Category: Books/Museum Reviews

  • The Confidante by Christopher Gorham

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Confidante: I don’t know what she said in those meetings, but it worked. Quick synopsis: The story of Anna Marie Rosenberg who was known as the most important woman in the U.S. government during World War II and beyond. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: To keep up morale during…

  • Vanished in Vermillion by Lou Raguse

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Vanished in Vermillion: Holy bad policing, Batman! Quick synopsis: The story of the 1971 disappearance of Pam Jackson and Sherri Miller in South Dakota. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: South Dakota has more shoreline than Florida. Fun Fact for History Nerds: South Dakota is home to less than 1 million…

  • Comet Madness by Richard J. Goodrich

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Comet Madness: The newspapers lied! Kinda! Quick synopsis: A look at how when Halley’s Comet visited Earth in 1910 some people thought it would kill us all. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: When Halley’s Comet came by, it was closer than Mars, but still fifty-four times the distance of the…

  • Revolutionary Roads by Bob Thompson

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Revolutionary Roads: American Revolution ROAD TRIP! Quick synopsis: A literal walk-through of major places during the American Revolution. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Every American knows Lexington and Concord, but the most deaths on the day the Revolution started was in Menotomy (now Arlington), Massachusetts. Fun Fact for History Nerds:…

  • Dunkirchen 1940 by Robert Kershaw

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Dunkirchen 1940: Let’s see how the Germans messed this up. Quick synopsis: A look at the events leading up to the Battle of Dunkirk from the German point of view. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Never forget that Germany was still using horse drawn artillery at the beginning of World…

  • The Real-Life Murder Clubs by Nicola Stow

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Real-Life Murder Clubs: Murder solving in your spare time! Quick synopsis: A collection of stories about crime solvers who don’t get paid for it. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: I don’t want to give anything away so here’s a random fact: there are over 28,000 private investigators in the…

  • The Greatest Knight by Thomas Asbridge

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline: Oh look, an actual knight. Quick synopsis: A complete biography of William Marshal of England. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: William Marshal served five separate kings: Henry II, the “Young King” Henry, Richard I the Lionheart, John (yes, THAT King John), and Henry III. Fun Fact for History Nerds:   Marshal…

  • Island on Fire by Alexandra Witze and Jeff Kanipe

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Island on Fire: Who would have thought little Iceland could cause so much trouble? Quick synopsis: The story of Laki, the volcano in Iceland which erupted in the 18th century and messed a lot of stuff up. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: When Krakatau erupted in 1883, it sent out…

  • Heaven on the Hudson by Stephanie Azzarone

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Heaven on the Hudson: At one point, New York City wasn’t all potholes. Quick synopsis: The story of how Riverside Park and Riverside Drive came to be in New York City. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Edgar Allan Poe wrote “The Raven” while staying in a farmhouse on 84th Street.…