Most Popular Books by Richard Platt

Describes various disasters that have taken place throughout history.

An introduction to pirates discusses life aboard a pirate ship, examines the tools of the trade, and portrays famous pirates.

This fascinating kit tells the astonishing story of the ancient graphic-language symbols of the Middle East, the Far East, and Central America. The colorful 32 page book is accompanied by a fascinating activity pack featuring 27 rubber hieroglyphic stamps, an ink pad, a supply of papyrus templates, educational Rosetta Stone poster, cardboard model of the temple of Rameses III to assemble; reed stylus, modeling clay, and cylinder seal to practice cuneiform writing; world map of cultures, stickers, and Mehen board game.

Describes ten different types of pirates throughout history, from Vikings and corsairs to privateers and yang-fei, and matches their strengths and weaknesses against one another in fictional battles.

How does the body protect itself from infections? What makes your tummy rumble? Are you taller at the beginning or end of the day? This extraordinary book actually takes you inside - and around - the human body to see how it works, with the help of some truly unique illustrations and some very small people! Explore your brain, your bones, and everything in between in incredible cross-section drawings of all the body systems. Inside each one are teams of tiny characters busy at work, and explaining what''s going on. Every page is packed with jaw-dropping facts. Did you know that the skin is your largest organ - in an adult, it''s 2 sq m (22 sq ft). Have you ever thought about how heavy the brain is? Well, it''s about 1.4 kg (3 lb) and is crammed with 100 billion nerve cells that help you think and move. And by the time you turn 75, your heart will have pumped blood around your body 4,000 million times! With the challenge of finding two tiny explorers making their way through the body, learning about anatomy has never been so much fun!

How many rivets and bolts hold the wings of a Boeing 777 plane together? Why does an astronaut''s spacesuit have a layer of liquid-cooled underwear? Who puts the jam in doughnuts? Find out the answers to these questions and much, much more in Stephen Biesty''s Incredible Cross-Sections of Everything. His intricate artwork will have children and adults alike poring over every detail, whether it''s following the production line of a factory making newspapers or exploring the insides of the Saturn V rocket. Taking you through every stage of each process is Chester the Tester, a character who helps explain how things are made, along with his sidekick Hector the Inspector. Written with humor and fascinating facts to guide you through the illustrations, this book is a glorious way to learn about the world around you. First published 25 years ago, Stephen Biesty''s Incredible Cross-Sections series has been updated for the silver anniversary, bringing delight to a whole new generation of curious young readers.

"Not many, if any, children’s books on the Middle Ages and castles contain the wealth of information found in this fresh, appealing offering." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review) What was it really like to live in a castle? Step back to the Middle Ages with CASTLE DIARY: THE JOURNAL OF TOBIAS BURGESS. Eleven-year-old Toby’s vivid diary entries offer an insider’s view of day-to-day castle life, including tips on etiquette (where do you spit at a feast?) and exciting descriptions of hunting, jousting, and harvesting. Complete with glossary, index, and detailed endnotes, this is a rich look at medieval life that informs as much as it entertains.

A guide to all three of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, lavishly illustrated with pictures from the movies.

"A fresh, lively voice. . . . Replete with details of daily life." — Kirkus Reviews The year is 1464 BC, and Nakht’s family is moving to the city of Memphis. Nakht, who is studying to be a scribe, keeps a journal of the many sights and sounds of the bustling city — temples and pyramids, cargo ships, a hippopotamus hunt, even a tomb robbery. Presented as a lively diary, here is an invitation for readers to witness firsthand what life was like for one boy in Egypt 3,500 years ago.

"Platt weaves vast quantities of nautical information into a text as lively as it is absorbing." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) Curious about life on a pirate ship? Check out PIRATE DIARY: THE JOURNAL OF JAKE CARPENTER, an account of adventure on the high seas as told by a feisty nine-year-old carpenter’s apprentice, circa 1716. Historically accurate illustrations of ship and crew, a map of Jake’s travels, and a detailed glossary and index vividly reveal the fascinating - and harsh - life of a pirate in the eighteenth century. Ships ahoy!

Delve into the many technologies that we use to share information. From making calls on satellite phones to sending e-mails, this is an exciting look at the developments that have revolutionized communication.

"Like Platt’s previous ‘diaries’ about castles, pirates, and ancient Egypt, this offers an accessible introduction to history." — Booklist Iliona never imagined that her sea voyage from Greece to Egypt would lead to Rome, but when she is captured by pirates and auctioned off as a slave, that’s where she lands. Readers are invited to view the wonders of Rome through Iliona’s eyes—the luxury, the excess, and the politics. Back matter includes notes for the reader, a glossary, and sources.

