Milton Meltzer

Provides biographical portraits of ten queens from history including Esther, Cleopatra, Boudicca, Zenobia, Eleanor of Acquitaine, Isabel of Spain, Elizabeth I, Christina of Sweden, Maria Theresa, and Catherine the Great.

With an emphasis on her early years, covers the life of the South African woman who married a prominent fighter for racial equality in South Africa and later became a leader in her own right.

Profiles ten kings that changed the course of history, including Peter the Great, and Hammurabi, ruler of the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia.

Highlights some weapons of war explaining how and why they were developed, various responses people have had to them, and the impact they have had upon society.

A courageous young white man aids slaves escaping from Kentucky in pre-Civil War days.

Traces the origins and progression of hysteria, fear, and persecution associated with witches and witchcraft in western societies.

Discusses the value of gold and how it has been sought after and used in countries around the world throughout history.

Examines the troubled life of the nineteenth-century writer whose poetry and short stories broke new ground in American literature.