New Releases by Jean Lee Latham

From the cotton fields of the antebellum South to the bustling workshops of New England, one man's revolutionary invention would forever alter the course of American history. When young Eli Whitney stepped onto a Georgia plantation in 1792, he had no idea that his mechanical genius would unleash forces that would reshape an entire nation. Armed with nothing but his brilliant mind and steady hands, Whitney faced a challenge that had stumped countless others: how to efficiently separate cotton fibers from their stubborn seeds. What followed was a stroke of innovation so profound it would transform the American economy, fuel the Industrial Revolution, and tragically entrench the institution of slavery deeper into the fabric of Southern society. Jean Lee Latham masterfully brings to life the complex world of early America, where inventors and entrepreneurs battled against overwhelming odds to bring their visions to reality. Through Whitney's eyes, readers witness the birth pangs of American industry, from his famous cotton gin to his pioneering work in mass production and interchangeable parts for firearms. This is not merely a tale of mechanical triumph, but a deeply human story of perseverance, creativity, and the unintended consequences of progress. Latham weaves together the personal struggles of a determined inventor with the broader sweep of a young nation finding its identity, creating a narrative that pulses with the energy and ambition of the American spirit. This compelling biography offers modern readers invaluable insights into the forces that shaped our industrial heritage and the moral complexities that accompanied technological progress. Students, history enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of innovation and society will find themselves captivated by Whitney's journey from struggling tutor to celebrated inventor. Latham's vivid storytelling transforms historical facts into living drama, making this essential reading for understanding how individual genius can redirect the course of civilization itself.

A fictionalized biography of the mathematician and astronomer who realized his childhood desire to become a ship's captain and authored The American Practical Navigator.

A biography of the marine biologist and nature writer well-known for her campaign against the careless use of chemicals.

A biography of the West Point graduate who learned civil engineering "from the ground up" and supervised the completion of the Panama Canal.

A brief account of Sam Houston who served as a Congressman and Governor of Tennessee before his association with Texas began.

A brief biography of the first admiral of the United States Navy.

A biography of the first woman doctor in the United States, who worked in England and America to open the field of medicine to women.

A biography of David Farragut who received his commission in the United States Navy before he was ten and who in 1864 broke the back of the Confederate fleet in the Battle of Mobile Bay.

A brief biography of the inventor of a gin to seed upland cotton and of a way to mass produce musket locks.

A brief biography of the inventor of the telegraph and Morse Code, who planned from early childhood to be a painter of great historical pictures but first won recognition as a portrait painter.

The fairy Grandmarina gives Princess Alicia a magic fishbone. To her father's confusion she declines to use it. her reward is marriage, which does seem a fantasy as she and the groom appear to be very young.

To keep from watching his children starve, a father leads them into a dark forest and leaves them. Little Hop helps them find the way home.

A biography of the man who rose from debt to amass a small fortune, and became the driving force behind the successful laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable.

In 1607, a fifteen-year-old boy joins the expeditionary force that hopes to establish a permanent English colony in Virginia.

Young adult biography of Maury, US naval officer and oceanographer from Virginia who resigned his position when Virginia seceeded and became Commander of the Confederate States Navy and spokesperson for the Southern cause in England.