Bookcaps Study Guides: 229 books

In 1835, at the age of 13, a young boy walked nearly 300 miles to Paris; he worked odd jobs and did whatever it took to survive. He eventually learned a craft: box making. Before long, the young boy had earned enough to open his own box-making store. The tale may seem a bit unremarkable until...

Margaret Keane is one of America's most beloved modern artists. Her influence is seen in everything from Woody Allen's "Sleeper" to Weird Al Yankovic's song "Velvet Elvis." While her paintings are well known, few people know about the trouble life she led or her road to redemption. Find out more about her fascinating life and work in this short biography.

Disney has become a household name, synonymous with fantastic movies, amusing characters, and the happiest place on earth. These all originated from the mind of Walter Elias Disney. It’s been said that Disney never had time for a childhood, so he spent his life trying to invent one. What was his...

Just for a moment try to put every shopping trip you’ve ever made out of your head. Imagine a different world. Imagine that all the goods for sale are locked away in cabinets and to handle them, or even to examine them closely, you need to ask a shop assistant to open it up for you. Imagine that...

Nicknamed the Queen of the Blues, Bessie Smith rose up from poverty in the American South to become one of the most famous and respected recording artists of her generation. Smith was at the forefront of transitioning blues music from a rural novelty to a legitimate art form that critics and audiences...

Some musicians make music…and some change music. The four musicians profiled in this book, created sounds that other artists have tried to copy ever since. This book covers the following bands / singers: Brian Wilson, Weezer, Marvin Gaye, and Elliott Smith. This is a collection of previous published books, which may also be purchased separately.

Born in Venice, Italy, Antonio Vivaldi was one of the most influential and highly regarded Baroque composers, although his fame blazed only briefly. He is most remembered for his concertos, particularly “The Four Seasons,” but his overall production was enormous, ranging from orchestral and vocal...

In the world of classic rock, there is one name that nearly everyone has heard: Jimi Hendrix. A genius on the electric guitar, Jimi Hendrix singlehandedly revolutionized the world of music with his talent, his attitude, and his personality. He inspired musicians and people not only in the United States,...

She was a dancer, a model, an actress, and, of course a singer--she did everything. In her short life, she sold millions of records and inspired thousands of lives. This book looks at the short life of Aaliyah--from her early childhood and her rise to stardom on the television show Star Search to her movie appearances and final album.

Brian Wilson is one of the original Beach Boys members and is most well known for his genius in song writing. Brian, along with his two brothers Dennis and Carl, were teenagers in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. They formed a band with their cousin Mike Love and high school friend Al Jardine,...

From "Buddy Holly" and "Say It Ain't So" to "Island In the Sun" and "Pork and Bean's," their music has always been groundbreaking. This unofficial band biography takes the covers off the band, the sound, and the records—looking at what inspired the songs...

In 1925, Percy Fawcett left England for Brazil--he would never return. For his entire life, Fawcett had been fascinated with exploration. The child of an explorer, Fawcett had heard countless wild stories of adventure and it did not surprise anyone that he became an explorer himself. In...

Dido Elizabeth Belle was born in 1761. It would be nearly 100 years before slavery was abolished. The date would be of little importance if not for one important factor: Belle's father was white, but her mother was African. It was an unthinkable act for the time, and Belle's life was destined for...

She was the 17 year-old daughter of noted philosophers William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft; he was a 22-year-old trapped in an unhappy marriage. Their love was forbidden...that didn't matter. They inspired each other and became one of the  most memorable literary couples of all time....