Pakistan, which means "land of the pure" in Urdu and Persian, was established in 1947, when the British Parliament created a Muslim nation from India (which was predominately Hindu). Since partition, India and Pakistan have fought for control of the disputed states of Kashmir and Jammu, and competed against each other to develop nuclear capabilities. Pakistan is the world's second-largest Muslim country and is today a military-backed constitutional regime. In 1988, Benazir Bhutto was named prime minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to lead a Muslim nation. Spotlighting history, people, culture, geography, economy, and government, the newly revised "Pakistan: Second Edition" provides a visually appealing and comprehensive overview of this diverse and strategically located country....

Born in obscurity and relative poverty, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela became the first president of South Africa elected by a fully representative democratic vote. One of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, the man affectionately known as "Madiba" (an honorary title bestowed by elders of his clan), is a leader whose trail is marked by humor, suffering, and the gift of forgiveness - rather than a thirst for revenge. Imprisoned for 27 years during his struggle to end the apartheid state in South Africa, he was the Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Martin Luther King Jr. of his country. "Nelson Mandela" focuses on his efforts to end the segregation that paralyzed his country, efforts that resulted in his being awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, along with South Africa's previous president, Frederik Willem de Klerk, "for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa."...

This is the captivating biography of a football superstar.Quarterback Peyton Manning's career symbolizes family, faith, and competitiveness. The son of former NFL great Archie Manning and the older brother of Eli Manning, he has made the Indianapolis Colts his extended family as well. Although he possesses a good deal of natural talent, Manning struggled on many occasions throughout his career. To his detractors, he was the spoiled kid of doting parents, the antithesis of the "self-made football player." Manning earned his way to football greatness in Miami in 2007 after leading the Colts to their first Super Bowl win in 36 years. This fascinating biography explores the life of the only player in his career to be named NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and Pro Bowl MPV. Off the gridiron, Manning's PeyBack Foundation supports leadership programs for disadvantaged youth in Indiana, Tennessee, and Louisiana, displaying his dedication to family and family values.This captivating, colorful biography traces Manning's childhood, influences, and personal life, and is complete with full-color photographs, informative sidebars, a bibliography, and much more....

A biography of the Roman general and statesman whose brilliant military leadership helped make Rome the center of a vast empire....

The cold war served as the backdrop of the competition to find out which superpower - the United States or the Soviet Union - could reach outer space first. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, and the space race was officially on. Well-crafted prose, specific biographical sketches, and striking images make "Sputnik/Explorer I" an enthralling description of this unforgettable time in modern history....

Although Barry Sanders earned all-state honors in high school football, many college recruiters overlooked him because of his height. Undeterred, Sanders used his size to his advantage for the rest of his career. Accepting a scholarship from Oklahoma State University, he set several college football records and earned the Heisman Trophy as 1988's most outstanding player. In only his junior year of college, he was the third overall pick in the NFL draft, where he was selected to play for the Detroit Lions. He stayed with the Lions for his entire career and achievedPro Bowl status in all of his 10 seasons as a pro. At the age of 30, still healthy and a season away from topping Walter Payton's career rushing record, Sanders stunned fans when he unexpectedly announced his retirement from the game. In addition to spending time with his family, this former MVP and NFL record-holder now raises funds for various charities, including those for scleroderma, a chronic connective tissue disease....

Each of the 100 men and women profiled in this book have discovered for themselves and inspired others to find ways to reach God and find inner peace. Readers will be fascinated about the many different religions and beliefs from around the world and throughout history.

Chronologically presented, this book begins with Abraham (c. 19th century BC)and ends with Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama (b. 1935). Both men, although centuries apart, discovered a faith that could not be struck down. Abraham, according to the Old Testament, had his faith challenged when God ordered him to kill his son Isaac. Today, the Dalai Lama lives in exile from his Tibetan homeland, pushed out by the Chinese Communists in an attempt to eradicate religion.

As with the other titles in Bluewood`s popular 100 Series, each entry in 100 Spiritual Leaders Who Shaped World History includes an illustration, photograph, or map, accompanied by concise and clearly written text - teeming with facts and nuggets of information. The book also featues a timeline, trivia quiz and a complete index....

In December 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made history by embarking on the first controlled airplane flight among the dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, thus opening up an era of aviation throughout the world. Readers' historical perspective will reach new heights thanks to features such as the photographs and timelines that enhance "The Wright Brothers", a soaring new title in the "Milestones in American History" series....

