NATHAN HALES HAZARDOUS TALES HC (2025)

"Nathan Hale (the author's namesake) was America's first spy, a Revolutionary War hero who famously said 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country' before being hanged by the British. In Hale's Hazardous Tales, author Hale channels his historical doppelganger to present history's roughest, toughest, craziest stories in graphic novel format for kids. This first book tackles the story of Hale himself, who was an officer for the American rebels in the Revolutionary War and was eventually hanged for spying. These stories each have elements of the 'strange but true,' and are presented in an engaging, funny format, highlighting the larger-than-life characters and the weird, gross, and just plain unbelievable truth of American History."

"Big Bad Ironclad! covers the history of the amazing Ironclad steam warships used in the Civil War. From the ship's inventor, who had a history of blowing things up and only 100 days to complete his project, to the mischievous William Cushing, who pranked his way through the whole war, this book is filled with surprisingly true facts and funny, brave characters that kids will relate to."

"The Donner Party expedition is one of the most notorious stories in all of American history, but it's also a fascinating snapshot of the westward expansion of the US. From the preparation for the journey to each leg of the trip, this book shows the specific bad decisions that lead to the party's predicament in the Sierra Nevadas. Hale focuses on the Reed family (all of the children in this family survive), and their father, James Reed, is a central figure in the story. It's hazardous, it's got a lot of funny moments, it's got kids in central roles - and it's America's favorite gruesome horror-history story."

"World War I set the tone for the 20th-century and introduced a new type of warfare: global, mechanical, and brutal. Nathan Hale has gathered some of the most fascinating true-life tales from the war and given them his inimitable Hazardous Tales twist. Easy to understand, funny, informative, and lively, this series is the best way to be introduced to some of the most well-known battles (and little-known secrets) of the infamous war."

"Araminta Ross was born a slave in Delaware in the early 19th-century. Slavery meant that her family could be ripped apart at any time, and that she could be put to work in dangerous places and for abusive people. But north of the Mason-Dixon line, slavery was illegal. If she could run away and make it north without being caught or killed, she'd be free. Facing enormous danger, Araminta made it, and once free, she changed her name to Harriet Tubman. Tubman spent the rest of her life helping slaves run away like she did, every time taking her life in her hands. Nathan Hale tells her incredible true-life story with humor and sensitivity."

"In the early 1800s, Texas was a wild and dangerous land fought over by the Mexican government, Native Americans, and settlers from the United States. Beginning with the expeditions of the so-called 'Land Pirates,' through the doomed stand at the Alamo, and ending with the victory over Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, the entire Texas saga is on display. Through his vivid depiction and additional maps, and biographies located in the back of the book, Nathan Hale brings new insight for students, teachers, and historians into one of the most iconic structures in the United States."

"On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II. Volunteers were requested for a dangerous secret assignment - for the first time in American history, Army bombers would be launched from an aircraft carrier. Once at sea, they were told their mission was a retaliation strike against targets in Tokyo. After the bombing, some pilots crashed, some were captured, and many ended up in mainland China and were carried to safety by Chinese villagers, being hunted by Japanese forces all the while. With tales of high-flying action and bravery, Raid of No Return is a story of heartbreak and survival during wartime."

"Nathan Hale brings readers back to the world of the American Revolution for the first time since One Dead Spy, and this time, he's following the Marquis de Lafayette into battle. An orphan who became a French nobleman, Lafayette was a major figure in the American Revolution who fought alongside iconic figures like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Fans of the musical Hamilton will instantly recognize Lafayette's name, but there's so much more to his story. With Nathan Hale's trademark graphic illustrations, Lafayette! shares what happened before and during the war, including all the wild escapades the Frenchman embarked on across France and the colonies."

"John Wesley Powell (1834-1902) always had the spirit of adventure in him. As a young man, he traveled all over the United States exploring. When the Civil War began, Powell went to fight for the Union and, even after he lost most of his right arm, he continued to fight until the war's end. In 1869 he embarked with the Colorado River Exploring Expedition, ten men in four boats, to float through Grand Canyon. Over the course of three months, the explorers lost their boats and supplies, nearly drowned, and were in peril on multiple occasions. Ten explorers went in, only six came out. Powell would come to be known as one of the most epic explorers in history!"

"Discover the story of the Haitian Revolution and the Louisiana Purchase in the tenth installment of the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series! The Louisiana Purchase (1803) is today seen as one of history's greatest bargains. But why did Napoleon Bonaparte sell this seemingly prosperous territory? At the time, France controlled Haiti, and there, slaves were used to harvest sugar. But in 1791, Toussaint Louverture led the largest slave uprising in human history, the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804). Napoleon had originally wanted to use Louisiana for trade, but with Haiti out of his control, Napoleon's dream of making a French empire in North America seemed doomed. So when Thomas Jefferson and James Madison tried to buy New Orleans, Napoleon sold them the whole Louisiana Territory. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales are graphic novels that tell the thrilling, shocking, gruesome, and TRUE stories of American history. Read them all-if you dare! "

In 1950, Marguerite Higgins (1920-1966) was made bureau chief of the Far East Asia desk for the New York Herald Tribune. Tensions were high on the Korean peninsula, where a border drawn after WWII split the country into North and South. When the North Korean army crossed the border with Soviet tanks, it was war. Marguerite was there when the Communists captured Seoul. Her eyewitness account of the invasion was a newspaper smash hit. She risked her life in one dangerous situation after another, all for the sake of good story.

In this installment of the New York Times-bestselling graphic novel series, take to the skies with the flying aces of World War I. When the Great War began in 1914, America had plans to stay out of it. But some young men were so eager to fight, they joined the French foreign legion. From deep in the mud and blood of the Western Front, these young volunteers looked to the sky and saw the future-the airplane. The first American pilots to fight in World War One flew for the French military. France created a squadron of volunteer Americans called the Lafayette Escadrille (named after the great Marquis de Lafayette). This book is about that volunteer squadron. How they got into the French military. How they learned to fly. How they fought-and died. And how these American pilots would go down in history with other legendary flying aces, like the Red Baron and his Flying Circus.

Bones and Berserkers is the unlucky 13th book in the New York Times-bestselling Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series, and you know what that means? It's time to gather around the gallows and tell the spookiest stories in US history! In this chilling collection, learn about the devil baby who terrorized New Jersey; a haunted well full of restless Confederate soldiers; a demon cat whose appearance has been an omen for some of the darkest days in American history; and a massacre by a murderous butler whose motives remain unknown to this day. Full of a frightful mix of folk tales and facts, this newest entry is sure to fascinate readers... if they're brave enough to read to the end.