Loyal subjects, watch out! Some of history's royal leaders were just as vicious as they were powerful. These kings and queens stole, tortured, and murdered. Read on to discover the gruesome ways these rulers terrorized their enemies, their own people, and even their own blood.

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting to engage reluctant readers! Loyal subjects, watch out! Some of history's royal leaders were just as vicious as they were powerful. These kings and queens stole, tortured, and murdered. Read on to discover the gruesome ways these rulers terrorized their enemies, their own people, and even their own blood.

Does Ivan Vasilyevich, also known as Ivan the Terrible, deserve his menacing moniker? The grand prince of Moscow built an empire in the 16th century to become the first tsar of Russia in 1547. Though his achievements were considerable during his time in power, his suspicions about the loyalty of his subjects led to thousands of executions, casting a bloody pall over his entire reign. This story of an intriguing—though chilling—ruler will captivate readers as well as give them an understanding of the conflicts in Europe and Asia at this time.

Get ready to bow down—if you don't want to lose your head! Some of history's most ruthless leaders are headed your way. Some of these rulers schemed their way to the top. Others just conquered everything around them. Are you fearless enough to read on?

Avast! Are ye' ready to sail the high seas with some of the world's most feared pirates? These accounts will do more than shiver your timbers. Nothing came between these scoundrels of the sea and their loot. They burned boats, lopped off ears, and killed those who dared to challenge them. Come aboard to witness the ruthless methods of history's most petrifying pirates.

Vlad III, the 15th century ruler of what is now southern Romania, had a terrifying nickname—the Impaler. It originated with the grisly way he dealt with his enemies: He demanded that their not-yet-dead bodies be impaled on stakes. Vlad’s reputation for brutality only grew and later became entwined with the legend of the vampire Dracula. This in-depth account presents the true story of Vlad the Impaler and his fight against the Ottoman Empire, a struggle that makes the villain a hero to some. An appealing design and features such as sidebars and fact boxes make this biography an especially high-interest read for young historians.

James Bond may be one of the good guys, but the spies in this book definitely aren't—nor are the traitors and assassins! Crack open this book to uncover more secrets about history's most terrible assassins, traitors, and spies.