Series:

Milestones in American History

8 total works

Cover of Sinking of the USS Maine, The: Declaring War Against Spain. Milestones in American History.

Cover of Sputnik/Explorer I
The cold war served as the backdrop of the competition to find out which superpower - the United States or the Soviet Union - could reach outer space first. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, and the space race was officially on. Well-crafted prose, specific biographical sketches, and striking images make ""Sputnik/Explorer I"" an enthralling description of this unforgettable time in modern history.

Cover of The Wright Brothers
In December 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made history by embarking on the first controlled airplane flight among the dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, thus opening up an era of aviation throughout the world. Readers' historical perspective will reach new heights thanks to features such as the photographs and timelines that enhance ""The Wright Brothers"", a soaring new title in the ""Milestones in American History"" series.

Cover of Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone: The Invention That Changed Communication. Milestones in American History.

Cover of Sputnik/Explorer I: The Race to Conquer Space. Milestones in American History.

Cover of The Sinking of the USS Maine
Early in 1898, the battleship USS Maine was sent to Havana. Supposedly undertaken to protect U.S. interests in Cuba, this action was a blatant effort to change Spanish colonial policies. Then, on the night of February 15, the Maine blew up in Havana Harbor with the loss of 260 lives. Though the exact cause of the explosion was unknown, the loss of the Maine became the focal point for Americans who sought war. The cry 'Remember the Maine - to hell with Spain!' swept the country, and the day after the board of inquiry's report come out, President William McKinley sent Madrid an ultimatum, which led directly to the U.S. declaration of war against Spain in April. This book examines the historical circumstances leading up the destruction of the Maine, the immediate aftermath, and the long-term consequences.

Cover of Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell uttered the words that would inaugurate a new era in human communication: 'Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you'. Bell was speaking through his new invention: the telephone. Though his name is the first to be associated with this now ubiquitous device, Bell was not working in a vacuum or entirely on his own. The second half of the 19th century was a time of great innovation, during which many people were experimenting with various designs for machines to enable human communication over great distances. Bell was simply the first to win a patent. ""Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone"" tells the story of the man who invented the telephone, the people who helped him, and the changes that came about because of one of the greatest inventions of all time.

Cover of Wright Brothers, The: First in Flight. Milestones in American History.