A riveting portrait of ten kings in history by Milton Meltzer, America's premier nonfiction writer. This book tells the story of ten kings. Kings made the rules by which their people lived. Kings carried on wars to protect their realms or expand their power, and kings, like the rest of us, were complex human beings. Starting with Hammurabi, who ruled Mesopotamia, to Peter the Great, the legendary Russian czar, Milton Meltzer shows the reader how political leaders use and abuse power. Although each of these men lived hundreds or thousands of years ago, these tales provide a striking portrait of how human behavior remains virtually unchanged over time and how one person can alter the course of history.

Milton Meltzer has written more than one hundred books for young people and adults in the fields of history, biography, and social issues, including Case Closed: The Real Scoop on Detective Work, also published by Orchard. His many awards and honors include the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award as well as the Regina Medal, both given to honor a substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature, and five nominations for the National Book Award. Mr. Meltzer lives in New York City Bethanne Andersen is an award-winning illustrator of several books for children, including Ten Queens by Milton Meltzer. She also created the artwork for Seven Brave Women by Betsy Hearne, which received the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award and the Jane Addams Peace Award. Ms. Andersen has a master's degree in fine art from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and also attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Since 1997 she has taught illustration at Brigham Young University. She lives in Boise, Idaho