Making Headlines

Thanks to the twenty-four-hour news cycle, today we can learn of big news developments in no time at all. But what about the smaller and stranger events that are often overlooked or ignored? This captivating volume offers readers the oddest stories ever to hit the newspapers. A dog on trial for murder? A man who choked to death on the garlic he used to repel vampires? A torrent of frogs raining from the sky? A lady who picked up broadcasting signals through her teeth? The trouser thief? These crazy news stories will convince readers that truth is often stranger than fiction. Sidebars, a glossary, a further reading section are also included.

This important volume examines history's darker side: the massacres, terrorist attacks, ethnic cleansing, and subjugation of races that have taken place throughout the history of humankind. Through examination of acts of brutality such as the Crusades, the Holocaust, the Hutu massacre of the Tutsis in Rwanda, recent terrorist attacks committed by al-Qaeda and ISIS, and many others, readers will be forced to confront the violence that continues to plague the human race. Sidebars, a glossary, and further reading section are also included.

They may make great action movies, but in real life big disasters are simply tragic. From the beginning, the earth has experienced devastating natural disasters that have resonated today. Humankind has introduced disasters of its own, caused by machines and chemicals. Readers will be fascinated to learn of the earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, floods and tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, crashes and sinkings, and oil spills and nuclear accidents that have plagued us from ancient to modern times. Sidebars, a glossary, and books and websites in the further reading section are also included.

There is no doubt about it: life is full of mystery. This compelling volume allows readers to peer into the uncovering of state and military secrets such as Watergate, North Korea's purported nuclear bomb testing, and Wikileaks, as well as true crime cases, such as the search for the "Missing Earl." Whether it's Hollywood secrets like Rock Hudson's shocking double life or the excavation of the ancient city of Teotihuacan, students will learn how great mysteries can be hidden, and in turn how they are revealed. Sidebars, a glossary, and a further reading section are also included.

History books tend to celebrate the successes, the geniuses, and the breakthroughs that have made our world what it is today, but what about the mistakes? This book examines the blunders and the goof-ups, both miniscule and colossal in scale, many of which have been lost to history. Readers will find humor in the story of the priest who married a bride to her groom's best man and cringe at the poor fool who thought he actually purchased the White House. They also will learn about mistakes that changed the course of history, like the sinking of the Titanic, the Exxon Valdez disaster, and the weapons of mass destruction that started a war but didn't exist. Sidebars, a glossary, and books and websites in the further reading section are also included.