As One Devil to Another is an astonishing debut work that C. S. Lewis’s biographer and foremost Lewis authority Walter Hooper calls “a stunning achievement, the finest example of the genre of diabolical correspondence to appear since this genre was popularized by C. S. Lewis.” Enter into this chilling and diabolical tale, one that reveals the very tricks and strategies of Hell. Through a series of letters between devils created by Platt, senior devil Slashreap trains his young protégé, Scardagger, to win an individual soul away from Heaven and into their clutches. As the devils plot their way to triumph, they reveal the spiritual dangers and risks we face in today’s society. Their frighteningly accurate perspective on issues such as contemporary technology and sexual mores is interwoven with timeless matters such as the power of prayer, the purpose of suffering, and the promises held out by Heaven . . . and Hell. Destined to become a modern classic, As One Devil to Another is a brilliantly written, deeply unsettling perspective on twenty-first-century society . . . a glimpse of ourselves through the eyes of those who have embraced their underworldly existence.

Tells the fascinating story of exploration by many different explorers facing different hardships.

Cut-away illustrations and explanatory captions explain how such diverse objects as chocolate bars and cathedrals, false teeth and tanks are made.

Presents information about men and women spies throughout history as well as about the tools and equipment they used in espionage and intelligence service.

Look inside an 18th-century warship as it sails into battle on the high seas. Packed with extraordinary illustrations, this history book for children covers everything from warship design to navigation. Biesty''s incredible drawings slice through a man-of-war to explore every corner, from the crow''s nest to the stinking hold. Packed with fascinating facts and gory details, the pages teem with sailors going about their duties. Find out how gun crews fired a cannon, examine a surgeon''s toolkit, and learn the best way to wriggle the maggots out of the ship''s biscuits. Look out, too, for the stowaway on every page. He''s the one with spiky hair, and there''s a reward for his capture! This absorbing book will have children--and adults--poring over every page. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Stephen Biesty''s Cross-Sections Man-of-War remains as entertaining as ever.

History comes alive in this incredible children''s illustrated book about castles. Slicing through different areas of a medieval fortress, extraordinary views reveal the people busy inside, preparing for battle as an enemy army approaches. Packed with facts, you''ll find out what it takes to build a massive 14th-century castle, dress a knight in armor, or prepare a feast fit for a king or queen. From the drawbridge to the dungeon, Cross-Sections Castle swarms with the people who keep the castle going--the workers, craftsmen, and servants. And, as you pore over every page, look out for the villainous spy. Is he in the well... the keep... the moat? No? Keep looking, he''s there somewhere! Back in print after 20 years, you can now cheer on jousters, be entertained by a troubadour, and witness the gory details of a traitor''s demise. This unique illustrated book for kids is not just the story of a castle; it brings medieval history to life.

Set in the year 2098, in Galactic Mission five school children have won an international competition to visit outer space and journey to the distant star system of Alpha Centauri on the spaceship Argo to find a new home. But right from the start things don''t go according to plan-conflict, malfunctions, mistrust, and running out of fuel all get in their way of trying to enter Alpha Centauri''s atmosphere. Will they all make it back alive? Will they discover a new planet with great potential for human life to survive? DK Adventures are an innovative mix of narrative and nonfiction for kids ages 8-11 featuring engaging, action-packed stories that help kids build their skills in vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and critical thinking while developing a love of reading. With diaries, recipes, poetry, instructions, graphics, or songs, the genre spreads in each DK Adventures title enhance the story and reinforce curriculum learning, while the expansive range of entertaining nonfiction subjects will appeal to boys and girls everywhere. Supports the Common Core State Standards.

This children''s book explores the innermost workings of some extraordinary buildings and machines. From helicopters to submarines, skyscrapers to coal mines, open up a fascinating world packed with unique and detailed cutaway drawings. Whether it''s a Spanish galleon or a medieval castle, each cross-section slice or exploded view reveals what''s going on inside. See the people swarming inside the Empire State Building, the workers busy backstage at an opera house, and where the crew sleep on a jumbo jet. Included also are two impressive fold-outs showing an ocean liner and a steam train. There are lots of fun facts to be discovered, and curious details are highlighted and explained. Did you know one of the funnels of the Queen Mary liner was fake, and used for storing deckchairs? And in almost every scene there''s the challenge... to find a man sitting on a toilet! With more than a million copies sold, Stephen Biesty''s award-winning illustrated book is as fascinating today as it was when first published, in 1992. Incredible Cross-sections is the ultimate way to see how things work.

