of bravery. But every explorer quickly learns that courage and curiosity aren't enough to save you if you can't read a map or trespass on somebody else's land! In this fourth installment of the Epic Fails series, authors Erik Slader and Ben Thompson introduces readers to an international cast of trailblazers and details every mutiny, wrong turn, and undiscovered city of gold behind the age of exploration.
A hilarious nonfiction look at two of history's most epic 'failures': the Wright brothers, whose countless crashes ultimately led to groundbreaking success. Although Orville and Wilbur Wright are celebrated today as heroes for their revolutionary contributions to science and engineering?they are acknowledged as the first men to successfully achieve powered, piloted flight?their success was hard-earned. (Spoiler alert: there were a lot of nosedives involved.) In fact, it took the self-taught engineers years of work and dozens of crashes before they managed a single twelve-second flight! In this first installment of the brand new Epic Fails series, Ben Thompson and Erik Slader take readers through the Wright brothers' many mishaps and misadventures as they paved the way for modern aviation. The Epic Fails series takes a humorous and unexpected view of history, exploring the surprising stories behind a variety of groundbreaking discoveries, voyages, experiments, and innovations, illustrating how many of mankind's biggest successes are in fact the result of some pretty epic failures.
In this second installment of the Epic Fails series, explore the many failures that made up the Race to Space, paving the way for humanity's eventual success at reaching the stars. Today, everyone is familiar with Neil Armstrong's famous words as he first set foot on the moon: 'one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.' He made it look easy, but America's journey to the moon was anything but simple. In 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world's first satellite, into orbit, America had barely crossed the starting line of the great Space Race. Later that year, our first attempt was such a failure that the media nicknamed it 'Kaputnik.' Still, we didn't give up. With each failure, we gleaned valuable information about what went wrong, and how to avoid it in the future. So we tried again. And again. And each time we failed, we failed a little bit better. The Epic Fails series by Erik Slader and Ben Thompson explores the humorous backstories behind a variety of historical discoveries, voyages, experiments, and innovations that didn't go as expected but succeeded nonetheless, showing that many of mankind's biggest success stories are the result of some pretty epic failures indeed.
A fierce group of rebels who will never surrender. An empire's massive army that has never known defeat. And a war that changed the world forever.
From George Washington crossing the Delaware to Molly Pitcher firing her cannon to the Culper Spy Ring stealing information in the dead of night, the people of the American Revolution were some of the bravest and most inspiring of all time. Jump into each epic moment from riots in the streets of Boston to the last stand at Yorktown to the founding fathers signing the Declaration of Independence in this accessible and comprehensive guide to the birth of the United States of America.
History buff and popular blogger Ben Thompson's extensive research and irresistible storytelling make this unforgettable installment in the Guts & Glory series perfect for reluctant readers and history lovers alike!
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Devastating surprise attacks, epic victories, unstoppable armies, and tough-as-nails men and women from the greatest war in human history.
From massive aerial battles that clouded the skies with planes to deathly secret operations deep behind enemy lines, the events of World War II are some of the most awe-inspiring of all time. Discover legendary commanders, tremendous fights, elite soldiers, and courageous individuals whose deeds truly made the difference in this jaw-dropping guide to the biggest war the world has ever seen.
History buff and popular blogger Ben Thompson's extensive research and irresistible storytelling put readers right in the middle of the action in this unforgettable installment in the Guts & Glory series!
Ferocious raids, heroic battles, larger-than-life leaders, and courageous explorers that changed the course of human history.
From battle-axe-wielding tribes plundering the greatest cities of Europe to powerful kings and queens ruling their dominions with iron fists, the Vikings were some of the most feared and fearless figures in European history. Find the bravest heroes, the most menacing villains, and unbelievably awesome facts and myths inside this action-packed overview that will amaze kids with tales of a people so incredible...it's hard to believe they were real.
History buff and popular blogger Ben Thompson's lively storytelling style brings the Vikings back to life in this second book in the exhilarating Guts & Glory series!
Heart-stopping charges, dangerous secret operation, fearless spies, and legendary heroes from America's deadliest conflict!
From female spies fighting for the Rebel cause to daring cavalry rides deep into enemy territory, Civil War history is filled with fearless figures and incredible events. This invigorating overview for kids uses exciting art, illustrated maps, and colorful facts to entertain readers with stories of the legendary heroes and unlikely but totally true events that make up one of America's most fascinating conflicts. A history buff and Civil War reenactor, Ben Thompson brings the Civil War to life for young historians and reluctant students alike.
Guts & Glory is new nonfiction series featuring history's most amazing people, events, and civilizations. Book 2, Guts & Glory: The Vikings, comes out in Spring 2015!
Unstoppable true stories of the most hardcore showdowns, last stands, and military engagements of all time! When only one can live, it's an Ultimate Deathmatch!
This ain't no table tennis. You're not here to skip rope with your niece. You're here to witness the catastrophically awesome exploits of history's greatest badasses. Not only that, you're here to see what happens when badasses collide, when glory and doom hang in the balance, when two men enter one man leaves. If you dare listen, you'll hear the stories of . . .
Cyrus the Great
The king who forged the Persian Empire with blood, steel, and a few thousand rampaging camels
St. Moses the Black
The Patron Saint of Asskickings, who taught bandit thugs a lesson in turning the other cheek
The War of Aracau
The only successful indigenous resistance to Spanish colonization, led by a Mapuche warrior who strapped blades to his arms after the conquistadors sawed off his hands
The Rani of Jhansi
The Indian warrior princess who took on the British crown with a sword in each hand and her baby strapped to her back
Tango Mike-Mike
One lone Green Beret single-handedly rescues an entire Special Forces squad from a pinned-down position deep behind enemy lines in Cambodia
The Charge of the Australian Light Horse
Eight hundred horsemen armed with bayonets embark on the last great cavalry charge in history, rushing toward trenches filled with machine guns, rifles, and huge bullets
