Biography

The Arab Revolt against the Turks in World War One was, in the words of T.E. Lawrence, “a sideshow of a sideshow.” Amidst the slaughter in European trenches, the Western combatants paid scant attention to the Middle Eastern theater. As a result, the conflict was shaped to a remarkable degree by a small handful of adventurers and low-level officers far removed from the corridors of power.

When Jennifer Doudna was in sixth grade, she came home one day to find that her dad had left a paperback titled The Double Helix on her bed. As she sped through the pages, she became enthralled by the intense drama behind the competition to discover the code of life. Even though her high school counselor told her girls didn’t become scientists, she decided she would.

Among the many inventors and engineers who have shaped our world, few have been as farsighted or revolutionary as the genius of the Italian Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci. This fascinating guide explores da Vinci's life, inventions, and cultural legacy, breaking down scientific principles into clear, easy-to-follow language that is approachable for young readers. Readers can:  Explore Leonardo's life story, his years spent doodling sketches of early versions of the parachute, helicopter, diving suit, machine-gun, self-driving car and many more.  Take a tour through the other achievements of this great polymath, his work in mathematics, anatomy, astronomy, geology and civil engineering, not to mention his world famous paintings.  Uncover the world in which da Vinci lived, find out how his ideas were received, and how they influenced both contemporary and later scientists and inventors. Lavishly illustrated throughout by Paula Zamudio, with beautifully designed endpapers, this inspiring book supports home learning and is a wonderful introduction to Leonardo da Vinci's and his genius ideas for curious minds aged 8+.

Among the many scientific advances that have shaped our world, few have been as important as Isaac Newton’s law of gravity which, along with his laws of motion, are used to this day to calculate the orbits of planes and send spacecraft to Mars. This fascinating guide explores Newton’s life and ideas, breaking down scientific principles into clear, easy-to-follow language that is approachable for young readers. Explore Newton’s life story, his years spent pondering scientific puzzles, and the famous flash of inspiration beneath the apple tree that led to his revolutionary new theory. Take a tour through the other important ideas and theories of this great scientist, his experiments with light, his invention of the reflecting telescope, and his development of a new form of mathematics. Uncover the world in which Newton lived, find out how his notions were received, and how they influenced both contemporary and later thinkers. Lavishly illustrated throughout by Paula Zamudio, with beautifully designed endpapers, this inspiring book supports home learning and is a wonderful introduction to the theory of gravity for curious minds aged 8+.

Originally published individually in the St Petersburg journal Sovremennik before appearing as a single volume in 1852, and presented here in a masterful new translation by Michael Pursglove, this landmark collection of stories established the literary reputation of the author, who considered it his most significant contribution to Russian literature, and is universally regarded as a milestone in the Russian realist tradition.