Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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Longstreet by Elizabeth Varon
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Longstreet: It’s never too late to stop being an idiot. I hope. Quick synopsis: The story of Confederate General James Longstreet and how he tried to atone for his mistakes. Fact for Non-History People: 30% of Virginia-born officers stayed loyal during the Civil War. Fact for History Nerds: In the 1880s,…
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Strike of the Sailfish by Stephen Moore
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Strike of the Sailfish: You will NEVER get me on a submarine. Quick synopsis: The story of sister submarines in World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Radar at this point could detect a small warship about 10 miles away and closer if it was a part of a convoy. Fact…
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The Savage Storm by James Holland
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Savage Storm: Everyone was mad at the Italians, even the Italians. Quick synopsis: The story of the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943. Fact for Non-History People: By 1943, the Luftwaffe had already lost almost 6,000 aircraft in the Mediterranean alone. Fact for History Nerds: The German 10th Army lost…
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The Palace by Gareth Russell
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Palace: Scandals, chocolate, and a king or two. Quick synopsis: A biography of Hampton Court Palace throughout British history. Fact for Non-History People: There are 775 rooms in Buckingham Palace. The cleaning bills must be insane. Fact for History Nerds: Elizabeth II’s coronation caused TV purchases in the UK to…
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Judgment at Tokyo by Gary Bass
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Judgment at Tokyo: Less of a trial and more like a clown show. Quick synopsis: The story of the Tokyo Trial to prosecute Japanese leadership after World War II. Fact for Non-History People: On a mission to bomb Chichi Jima, 9 U.S. pilots needed to bail out during the bombing run.…
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Ghosts of Honolulu by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Ghosts of Honolulu: Yes, THAT Mark Harmon. Quick synopsis: The story of the spying in Hawaii before Pearl Harbor. Fact for Non-History People: In 1920, there were 109,000 Japanese immigrants in Hawaii which made up 43% of the total population. Fact for History Nerds: 2,403 Americans were killed at Pearl Harbor…
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Into Siberia by Gregory Wallance
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Into Siberia: Yes, it’s as cold as you think. Quick synopsis: The story of George Kennan’s journey through Siberia to evaluate the exile system of Russia. Fact for Non-History People: The Bell of Uglich was exiled after it was used to summon a revolt. Yes, a literal bell. Fact for History…
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The Rest is History by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Rest is History: Historians gone wild. Quick synopsis: Basically, whatever Tom and Dom felt like writing down about history in various forms. Fact for Non-History People: The first formal celebration of Christmas wasn’t until the year 336. AD, obviously. Fact for History Nerds: Stanley Baldwin, a very rich British PM,…
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The Black Angels by Maria Smilios
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Black Angels: If you need something done, find yourself a nurse. Quick synopsis: The story of the Black nurses who helped cure tuberculosis. Fact for Non-History People: Tuberculosis killed Doc Holliday at age 36. Fact for History Nerds: In the first half of the twentieth century, tuberculosis killed 5.6 million…