"From the birth of the Republican Party to the Confederacy's first convention, the Underground Railroad to the Emancipation Proclamation, the Battle of Gettysburg to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, [this book examines] the often little known stories behind the battle lines of America's bloodiest war and debunks the myths that surround its greatest figures"--Amazon.com.

Presents the stories of twelve mysteries from the American West, including disputed deaths, disappearances, massacres, a buried treasure, and the legend behind the killing of Crazy Horse.

Legends, Lore, and Lies presents critical readings in five sections-urban legends, alternative medicine, the media's role in public gullibility, psychics and the paranormal, and pseudo science-to demonstrate the importance of critical examination and the differences between an opinion or assertion and a supported claim.

In this instant New York Times bestseller, America’s top historians set the record straight on the most pernicious myths about our nation’s past. The United States is in the grip of a crisis of bad history. Distortions of the past promoted in the conservative media have led large numbers of Americans to believe in fictions over facts, making constructive dialogue impossible and imperiling our democracy. In Myth America, Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer have assembled an all-star team of fellow historians to push back against this misinformation. The contributors debunk narratives that portray the New Deal and Great Society as failures, immigrants as hostile invaders, and feminists as anti-family warriors—among numerous other partisan lies. Based on a firm foundation of historical scholarship, their findings revitalize our understanding of American history. Replacing myths with research and reality, Myth America is essential reading amid today’s heated debates about our nation’s past. With Essays By Akhil Reed Amar • Kathleen Belew • Carol Anderson • Kevin Kruse • Erika Lee • Daniel Immerwahr • Elizabeth Hinton • Naomi Oreskes • Erik M. Conway • Ari Kelman • Geraldo Cadava • David A. Bell • Joshua Zeitz • Sarah Churchwell • Michael Kazin • Karen L. Cox • Eric Rauchway • Glenda Gilmore • Natalia Mehlman Petrzela • Lawrence B. Glickman • Julian E. Zelizer

For teens 13 years and over - White Lies, Maori Legends and Fairytales is a powerful, engaging story about a boy called Petera, and his best mate Hone, growing up in small town Aotearoa. The book is full of childhood antics and adventure - surfing the sand dunes, dreaming of being an All Black, doing anything they can to stop a weirdo girl from joining their gang, and avoiding Wiremu, the school bully, who wants to smash their faces in any chance he gets! But meeting new people prompts the boys to ask questions about their world. What happened between Maori and Europeans over land all those years ago? Was it fair? What does it mean today? Why did there have to be a war where people died? Why did people sign the Treaty of Waitangi? How different are New Zealand Maori people, from New Zealand European people, and what do they think of each other now? The boys discover that not everyone views the world in the same way and that sometimes you have to fight for who you are in a world that seems to be changing around you About the author Falstaff is from Aotearoa/New Zealand. He is thirty-four years old and grew up in Huntly with his mum, dad, and five younger siblings. He used to spend the weekends at the brickworks, flying down the sand hills with his mate Tony, or playing Ninja Turtle gangs with his brothers and sister by the nearby lake. In 2011 he completed a Bachelor of Primary School Teaching at Waikato University. These days he spends some of his time teaching at Te Kura o Noera, and some of his time touring nationally and internationally as an actor, performing in a range of theatrical productions over the years.

In the more than 140 years since his death, Abraham Lincoln has become America's most revered president. The mythmaking about this self-made man began early, some of it starting during his campaign for the presidency in 1860. As an American icon, Lincoln has been the subject of speculation and inquiry as authors and researchers have examined every aspect—personal and professional—of the president's life. In Lincoln Legends, noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. carefully scrutinizes some of the most notorious tall tales and distorted ideas about America's sixteenth president. These inaccuracies and speculations about Lincoln's personal and professional life abound. Did he write his greatest speech on the back of an envelope on the way to Gettysburg? Did Lincoln appear before a congressional committee to defend his wife against charges of treason? Was he an illegitimate child? Did Lincoln have romantic encounters with women other than his wife? Did he have love affairs with men? What really happened in the weeks leading up to April 14, 1865, and in the aftermath of Lincoln's tragic assassination? Lincoln Legends evaluates the evidence on all sides of the many heated debates about the Great Emancipator. Not only does Steers weigh the merits of all relevant arguments and interpretations, but he also traces the often fascinating evolution of flawed theories about Lincoln and uncovers the motivations of the individuals—occasionally sincere but more often cynical, self-serving, and nefarious—who are responsible for their dispersal. Based on extensive primary research, the conclusions in Lincoln Legends will settle many of the enduring questions and persistent myths about Lincoln's life once and for all. Steers leaves us with a clearer image of Abraham Lincoln as a man, as an exceptionally effective president, and as a deserving recipient of the nation's admiration.

For centuries, the legends and myths of vampires have permeated various cultures around the world. In folklore, frequently vampires visited their loved ones, and caused evil doings or deaths in the places they inhabited when they were alive. The romance of the vampire lies in his total isolation––he is the tragic character of the fallen angel, one with unimaginable power. Yet, his fatal weakness makes him vulnerable. In this mesmerizing book, readers learn about the origins of vampires and their various forms across the ancient world, Europe, America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. Vlad Tepes, the land of Transylvania, and Dracula are engagingly introduced. The volume also describes how vampires have been featured in books and film.