Most Popular Books by Don Brown

The causes and results of the Dust Bowl and how the lessons learned are still used today. Presented in comic book format.

The story of the newsboys (and girls) who took on the world''s most powerful press barons--and won--in the summer of 1899 is told in this fascinating picture book. Full color.

The basis of the provocative hit military documentary Fallen Angel Call Sign: Extortion 17. A Black Hawk Down of the war in Afghanistan, the deadliest day for the U.S. in 12 years of that conflict—and a military investigation that covered up evidence of an inside job by the Taliban. Don Brown, a former U.S. Navy JAG officer stationed at the Pentagon, and former Special Assistant United States Attorney, has in his possession one of four copies of The Colt Report, which reveals a possible cover-up in relation to the August 6, 2011, killing of 30 men from the United States, including 17 members of Navy Seal Team Six—warrior brothers from the same Team that ninety days before killed Osama Bin Laden—potentially by undercover Taliban operatives.

The true story of the most despicable political prosecution in American military history—in the book that won a presidential pardon. On the morning of July 2, 2012, in the most dangerous warzone in the world, Lieutenant Clint Lorance took command of his small band of American paratroopers at the spearhead of the American War in Afghanistan. Intelligence reports that morning warned of a Taliban ambush against Lorance''s platoon. Fifteen minutes into their patrol, three military-age Afghan males crowded on a motorcycle and sped aggressively down a Taliban-controlled dirt road toward Lorance''s men... Three weeks earlier, outside the massive American Kandahar Airfield, Taliban terrorists struck by motorcycle, riding into a crowded area, detonating body-bombs and killing twenty-two people. Sixty-three days before that, three Ohio National Guard soldiers were murdered in another motorcycle-suicide bombing. Suicide-by-motorcycle had become a common Taliban murder-tactic against Americans... It was a split-second decision: Either open fire and protect his men or ignore the speeding motorcycle and pray his men weren''t about to get blown up. Lorance ordered his men to fire. When no weapons were found on the Afghan bodies, the Army betrayed one of its finest young officers and prosecuted Lorance for murder. Hiding crucial evidence from the military jury and ordering Lorance''s own men to testify against him or face murder charges themselves, the Army railroaded Lorance into a 20-year prison sentence at Fort Leavenworth. Updated with breaking news, plus a copy of the pardon! "Gripping.... A true-life thriller... [a] page-turner."— The Baltimore Sun "This one will keep you planted in your reading chair from start to finish."— Sun-Sentinel

Don Brown''s Navy Justice series now available in one volume! Treason The stakes are high . . . and the entire world is waiting for the verdict. The Navy has uncovered a group of radical Islamic clerics who have infiltrated the Navy Chaplain Corps, inciting sailors and marines to acts of terrorism. And Lieutenant Zack Brewer has been chosen to prosecute them for treason and murder. Only three years out of law school, Zack has already made a name for himself, winning the coveted Navy Commendation medal. Just coming off a high-profile win, this case will challenge the very core of Zack’s skills and his Christian beliefs—beliefs that could cost him the case and his career. With Diane Colcernian, his staunchest rival, as assistant prosecutor, Zack takes on internationally acclaimed criminal defense lawyer Wells Levinson. And when Zack and Diane finally agree to put aside their animosity, it causes more problems than they realize. Hostage Zack Brewer faces a choice. It can prevent the next war. But it will cost the life of the person he loves the most. JAG Officer Zack Brewer’s prosecution of three terrorists posing as Navy chaplains was called the “court martial of the century” by the press. Now, with the limelight behind him, all Zack wants to do is forget. But the radical Islamic organization behind the chaplains has a long memory—and a thirst for revenge. Now the Navy has a need for Zack that eclipses all else. When an unthinkable act of aggression brings Israel and its Arab neighbors to the brink of war, Zack and co-counsel Diane Colcernian are called to the case of a lifetime. As leading nations focus their gaze upon these two, other eyes are watching as well. Zack and Diane are in harm’s way. A kidnapping, an ultimatum…and suddenly, Zack faces an impossible choice. If he loses this case, the world could explode into war. If he wins, his partner—the woman he loves—will die. And Zack himself may not survive to make the decision. Defiance From a murder in Paris to a courtroom in California to a terrorist camp in the Gobi Desert, Don Brown’s follow-up to Treason and Hostage plunges into a suspense-filled journey of danger, duty, and hope. The Commander’s Bodyguard is Shannon McGilverry, a crack NCIS agent assigned to protect Navy JAG Officer Zack Brewer. Zack is being hunted by terrorists, stalked by a psychopath, and is working his way through a perilous, politically-charged trial. When another Navy JAG officer is murdered, it’s clear that Zack is in harm’s way. As his bodyguard, Shannon must do more than protect Zack. She also must set aside her growing feelings for the brilliant attorney and investigate rumors that the love of his life, Diane Colcerninan, may still be alive. Zack finds himself in need of his faith more than ever as Navy SEALS launch a daring rescue attempt that has the potential to trigger World War III.

