NCW Libraries

"North Korea strictly limits contact between its citizens and the outside world. Rare occasions, such as the North Korean Mass Games, offer a glimpse of what's often called the secret state. The country typically broadcasts an image of a strong and unified people, but what is the daily reality of life in North Korea? In this look at a major current events topic, state propaganda, defector's accounts, and other annotated quotes highlight conflicting...

Humans have always been fascinated by the stars. The development of telescopes allowed them to learn more about the universe around them, and as technology advanced, they were able to travel into space and make plans for an entire space tourism industry. Through accessible main text, informative sidebars, and annotated quotes, readers learn about the scientists who have made space exploration possible and the amazing things they have discovered over...

This fascinating volume focuses on the women's movement, featuring quotations from sources such as diaries, public records, and contemporary chronicles. Author Don Nardo explains the ordeal of being an American woman in days without rights. He then details the long road to the ballot box, and the emergence of a new, powerful public woman. The gender equality struggle is richly chronicled here.

The British monarchy has long been a subject of fascination for many people. Television shows and films have been created to tell the history of influential, long-reigning monarchs such as Queen Elizabeth II, and royal weddings are televised worldwide. This engaging look at British history examines past and present monarchs, how marriages such as the one between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke tradition, and the controversy over whether or not...

Ancient Egypt is one of the most widely studied historical civilizations. Readers are introduced to important facts about ancient Egypt and the ways ancient Egyptians influenced the world for thousands of years. Readers explore this complex culture through accessible text, annotated quotations from historians, vibrant photographs and historical images, and enlightening sidebars. Readers may know about Egypt's pyramids and pharaohs from their history...

Peace in the Middle East has been a focus for politicians and activists for many years, but deadly conflicts still ravage this region. At the center of this struggle is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has deep historical roots. These roots are presented through objective main text filled with annotated quotes from historians and people who have been affected by this conflict. Featuring sidebars and images from both the past and present, this...

In 1901, a British female had a life expectancy of fifty-one years on average, but by the 1980s, a mere eighty years later, she could expect to live to at least seventy-seven years of age. The twentieth century saw an exponential leap in all measure of health, made possible by advances in medicine. The quest to prevent and cure diseases has been a focus of human activity for as long as humans have been vulnerable to sickness and injury. This incisive...

World War II was in its early days when brutal German dictator Adolf Hitler paid a visit to Paris, the capital of France. Only days before, on June 14, 1940, German soldiers had overrun the city, shocking the world. Hitler now viewed the city's cultural treasures as his own. He posed for a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, the beloved symbol of France and the country's free, democratic people. The photo, taken by his personal photographer, Heinrich...

What has been called the most famous photograph in the world, and a symbol of the 20th century, began as a spur of the moment snapshot by a Cuban photographer. Alberto Korda transformed a simple photo into a world famous portrait of a larger than life revolutionary. Korda's 1960 photo of Che Guevara's defiant face has traveled the world in many forms. It shows up wherever people struggle for freedom and human rights. And in the 21st century, the controversial...

Civilization from its origins has depended on the food, fibre, and other commodities produced by farmers. In this unique exploration of the world history of agriculture, Mark B. Tauger looks at farmers, farming, and their relationships to non-farmers from the classical societies of the Mediterranean and China through to the twenty-first century.