Galileo Galilei and his telescope. Isaac Newton and his apple. Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.But have you heard that: Galileo was sentenced to life in prison for his shocking ideas about the solar system? Newton wasn't all that keen on science—sometimes it got on his nerves? Darwin wrote a book about his pet worms?Yes, even though they're dead, scientists are still full of surprises—and the nine in this book are more surprising than most. Now you can get the inside story from their lost notebooks, read the news reports as their breakthroughs hit the headlines, and find out all about the mind-blowing experiments!Dead Funny. Dead Gripping. Dead Famous.

    He is dead famous for: being quite a good gladiator; giving the Romans the run-around; and, looking an awful lot like Kirk Douglas. But have you heard that Spartacus: fought for the Romans as well as against them. This title presents the inside story in Spartacus' secret diary.

    But have you heard that she was a right raver on the dance floor, locked up ladies for getting married, and fell in love with a frog? Get the inside story in another issue of "Dead Famous".

    He is horribly famous for being the King of Rock 'n' Roll, having trouble fitting into his spangly white jumpsuits and causing a riot with a wiggle of his pelvis. But not everyone knows that Elvis escaped from tornadoes by hiding in a cave, flew halfway across America for 22 giant sandwiches and had a tooth stuck in his lung...Everything you ever wanted to know about the man with the pelvis.

    But have you heard that Joan was always having to prove she was'nt a witch, loved writing cheeky letters to very important people, and made the King of France look like a complete coward? Yes, even though she's dead, Joan's still full of surprises. Now you can get the inside story with Joan's secret diary, read the news that set France ablaze in The Gallic Globe, and find out exactly how a teenage girl gave an entire army its marching orders.

    "Off with his head!" This clever biography showcases Henry's early life as a young prince, his turbulent years as king, and the stories of his unfortunate victims.

    You can get the inside story with his secret diary - find out the news of the day in the Shakespearean Sun and prepare to be amazed as the curtain is raised on Shakespeare's most dramatic acts.

    He is dead famous for: discovering gravity, being a right clever dick and getting hit on the head with an apple. But have you heard that Isaac: came bottom of the class at school, poked sticks in his eye and nearly blinded himself and nearly got himself executed?

    This unusual school had old railroad cars for classrooms, and it was run by an extraordinary man--its founder and headmaster, Sosaku Kobayashi--who was a firm believer in freedom of expression and activity.

    From his years as a prankster at boarding school to his envious position as a chocolate tester for Cadbury's, Roald Dahl's boyhood was as full of excitement and the unexpected as are his world-famous, best-selling books. Packed with anecdotes—some funny, some painful, all interesting—this is a book that's sure to please.

    With a fantastic new cover look and extra horrible bits at the back of the book, this best-selling title is sure to be a huge hit with a new generation of "Horrible Science" readers.

    My Family and Other Animals was intended to embrace the natural history of the island but ended up as a delightful account of Durrell’s family’s experiences, from the many eccentric hangers-on to the ceaseless procession of puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, bats, and butterflies into their home.

    They opened up new worlds and cast light on all the complexities she encountered in this one.She was whisked away to Narnia – and Kirrin Island – and Wonderland. She ventured down rabbit holes and womble burrows into midnight gardens and chocolate factories. She wandered the countryside with Milly-Molly-Mandy, and played by the tracks with the Railway Children. With Charlotte’s Web she discovered Death and with Judy Blume it was Boys. No wonder she only left the house for her weekly trip to the library or to spend her pocket money on amassing her own at home.In Bookworm, Lucy revisits her childhood reading with wit, love and gratitude. She relives our best-beloved books, their extraordinary creators, and looks at the thousand subtle ways they shape our lives. She also disinters a few forgotten treasures to inspire the next generation of bookworms and set them on their way.Lucy brings the favourite characters of our collective childhoods back to life – prompting endless re-readings, rediscoveries, and, inevitably, fierce debate – and brilliantly uses them to tell her own story, that of a born, and unrepentant, bookworm.

    Translated into more than fifty languages, Cheaper by the Dozen is the unforgettable story of the Gilbreth clan as told by two of its members. In this endearing, amusing memoir, siblings Frank Jr. and Ernestine capture the hilarity and heart of growing up in an oversized family.Mother and Dad are world-renowned efficiency experts, helping factories fine-tune their assembly lines for maximum output at minimum cost. At home, the Gilbreths themselves have cranked out twelve kids, and Dad is out to prove that efficiency principles can apply to family as well as the workplace. The heartwarming and comic stories of the jumbo-size Gilbreth clan have delighted generations of readers, and will keep you and yours laughing for years.

    Find out who made a meal of maggots, or which soldiers were so smelly their enemies could sniff them out.