David Macaulay

Here is a spectacular and informative guide to the castles of the Middle Ages and the lives of the people who lived in them. Superb, full-color photographs of castles around the world, plus specially built models, offer a unique and revealing "eyewitness" view of medieval life, from a castle's construction to its destruction in a siege. See a medieval lavatory, a giant crossbow on wheels, how prisoners were kept secure in dungeons, a herald in full regalia, and castles used by Crusaders in Syria and samurai warriors in Japan. Learn how castles got their water during a siege, how besiegers tunneled under castle walls, how the Normans built castles in a hurry, how the first guns worked, why round towers were better than square ones, and what a castellan's job entailed. Discover how enemies climbed castle walls, what was on the menu at a typical banquet, why many castles had resident carpenters and metalworkers, why Crusader castles were so well built, and much, much more.

St. Patrick's Day, New York City. Everyone is celebrating, but everyone is in for the shock of his life. Born into the heat and hatred of the Northern Ireland conflict, IRA man Brian Flynn has masterminded a brilliant terrorist act the seizure of Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Among his hostages: the woman Brian Flynn once loved, a former terrorist turned peace activist. Among his enemies: an Irish-American police lieutenant fighting against a traitor inside his own ranks and a shadowy British intelligence officer pursuing his own cynical, bloody plan. The cops face a booby-trapped, perfectly laid out killing zone inside the church. The hostages face death. Flynn faces his own demons, in an electrifying duel of nerves, honor, and betrayal.

A study of power and change in Washington, D.C. during the middle of the twentieth century.

Text and black and white illustrations show how the Romans planned and constructed their cities for the people who lived within them.

An arch and witty tale purporting to be the dissertation of some future archeologists' discovery and exploration of the "Toot and C'mon Motel" (any resemblance to a Holiday Inn and the Egyptian pharaoh is entirely intentional.) In the process, they get just about every detail wrong, surmising it to be a necropolis - does the "Plant That Would Not Die" symbolize eternal life or… wait a minute, isn't that just the ubiquitous plastic philodendron in every room? - and along the way cast doubt on what we really think we "know" about ancient Egypt. It's all enhanced by Macaulay's detailed and meticulous pen-and-ink sketches. Hilarious and memorable.

Introduces young readers to the nature and structure of the eye and the process through which the eye and the brain work together to create vision.

Introduces young readers to the mechanical science of jet planes that recreates an airplane ride while explaining how powerful engines, specially designed wings, and cockpit controls work together to enable a jet's flight. From the engines that provide the power and the wings that lift the plane off the ground to the cockpit controls and passenger cabin, this book shows how these modern marvels work and what makes them stay in the air.

By crossing a road, a chicken sets off a series of wild events, in which the Anderson twins blow up their bathroom and the brave young Hooper lad is rolled up and delivered inside an Oriental rug.

272 pages : color illustrations, color map ; 29 cmNC1280L Lexile

One morning, Albert and his mare June go to sell some watermelons at the market. It is like any other day, but neither one could have imagined how many lives would be affected by just one little slip. Una mañana, Albert y su yegua June van a vender unas sandías en el mercado. Es como cualquier otro día, pero ni uno podría haber imaginado cuántas vidas se vería afectado por un pequeño desliz.

Follows a tour of the bathroom and the sewer system, from the family toilets to municipal water treatment plants. Everybody knows what a toilet is for, but how does it work? This book explains the process from the flush that sends waste down the pipe to the time that clean water is released from treatment plants. The coauthor is Sheila Keenan.

This fictional account of the dismantling and removal of the Empire State Building describes the structure of a skyscraper and explains how such an edifice would be demolished.

A pigeon carrying an important message takes the reader on a unique tour which includes both ancient and modern parts of the city of Rome.

From the moat and portcullis to the great hall and dungeon, this book explains how a castle works as an enemy army tries to storm the walls. Follows the planning, construction, and ultimate testing in battle of a typical fortress with adjoining town built by the English during the Middle Ages.