Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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The Blood Countess by Shelley Puhak
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Blood Countess: #FreeBáthory Quick synopsis: The true story of history’s most prolific female serial killer, Elizabeth Báthory. (Ahem, ALLEGEDLY.) Fact for Non-History People: 15% of U.S. serial killers are women. Fact for History Nerds: The most prolific female serial killer by confirmed victims is Jane Toppan with 31. My Take…
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Heiresses by Miranda Kaufmann
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Heiresses: You don’t even need to be there to be a terrible person. Quick synopsis: A look at the women who inherited Caribbean slaves. Fact for Non-History People: British enslavers were compensated over 20 million pounds when slavery was abolished. Fact for History Nerds: The debt I just mentioned wasn’t paid…
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Five Bullets by Elliot Williams
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Five Bullets: How many is too many? Quick synopsis: The story of the Bernie Goetz case in 1980s New York City. Fact for Non-History People: The NYC murder count per year went from 1,392 in 1985 to 2,262 in 1990. To be clear, 1,392 was already a lot. Fact for History…
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Everybody Loses by Danny Funt
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Everybody Loses: Please read this book before your next bet. Quick synopsis: A look at the legalization of sports gambling in America. Fact for Non-History People: Americans bet $157 legally on sports in fiscal year 2025. Fact for History Nerds: 95% of this betting happened online. My Take on Everybody Loses:…
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The Pain Brokers by Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Pain Brokers: Sometimes surgery is the least painful part. Quick synopsis: The story of terrible humans taking advantage of people through mass tort schemes. Fact for Non-History People: There are approximately 170 different mass torts which cover over 393,000 individual claims going on as of 2025. Fact for History Nerds:…
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Carthage by Eve MacDonald
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Carthage: For the Rome haters. Quick synopsis: The story of ancient Carthage. Fact for Non-History People: Carthage had 37 km of massive defensive walls. Fact for History Nerds: Carthage created an artificial harbor which could hold 220 warships. My Take on Carthage: I am notorious (if anyone cared that is) for…
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Neptune’s Fortune by Julian Sancton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Neptune’s Fortune: I hate boats, but I’d still do some treasure hunting. Quick synopsis: The sinking of the Spanish Galleon, San José, and the recent efforts to find its resting place. Fact for Non-History People: The Nuestra Señora de Atocha, found in 1985, holds the record for the most valuable recovered…
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Kings and Pawns by Howard Bryant
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Kings and Pawns: Everyone has got an angle. Quick synopsis: The story of the public collision between Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson. Fact for Non-History People: Jackie Robinson was court-martialed in the Army for refusing a segregated bus seat. Fact for History Nerds: The Hollywood Blacklist officially barred around 325 writers,…
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Tom Paine’s War by Jack Kelly
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Tom Paine’s War: Tommy P could really get people riled up with that quill. Quick synopsis: The story of Thomas Paine through his writings and the battle of New York during the revolution. Fact for Non-History People: Thomas Paine dropped out of school at age 12. Fact for History Nerds: Before…