La Salle is one of the best-known but least-understood explorers of human history. Celebrated for following the Mississippi to its mouth in present-day Louisiana, he was also berated for failing to relocate that same area when he came by sea. Justly known as the greatest of the canoe-carrying and paddle-wielding Frenchmen of his time, he was a failure when it came to colonization and conquest. There was greatness within him, including a powerful will to succeed, but there was also sheer stubbornness, which cost him when he attempted to create a French colony in what is now Texas. In "Robert de La Salle", read about a man whose journeys encouraged explorers from other European nations to survey the southeastern United States....

During his time, Cyrus was proclaimed the greatest leader of his era and, perhaps, of the ancient world. Much of what we know about him comes from pieces of the Old Testament, the Babylonian Chronicle, and the writings of ancient historians Herodotus and Xenophon. Through these writings from his friends and foes, we gather a view of this extraordinary man. Though he can be compared to Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan for his military accomplishments, Cyrus was also a master at diplomacy and tact. He welded together groups of people as disparate as Afghani tribesmen and Turkish farmers, creating the first world empire known in the Western world. His legacy in the Middle East lives on, for he was the leader who initiated the Persians' and Iranians' national destinies more than 2,000 years ago....

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell uttered the words that would inaugurate a new era in human communication: 'Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you'. Bell was speaking through his new invention: the telephone. Though his name is the first to be associated with this now ubiquitous device, Bell was not working in a vacuum or entirely on his own. The second half of the 19th century was a time of great innovation, during which many people were experimenting with various designs for machines to enable human communication over great distances. Bell was simply the first to win a patent. "Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone" tells the story of the man who invented the telephone, the people who helped him, and the changes that came about because of one of the greatest inventions of all time....

Ulysses S. Grant is a puzzling figure in American history. The 18th president of the United States had rampant corruption associated with his administration, but he was a decorated war hero famous for turning serious attacks by the Confederate Army into victories for the Union and for implementing simultaneous attacks against the South that led to its surrender. He became a national figure overnight when he captured Forts Henry and Donelson and was given the nickname 'Unconditional Surrender' Grant after 12,000 Confederates surrendered under his harsh conditions of 'no terms except unconditional and immediate surrender'.After the war, Grant achieved the distinction of being promoted to the equivalent of a four-star general. In recent years, his reputation as president has improved somewhat among scholars due to his support for civil rights and his prosecution of the Ku Klux Klan. Grant also signed a bill into law making Christmas a federal holiday in 1870, and another that created America's first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872....

Few have worn their team colors as proudly as No. 7, the longtime quarterback of the Denver Broncos. First arriving at Denver in 1983, John Elway stayed for 16 seasons that ran the gamut from spectacular to dismal. He became as identified with Denver as Johnny Unitas with Baltimore, Terry Bradshaw with Pittsburgh, and Roger Staubach with Dallas. Despite a career featuring more than 300 touchdown passes and more than 51,000 passing yards, the road to success was not easy. Elway appeared in, and lost, three Super Bowls during the late 1980s. Critics lampooned his big salary and small results, overlooking the fact he had won five AFC championships along the way. Redemption finally came in the late 1990s, when an aged Elway won two Super Bowls, one of which is considered to be one of the most competitive and exciting of them all. Now, the retired Hall of Famer benefits various charities for disadvantaged youth in Colorado....

The family values movement is a conservative movement that strongly supports traditional social values. Since 1980, the Republican Party has used the issue of family values to attract voters, and such organizations as the Christian Coalition and the American Family Association have tied the movement to Christianity and thus believe that Christian values should play more important roles in everyday society. This new book offers students an objective look at this important movement, which has wielded great influence on the political landscape as well as attracted major controversy from its critics....

After two years of training with the British Mount Everest Expedition, Edmund Hillary, along with Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, completed the challenging climb to become the first men to reach the summit of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, on May 29, 1953. But this historic achievement didn't mean the end of Hillary's adventures. In 1955, he led a party across Antarctica by snow tractor, pioneering a new route to the South Pole. Hillary followed this up by leading several expeditions to the Himalayas, and establishing the Himalayan Trust, which has funded more than 30 schools in Nepal, as well as hospitals, medical clinics, and airstrips. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain, Hillary was also granted honorary citizenship in Nepal. In "Sir Edmund Hillary", learn about this daring explorer and his accomplishments....