Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Tunnel 29: It’s like Shawshank but from the opposite direction. Quick synopsis: The story of Tunnel 29 which was dug from West Germany to East Germany to allow people to escape. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The East Germans called the Berlin Wall the “anti-fascist protection barrier.” History can be…
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Operation Vengeance by Dan Hampton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Operation Vengeance: It does not pay to sneak attack the U.S. Quick synopsis: The story of the mission to kill Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Isoroku Yamamoto intended to attack Pearl Harbor after Japan announced formal declaration of…
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Taking Paris by Martin Dugard
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Taking Paris: Everybody wants some Paris. Quick synopsis: The story of the Allies losing and regaining Paris in World War II. Spoiler alert, I guess. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Allies almost skipped Paris after D-Day. With the focus on defeating the German Army, it took some cajoling to…
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The Terrible Hours by Peter Maas
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Terrible Hours: As if you needed more reasons not to go on a submarine. Quick synopsis: The story of the rescue of the crewmen on the submarine Squalus in 1939. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Until about the mid-1930s, if your submarine had a problem, you were going to…
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Review: Van Gogh – The Immersive Experience
Van Gogh – The Immersive Experience Focus: Art exhibit for Vincent Van Gogh which highlights his work, tells his story, and adds some new technological spin. Where is it: A lot of different places. Head online to check it out https://vangoghexpo.com/. What does it cost: About $50 depending on the ticket level. How long should…
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Checkmate in Berlin by Giles Milton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Checkmate in Berlin: Those crazy Soviets don’t play well with others. Quick synopsis: The story of how post-World War II Berlin became split in half. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: During the height of the Berlin Airlift, a plane was landing with supplies every 30 seconds. Fun Fact for History…
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Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Black Klansman: Racists are so stupid. Here’s proof! Quick synopsis: Ron Stallworth, a black police detective, infiltrated the KKK. You read that right! Totally true story! Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Read the synopsis! This is awesome! Fun Fact for History Nerds: How did this all start? Detective Stallworth answered…
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Hero of Two Worlds by Mike Duncan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Hero of Two Worlds: Parisians definitely have made a habit of rioting. Quick synopsis: A biography of the Marquis de Lafayette. They keep writing them and I am going to keep reading them. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Good job, Hartford, Connecticut. When Lafayette and his family were trying to…
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The Lost Story of the Ocean Monarch by Gill Hoffs
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Lost Story of the Ocean Monarch: A chronicle of how much the 19th century sucked. Quick synopsis: The story of the sinking of the Ocean Monarch in 1848. The ship was an emigrant ship headed for Boston and caught fire soon after leaving port. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:…