DK Readers: Spiders'' Secrets is now available with read-along audio feature, paced so that a child can read along with the text according to their level of reading confidence. It is the ideal programme to enable parents to support their child''s literacy at home. Compiled in close consultation with leading literacy experts. Spiders'' Secrets takes a look at all kinds of spiders from around the world, from hairy tarantulas to eight-eyed jumping spiders.

There are plants that prickle, sting, and even munch insects for lunch! So, never bite a strange plant - it might bite back! Packed with full-color photographs, lively illustrations, and engaging, age-appropriate stories to introduce young children to a life-long love of reading. These amazing stories are guaranteed to capture children''s interest while developing their reading skills. Perfect for reading together!

Set in the year 2098, in Galactic Mission five school children have won an international competition to visit outer space and journey to the distant star system of Alpha Centauri on the spaceship Argo to find a new home. But right from the start things don''t go according to plan-conflict, malfunctions, mistrust, and running out of fuel all get in their way of trying to enter Alpha Centauri''s atmosphere. Will they all make it back alive? Will they discover a new planet with great potential for human life to survive? DK Adventures are an innovative mix of narrative and nonfiction for kids ages 8-11 featuring engaging, action-packed stories that help kids build their skills in vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and critical thinking while developing a love of reading. With diaries, recipes, poetry, instructions, graphics, or songs, the genre spreads in each DK Adventures title enhance the story and reinforce curriculum learning, while the expansive range of entertaining nonfiction subjects will appeal to boys and girls everywhere. Supports the Common Core State Standards.

DK Eyewitness Books: Shipwreck is a spectacular and informative guide to some of the world''s most significant shipwrecks. Richly detailed, full-color photographs of submerged wrecks and their lost cargoes and treasures offer a unique "eyewitness" view of ships and the lives of those who sailed them. See the beautifully preserved figurehead of the Hamilton wreck, the five-hundred-year-old elephant''s tusk recovered from the bottom of the ocean, and scissors that still cut paper and cloth after two hundred years beneath the sea. Learn how the wreck of the Mary Rose was raised from the seabed, why Grace Darling became a hero, how a deck seat converts into a lifeboat, how shipwrecks are located, and different preservation techniques used by underwater archaeologists. Discover what caused the "unsinkable" Titanic to sink, the use of the giant light bulb, harmonicas that still play after one hundred years underwater, the hazards faced by ships at sea, and much, much more! Discover the world of shipwrecks and an amazing wealth of undersea treasures and secrets with Eyewitness: Shipwreck.

DK Eyewitness Books: Pirate offers everything you ever wanted to know about pirates, from why European kings and queens encouraged piracy to what pirates ate at sea. Sink into this exciting introduction to the world of sea-thieves - their origins, adventures, blood-thirsty battles, and much, much more!

This illustrated book for children shows you how things work. Look inside the human body, explore the magic of Venice, and take a tour around a movie studio - and much more! Part of a unique series, More Incredible Cross-sections is Stephen Biesty at the top of his game. In this updated edition with a refreshed, contemporary style, he gives readers an exploded view of 12 objects, places, landmarks, and modes of transport. But look closer! In every picture is an alien who has lost his way: can you find him? As you pore over Stephen Biesty''s superbly detailed pages, you will also discover loads of awesome facts. Did you know that steam engines were notoriously difficult to stop, leading to frequent accidents? Or that people at an Antarctic research base rely on supplies from an aircraft''s parachute drops during winter? From windmills to cities, airports to space stations, More Incredible Cross-sections is for curious minds of any age interested in finding out how our amazing world works.

Facts and figures for the curious reader. Covers more than 30 fascinating "general knowledge" topics, including shapes, tides, the solar system, and the periodic table.

An essential compendium of some of the most world-changing discoveries and inventions of all time, from the first use of money to antibiotics and artificial intelligence. In a stylish miscellany, celebrated author Richard Platt and printmaker James Brown travel through time to showcase the amazing breakthroughs in science and technology that have changed our lives forever. From the wheel to the telephone to the Internet, human history is studded with innovations that have changed our world. Each bold, bright, and beautiful infographic is complete with engaging and easy-to-understand explanations. A follow-up to international bestseller A World of Information and its companion, A World of Cities, this book covers thirty groundbreaking discoveries and is perfect for inquiring minds of all ages.

A photographic essay explores the history and technology of filmmaking, including how a set is built, how stunts are performed, how special effects are achieved, and how films are edited.

A story from Farmer Richy’s Sunnyflower Farm about a pig called Spud who really, really, REALLY did not like mud.

It appears the someone is killing facultly members of the United Hospitals of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Archer Montana, spurred on by his suspicious wife Molly, is determined to track down the murderer