Series:

Crabtree Groundbreaker Biographies

15 total works

Cover of The Beatles

The Beatles

by Diane Dakers

Published 30 January 2013
Before they spearheaded the musical phenomenon called “the British Invasion,” John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were just four kids from Liverpool. Throughout the 1960s, however, they embodied, as the Beatles, the musical, artistic, social, and spiritual promise of an entire generation. After their stormy breakup in 1970, the Fab Four became four solo artists, at times even appearing on each other’s recordings. In addition to the millions of records each band member has sold on his own since their breakup, more than 40 Beatles compilation albums have been released and continue to sell millions of copies. To this day, more than one billion Beatles recordings have sold, and thousands of books, academic papers, blogs, and websites are dedicated to the group. Despite being the Beatles for only a decade, John, Paul, George, and Ringo together formed the most successful—and arguably the most influential—musical group in history.

Cover of Calvin Klein: Fashion Design Superstar

Cover of Nelson Mandela: South Africa's Anti-Apartheid Revolutionary
A biography of the South African leader, focusing on his struggle to overthrow the tyrannies of apartheid.

This biography profiles the life and accomplishments of Nelson Mandela, a South African political activist who was imprisoned for his rebellion against racial segregation and was later elected as the first black president of South Africa.

Cover of Orville and Wilbur Wright: Pioneers of the Age of Flight

Cover of Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson

by Diane Dakers

Published 26 September 2016
Throughout his life, basketball superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson has met both challenges and opportunities with leadership. Dubbed "Magic," Johnson blazed a spectacular career with the Lakers as point guard alongside center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His epic rivalry with Celtics’ forward Larry Bird marked a legendary era in the NBA. Magic’s announcement in 1991 that he had tested positive for HIV and was retiring from basketball shocked the public but succeeded in putting a familiar and much-admired face on a disease that was then shrouded in fear and prejudice. Since then, Magic Johnson has worked as an advocate for the prevention of HIV and the still-incurable disease AIDS.

Cover of Vera Wang: A Passion for Bridal and Lifestyle Design

Cover of Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

by Diane Dakers

Published 30 October 2013
Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist and an intellectual giant of the twentieth century. This fascinating biography reveals Einstein’s life story, and how his theories changed the way we looked at the universe.

Cover of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs

by Diane Dakers

Published 15 February 2014
Steve Jobs was a pioneer of the personal computer age who passed away at the early age of 56 in 2011. This compelling biography describes his life and career as a visionary entrepreneur who helped usher the world into the digital age—in style and comfort.

Cover of Elie Wiesel: Holocaust Survivor and Messenger for Humanity

Cover of Chris Hadfield Inspiring New Generations to Explore Space
This fascinating book details the achievements of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who in December 2012, embarked on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). By the time he returned to Earth, Chris had become the first Canadian to serve as an ISS Commander. By presenting fun educational sessions aboard the ISS to grade-school kids on Earth, and streaming stunning photographs and inspiring messages from space on social media, Chris achieved his goal of inspiring a new generation of space fans.

Cover of Chris Hadfield: Inspiring New Generations to Explore Space
This fascinating book details the achievements of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield who in December 2012 embarked on perhaps his greatest assignment a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). By the time he returned to Earth, Chris had become the first Canadian to serve as an ISS Commander. High atop his list of achievements is the new excitement for space that he has brought to Earth through his mastery of social media, including fun educational sessions aboard the ISS with grade-school kids on Earth to providing his millions of fans a constant flow of stunning photographs and inspiring messages on Twitter. The astronaut dubbed Commander Cool has tapped into the Information Age to bring wit, wisdom, and enthusiasm to a new generation of space fanatics.

Cover of Oprah Winfrey: Media Legend and Inspiration to Millions

Cover of Oprah Winfrey Media Legend and Inspiration
This inspiring book tells the story of Oprah Winfrey. Born and raised in crushing poverty, she transformed her childhood fascination with the media into a vast media empire. Today, Oprah is looked upon not only as an accomplished African-American woman, but as a confidant and inspiration to hundreds of millions around the world. Oprah has experienced both admiration and critical scrutiny and become one of the world’s most influential and openly generous women.

Cover of Amelia Earhart: Pioneering Aviator and Force for Women's Rights

Cover of Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey

by Diane Dakers

Published 15 March 2016
Dian Fossey was known as a highly respected primatologist—a scientist who studies apes and other primates—and a fiercely devoted champion of their safety and preservation. Fossey had made powerful enemies because of her opposition to poaching, and in 1985, she was found murdered in her cabin in Rwanda. The case remains unsolved to this day, but her intense love for this endangered species helped create a legacy that survives in the work of others to this day.