Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island by John Bruning
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island: This was no island vacation. Quick synopsis: The story of the U.S. Marine pilots at Guadalcanal in World War II. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: In 1942, a filet mignon was only $1.90 in D.C. restaurants. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Brewster, a plane manufacturer,…
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Patton’s Prayer by Alex Kershaw
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Patton’s Prayer: Because weather shouldn’t ruin your day or keep you from winning World War II. Quick synopsis: The story of General George Patton during the Battle of the Bulge. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Patton had to repeat a year at West Point because he failed math. (Even I…
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Sailing Alone by Richard King
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Sailing Alone: I’d never do it, but here’s a book about it. Quick synopsis: Various stories about people sailing solo (mostly on purpose). Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: In Western culture, solo sailing only becomes a thing during the late 1800s. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Storm petrels are also…
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The Infernal Machine by Steven Johnson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Infernal Machine: This book is explosive! (I’m so sorry, I’ll see myself out.) Quick synopsis: A story about dynamite, anarchists, and the evolution of policing in New York City. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Owen Eagen was the only (what we would now call) bomb disposal personnel working with…
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Challenger by Adam Higginbotham
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Challenger: It was a question of when, not if. Quick synopsis: The story of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: When Neil Armstrong first stepped foot on the moon in 1969, an estimated 600 million people were watching. Fun Fact for History Nerds: It…
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Skies of Thunder by Caroline Alexander
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Skies of Thunder: Catch-22 only real life. Quick synopsis: The story of World War II pilots flying routes over the Himalayas. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: There are currently nearly 600 planes lying where they crashed along the route. Fun Fact for History Nerds: When British forces took over Burma…
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Left for Dead by Eric Jay Dolin
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Left for Dead: Well, maybe they should have left the poor sea otters alone. Quick synopsis: The story of castaways left for dead in the Falkland Islands during the War of 1812. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Sea otters have the densest fur of any animal with as many as…
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Throne of Grace by Tom Clavin and Bob Drury
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Throne of Grace: Life without a map. Quick synopsis: The story of one of America’s forgotten explorers, Jedediah Smith. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Arithmetic used to be called ciphering in schools. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Between 1700 and 1822, European markets purchased nearly forty million pieces of beaver…
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The Great Abolitionist by Stephen Puleo
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Great Abolitionist: Who would have thought slavery proponents could be so violent? Quick synopsis: The life of ardent American abolitionist and senator, Charles Sumner. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: While I don’t condone caning someone, it turns out Sumner did mock a colleague who just had a stroke during…