Sibert Honor Medalist ∙ Kirkus'' Best of 2015 list ∙ School Library Journal Best of 2015 ∙ Publishers Weekly''s Best of 2015 list ∙ Horn Book Fanfare Book ∙ Booklist Editor''s Choice On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina''s monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some places under twenty feet of water. Property damages across the Gulf Coast topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage--and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality. Don Brown''s kinetic art and as-it-happens narrative capture both the tragedy and triumph of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. A portion of the proceeds from this book has been donated to Habitat for Humanity New Orleans.

A young adult graphic novel that captures the complexities of the war in Ukraine, focusing on the siege of Mariupol (Feb ’22 – May ’22) and the brave people who stayed to defend their city against Russian forces as well as the resulting effects on global politics. A city ruined. In once quiet residential streets, two armies battle, driving people into cellars and basements with little food or water. No lights or heat. Dwindling medical supplies. Shells and bullets deliver cruel, random death to the young and old, men, women, and children. This is Mariupol, a Ukrainian city and early target of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Bordering Russian-occupied territory, the coastal city seemed doomed to a defeat that would come within days, if not hours. Could Mariupol, and Ukraine, survive? As Russian rockets threatened the city, Ukrainians resisted, and with a heroic combination of sacrifice and bravery, the besieged city endured . . . for months. But it all came at a steep cost. With compassion and his keen journalist’s eye, Sibert Honor creator Don Brown illuminates the horrors of Mariupol and the depredations of its people not seen in the city since World War II. He also shows that outside of Mariupol, the city’s agonies were mirrored by similar events occurring in towns and cities across Ukraine. 83 Days in Mariupol reminds us that the bloody defiance shown at the Alamo, Dunkirk, Leningrad, and Thermopylae isn’t confined to the past but has a violent, modern presence. It is the story of senseless destruction, patriotism, and grit against long odds—a brutal battle whose consequences still reverberate across Ukraine and continue to reshape the global political landscape. Read more books by Don Brown: Run and Hide: How Jewish Youth Escaped the Holocaust In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years after the 9/11 Attacks Fever Year: The Killer Flu of 1918 The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees

Award-winning author-illustrator Don Brown explores the science of time in It’s About Time!, part of the Big Ideas That Changed the World graphic novel series In It’s About Time!, narrator Albert Einstein takes kids through time—literally. Measuring time is explored, from the stone circles and giant pyramids of ancient cultures to hourglasses and sundials to early time pieces and watches to atomic clocks. This fun and fast-moving graphic novel for young readers explains why there are 12 months a year, 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute. And seven days in the week. From Stonehenge to Greenwich Mean Time to James Hutton’s Deep Time, the book helps kids understand the passage of time, and why sometimes it seems so slow and other times way, way too fast. Also includes: Time Timeline, Who was Albert Einstein?, endnotes, and a bibliography. Big Ideas That Changed the World is a graphic novel series that celebrates the hard-won succession of ideas that ultimately changed the world. Humor, drama, and art unite to tell the story of events, discoveries, and ingenuity over time that led humans to come up with a big idea and then make it come true. Big Ideas That Changed the World series: Rocket to the Moon! (#1) Machines That Think! (#2) A Shot in the Arm! (#3) We the People! (#4) All Charged Up! (#5) It’s About Time! (#6)

A simple biography of the director whose silent films immortalized such slapstick clowns as the Keystone Kops, Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, and Ben Turpin.

Don Brown introduces us to yet another little-known heroine. On June 9, 1909, twenty-two-year-old Alice Ramsey hitched up her skirts and climbed behind the wheel of a Maxwell touring car. Fifty-nine days later she rolled into San Francisco, becoming the first woman to drive across America. What happened in between is quite a tale! Through words and pictures, the author shares this story of a brave and tenacious young woman who followed her vision to conquer the open road - even when the road was nothing more than a wagon trail. Alice Ramsey''s adventure offers a unique perspective on turn-of-the-century America and pays tribute to the pioneering spirit that helped create it.

In 1916 a young woman named Ruth Law attempted to fly from Chicago to New York City in one day--something no one else had ever done. This is the story of that daring attempt. Beautifully detailed watercolors dramatize a dangerous journey made by the pilot President Woodrow Wilson called "great." Full-color illustrations.

Describes the life of Saint Columba, a sixth-century prince, monk, and scribe.

Our popular image of Mark Twain is of a gruff, gray-haired eccentric, the outspoken literary giant who created enduring novels such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. But once upon a time, Mark Twain was a boy named Samuel Clemens. His birth on November 30, 1835, coincided with the appearance of Halley’s comet, streaking across the sky. A dreamer, a prankster, a lover of great tales, Sam Clemens spent his boyhood years living out adventures on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.

