Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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White Knights in the Black Orchestra by Tom Dunkel
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for White Knights in the Black Orchestra: Yeah, the title is already awesome. I got nothing. Quick synopsis: The story of various Germans who tried to destroy the Nazis from within in World War II. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Henry Ford was a huge anti-Semite. Hitler was a huge admirer…
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The Ghosts That Haunt Me by Steve Ryan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Ghosts That Haunt Me: And now they’ll haunt you, too! Quick synopsis: Retired Toronto detective Steve Ryan chronicles the cases which still haunt him today. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Steve Ryan is now a crime analyst for a Canadian TV station. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Toronto is…
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All That Is Wicked by Kate Winkler Dawson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for All That Is Wicked: There might be a correlation between amazing arrogance and sociopathy. Quick synopsis: The story of Edward Rulloff and his many murders in the 1800s. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Edward Rulloff thought language was universal. Basically, he thought language was math. Fun Fact for History Nerds:…
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River of the Gods by Candice Millard
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for River of the Gods: Who knew adventurers could be so catty? Quick synopsis: The story of the men who tried to find the source of the Nile River. Well, the first Europeans anyway. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: When you wear a cardigan, you can thank the man it was…
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American Midnight by Adam Hochschild
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for American Midnight: All was not fine on the home front. Quick synopsis: A look at the American home front around the time of World War I. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: On June 5, 1917, all eligible men were required to register for the draft. Although there were concerns on…
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España by Giles Tremlett
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Espana: ¡Este libro es genial! Quick synopsis: A brief history of Spain up until the present day. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The elephants Hannibal took over the Alps were only 3 meters tall. They are an extinct species of elephants. Yeah, I thought they were bigger, too. Fun Fact…
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Nothing but the Night by Greg King/Penny Wilson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Nothing but the Night: Who’s more innocent? Well, they both suck. Quick synopsis: The story of the murder of Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb in Chicago. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Grandpa Walton from The Waltons on TV knew Richard Loeb and thought he was a smart…
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Wise Gals by Nathalia Holt
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Wise Gals: Women spies want the same pay? Who would have thought. Quick synopsis: The story of the first women in the CIA. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: In Egypt, American money helped build a massive concrete spire to broadcast a radio station. Its nickname was, “Roosevelt’s erection.” Fun Fact…
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Prisoners of the Castle by Ben Macintyre
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Prisoners of the Castle: Life is so much more civilized without Nazis. Quick synopsis: The story of Colditz Castle and the prisoners and guards placed there in World War II. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: “Augustus the Strong” lived in Colditz where he played “fox-tossing” (yes, it’s what you think…