Cricket History

WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD SHORTLISTED 2025 'Wonderfully wide-focused, unfailingly readable and laced with passages of insightful analysis, Tim Wigmore's history of test cricket is a true tour de force.' David Kynaston 'Much more than simply a history of Test cricket, this is a...

While men fought in the army during the American Revolution, women supported the fight for independence in other ways. They wrote about politics in newspapers, boycotted British goods, and made their own wares like fabric and tea. The Daughters of Liberty said no to British-made goods!

Throughout history, people have loved practical jokes. Listen about a few of the more well-known jokes and pranks throughout history, including unicorns on the moon, a boat-car, and the Loch Ness monster.

Did you know that a newly-designed boat helped win World War II? Learn about Andrew Higgins and his amphibious boat design that revolutionized the war effort. See how Higgins adapted his boat design to help carry soldiers and supplies onto Normandy Beach on D-Day. His craft was amphibious—it worked on land and water. See how one American's invention helped changed the tide of the war.

A fascinating look at archeological finds in Scotland, South Africa, and Malta that offer clues about ancient civilizations.

Two Frenchmen set out to change the world with a revolutionary idea of collecting all the world's knowledge.

The iconic captain Brendon McCullum, England's T20 visionaries Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler and Trinidad's Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine, who rose to become among the first T20 millionaires, explain how they shaped T20 - and how it shaped them. Test greats Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting recount what a sea-change T20 represented and decode T20 strategy. AB de Villiers explores the limits of modern batting. Venky Mysore, the cricket revolutionary you have never heard of, reveals how the game is changing off the field.

Many popular modern board games were invented in the United States. But some of our favorite games came from other countries and have deep historic roots.

Emma Edmonds, a woman disguised as Private Frank Thompson, earned a spot in U.S. history as a successful Union spy during the American Civil War. At different times, she also posed as an Irish peddler woman, a black laundress, and a Confederate sympathizer.

Thomas Edison first developed direct current for New York City, but was challenged by Nikola Tesla, who believed his alternating current was a better solution.

'A wonderful memoir . . . richly insightful, and deeply moving' - Ramachandra Guha 'A fascinating and insightful read.' - Vir Sanghvi 'Delightful... A wonderful read.' - Pritish Nandy Eminent journalist Pradeep Magazine's memoir is a story of lived, real experiences, of joy, sorrow, fear, loss...

'Not many players have felt the highs and lows of Ashes cricket to the same extent as Finny - and his book proves it' Jimmy Anderson 'Raw and moving - a brilliant read' Alastair Cook Few cricketers understand the rollercoaster of emotions that come with being part of an Ashes series quite like...

As countries in Europe grew their military power in 1914, so did their fear of being attacked. Alliances were made and tested! Europe was split into two central powers—this was the birth of World War I. When America entered the Great War, they used carrier pigeons to send messages to their allies. Discover how one pigeon, Cher Ami, became famous for his mission to headquarters.

Do you know how the first pizza was made? Learn how ancient civilizations started to make the first pizza—baked flat bread! See how pizza ingredients like cheese and tomatoes were discovered throughout history. Find out how pizza has become a worldwide favorite food.

Do you know who Benjamin Franklin is? You might know him as the scientist who discovered electricity by tying a key to a kite during a storm! Did you know he was a founding father of the United States? He made many efforts to the Revolutionary War and the construction of the United States government. Learn about all the political contributions he made that helped create the United States!

Have you ever looked into the night sky and wished that you could walk on the Moon? Find about what it is like from the astronauts that were first to do it! Learn about how Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins traveled into space and created history in 1969, and what it was like to take those famous first steps that made “one giant leap for mankind."

Who were Pocahontas and the Powhatan Indians? They were the Native Americans living in Virginia who met the English settlers when they arrived in 1607. Learn about their culture and how they celebrated their harvest every year!

Writing is very important to all of us! But did you know that people in the past did not have the same kind of writing instrument that we use today? Instead of using plastic or metals to create pens, people in the past used feathers to create pens! This story gives a brief history of what people used to write with and how they eventually developed the feather pen! Not only will you have a history of writing, but you will also learn how to create your very own feather pen!

Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were supporters of a strong federal government and participated in the Constitutional Convention. Together with John Jay, they wrote The Federalist Papers, one of many activities that led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about the Alexander Hamilton and the “Father of the Constitution," James Madison.

When Thomas Edison was a boy, he loved performing experiments and coming up with new inventions. His curiosity sometimes got him in trouble, though, like when he accidentally burned down his dad’s barn! By the time he turned 12, he had found ways to make a living by learning how to print newspapers and send telegraphs in Detroit, Michigan. Imagine what he did as an adult!