Story of Travel in 50 Vehicles, A

In A History of Travel in 50 Vehicles, Paula Grey explores how creative thinkers–sometimes collaborating, sometimes competing, and always building on the work of their predecessors–have envisioned new ways to move about in the world. From the first foot migration out of Africa to the Model T Ford, hot air balloons, submarines, rickshaws, and moon rockets, humans have combined imagination, daring, and scientific and technical knowledge to improve existing vehicles or create new ones. Geography, culture, and available technologies have all influenced the development and use of vehicles in different parts of the world, and human travel has, in turn, often had a profound influence on society and the environment.

Notable Features

-Illustrates the persistence of creative ideas by tracing modern vehicles back hundreds of years to their original conception.

-Includes a mix of common and not-so-familiar vehicles from a variety of cultures.

-Presents inventors failures as well as their successes.

-Challenges readers to think and engage by discussing social and environmental impacts.

-Includes sources by chapter; teaching resources as jumping off points for student research; and endnotes.

The History in 50 series explores history by telling thematically linked stories. Each book includes 50 illustrated narrative accounts of people and events some well-known, others often overlooked that, together, build a rich connect-the-dots mosaic and challenge conventional assumptions about how history unfolds. Fall 2015 introduced A History of Civilization in 50 Disasters. Future titles include A History of Medicine in 50 Discoveries, A History of American Culture in 50 Innovators, A History of the Universe in 50 Milestones, A History of Sports in 50 Athletes, and A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes.
Paula Grey is a former grant writer, software technical writer, and technical editor. She has written a variety of short fiction and nonfiction, but this is her first published work. Paula lives in Wakefield, Rhode Island and enjoys traveling by land, sea, or air whenever she gets the opportunity.

History in 50 series editor Phillip Hoose is the acclaimed author of the National Book Award winner Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. He is also the author of the multi-award winning title, The Race to Save the Lord God Bird, the National Book Award Finalist We Were There Too!: Young People in U.S. History, and the Christopher Award-winning manual for youth activism It’s Our World Too! His picture book Hey, Little Ant has sold over one million copies in ten languages. His love of sports is reflected in his acclaimed books Perfect Once Removed: When Baseball Was All the World to Me and Hoosiers: the Fabulous Basketball Life of Indiana. He lives in Portland, Maine.
“The hoaxes here are colorful by far. Eaton doesn’t sensationalize them; the stories [are] allowed to speak for themselves, and they display great grip. There is a hoax for every mood: cheat, propaganda, assault, cruelty, inventions of merit, a more nuanced appreciation of art, and marvel. We have met the hoaxsters, and they are us: family stories, human progress, and often enough the pinball nature of our history.” - Kirkus

This addition to the History in 50 series explores hoaxes and the motivations behind them. “There is something artistic about a fine hoax,” Eaton writes. “Like a good novel or a conjurer’s trick, it creates an alternative reality.” Proceeding chronologically, she recounts each ruse in brief entries that also include maps, sidebars, and other supplemental information. In the case of an 18th-century man, William-Henry Ireland, his desire for recognition by his father led him to forge false letters and even a play supposedly written by Shakespeare. In 19th-century New York, the Fox sisters were instrumental in the rise of Spiritualism, even though they revealed that their spiritual communications had been faked. In a broad-ranging and fascinating study of artifice, Eaton raises intriguing questions about human instincts, especially the ones to deceive and believe. - Publishers Weekly

“Thought-provoking and well written.” - MENSA Bulletin