Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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Second Life by Amanda Hess
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Second Life: As if parenting weren’t anxiety inducing already. Quick synopsis: A memoir of parenting in the digital age. Fact for Non-History People: In 1900, only 5% of childbirths took place in hospitals. Fact for History Nerds: By 2020, 98.3% of childbirths took place in hospitals. My Take on…
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The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück by Lynne Olson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück: Resistance doesn’t stop at the prison gate. Quick synopsis: The story of French Resistance women who banded together in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Fact for Non-History People: Ravensbrück was the only concentration camp designed specifically for women. Fact for History Nerds: About 130,000 women were sent to…
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The Beast in the Clouds by Nathalia Holt
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Beast in the Clouds: You’ll be begging for the heroes to fail. Quick synopsis: The story of the Roosevelt Brothers’ search for the elusive panda. Fact for Non-History People: Pandas weren’t known to the western world until 1869 and even then there were doubts until the Roosevelt brothers went looking.…
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Spitfires by Beck Aikman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Spitfires: You don’t need people shooting at you to be in danger. Quick synopsis: A look at the American women pilots in Britain during World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Women flew 80% of ferrying missions during World War II. Fact for History Nerds: 3% of WASP pilots died in…
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Embers of the Hands by Eleanor Barraclough
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Embers of the Hands: Vikings: They’re just like us! Quick synopsis: A look at the everyday lives of Vikings. Fact for Non-History People: Vikings were actually relatively clean people especially when it came to their hair. Fact for History Nerds: Most Viking boots were made of goatskin. My Take on…
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The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Fate of the Day: You loved the original so don’t miss the sequel. Quick synopsis: The American Revolution from Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780. Fact for Non-History People: The Marquis de Lafayette’s full name was Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette. Fact for History Nerds: Georgia is the only state…
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Monsterland by Nicholas Jubber
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Monsterland: Exactly what you want it to be. Quick synopsis: A look at the origins of history’s greatest monsters. Fact for Non-History People: One of the possible origins for vampires can be found in a Russian text from 1047. Fact for History Nerds: Mary Shelley was only 18 when she wrote…
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Murderland by Caroline Fraser
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Murderland: So many ways to die. Quick synopsis: A look at the rise of serial killers in the 1970s and 1980s with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. Fact for Non-History People: Serial killers peaked in the U.S. with 300 known offenders in the 1970s. Fact for History Nerds: Washington state…
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Nothing but Courage by James Donovan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Nothing but Courage: One of the few reasons to jump out of a perfectly good plane. Quick synopsis: The 82nd Airborne’s mission on D-Day. Fact for Non-History People: The American airborne forces would comprise 13,000 paratroopers and 4,000 men delivered by gliders. Fact for History Nerds: Approximately 2,500 American paratroopers would…