One of School Library Journal''s Best Nonfiction Books of 2011One of Horn Book''s Best Nonfiction Books of 2011 On the ten year anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, a straightforward and sensitive book for a generation of readers too young to remember that terrible day. The events of September 11, 2001 changed the world forever. In the fourth installment of the Actual Times series, Don Brown narrates the events of the day in a way that is both accessible and understandable for young readers. Straightforward and honest, this account moves chronologically through the morning, from the terrorist plane hijackings to the crashes at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania; from the rescue operations at the WTC site in New York City to the collapse of the buildings. Vivid watercolor illustrations capture the emotion and pathos of the tragedy making this an important book about an unforgettable day in American history.

Zack Brewer faces a choice. It can prevent the next war. But it will cost the life of the person he loves the most. JAG Officer Zack Brewer’s prosecution of three terrorists posing as Navy chaplains was called the “court martial of the century” by the press. Now, with the limelight behind him, all Zack wants to do is forget. But the radical Islamic organization behind the chaplains has a long memory—and a thirst for revenge. Now the Navy has a need for Zack that eclipses all else. When an unthinkable act of aggression brings Israel and its Arab neighbors to the brink of war, Zack and co-counsel Diane Colcernian are called to the case of a lifetime. As leading nations focus their gaze upon these two, other eyes are watching as well. Zack and Diane are in harm’s way. A kidnapping, an ultimatum...and suddenly, Zack faces an impossible choice. If he loses this case, the world could explode into war. If he wins, his partner—the woman he loves—will die. And Zack himself may not survive to make the decision.

When Muslim terrorists infiltrate the Navy Chaplain Corps, Lieutenant Zack Brewer, just three years out of law school, is pitted against the world''s greatest defense attorney in the court-martial of the century.

In the very near future, China, now the world''s largest industrial producer and consumer of Mideast Oil, passes a law that all new cars manufactured in that nation will be operated on natural gas. Beneath the floor of the South China Sea, around the contested Spratly Islands, billions of gallons of natural gas wait to be mined. But at the center of the Spratlys, the remote but strategic island of Itu Aba is occupied by China''s historic enemy, Taiwan. When the new, power-hungry Chinese President, Tang Qhichen, orders Chinese Naval forces to attack Taiwanese forces on Itu Aba, U.S. President Douglas Surber responds, ordering the U.S. Seventh Fleet to try and quell a burgeoning naval showdown between the two Chinas. Aboard the submarine tender U.S.S. Emory S. Land, one of the first ships in the naval war zone, is Ensign Stephanie Surber, a recent Naval Academy graduate who is also the First Daughter of the United States. As the Emory S. Land steams into harm''s way, Ensign Surber''s life is gravely threatened. The President must make a decision. Will he take a stand against evil? Or will he save the life of his daughter?

From a murder in Paris to a courtroom in California to a terrorist camp in the Gobi Desert, Don Brown''s follow-up to Treason and Hostage plunges into a suspense-filled journey of danger, duty, and hope. The Commander''s Bodyguard is Shannon McGilverry, a crack NCIS agent assigned to protect Navy JAG Officer Zack Brewer. Zack is being hunted by terrorists, stalked by a psychopath, and is working his way through a perilous, politically-charged trial. When another Navy JAG officer is murdered, it''s clear that Zack is in harm''s way. As his bodyguard, Shannon must do more than protect Zack. She also must set aside her growing feelings for the brilliant attorney and investigate rumors that the love of his life, Diane Colcerninan, may still be alive. Zack finds himself in need of his faith more than ever as Navy SEALS launch a daring rescue attempt that has the potential to trigger World War III.

This graphic novel chronicles the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City through moving individual stories that bear witness to history and the ways it shapes the future.

A man and his son dreamed of America’s freedom, but the dream became a nightmare when they ended up at Guantánamo Bay. Hasan Makari and his son, Najib, both Lebanese nationals, have dreamed of the day they would experience the shining freedom of America. But when they arrive in the US, they are arrested, accused of terrorism, and incarcerated at the Guantánamo Bay Prison Camp in Cuba, all on false charges. Suddenly, they face the nightmare of death by execution. Their only hope is Navy JAG Officer Matt Davis, who has been assigned to the case of his life—to defend the Makaris in court at Guantánamo Bay. Matt believes his clients are innocent, but he faces monumental opposition—not only from powerful federal prosecutors with a huge agenda and an unlimited budget, but also from the woman he loves who, as a fellow JAG officer, has been ordered onto the prosecution team to convict the Makaris. As the drama unfolds in Cuba, Emily Gardner, a top-ranking TSA lawyer, has just received a larger-than-life nomination as General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security. While preparing for confirmation by the US Senate, she discovers a shocking scheme that will turn her life upside down. Can Emily expose the truth in time to save the lives of those being accused—and escape with her own life? Somewhere between the war-torn plains of Northern Lebanon and the secret torture chamber of Guantánamo Bay lie the keys to justice.