Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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Deadliest Sea by Kalee Thompson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Deadliest Sea: This is why I hate fishing. Quick Synopsis: The story of the sinking of the Alaska Ranger and subsequent rescue by the Coast Guard in 2008. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: People have been revived from drowning an hour after they were thought dead. This may be dubious.…
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Battle of the Books: A Land So Strange Vs. Brutal Journey
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Land So Strange by Andres Resendez and Brutal Journey by Paul Schneider: Florida had crazy stories even back in 1528. Quick synopsis: A group of Spaniards who attempted to colonize Florida end up in a battle of survival. The survivors end up walking across most of North America. Fun Fact…
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Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Lost in Shangri-La: Wait until you get to the unneeded male nudity. Quick synopsis: Story of an airplane crash during World War II in New Guinea. The survivors of the crash are caught in a valley which will require an ingenious exit strategy. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: A drunk…
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When Montezuma Met Cortes by Matthew Restall
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for When Montezuma Met Cortes: When good scholarship goes wrong. Quick synopsis: A reexamination of when Montezuma first met Hernan Cortes. The author has many thoughts. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: N/A. This is historical scholarship that would put anyone not absolutely enamored with the time period into a coma. Fun…
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The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Big Burn: Well I’m certainly going to be nice to Forest Rangers after reading this. Quick synopsis: The story of the “Big Burn,” the largest forest fire in American history and Teddy Roosevelt’s efforts to create and protect national forests. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Camp Fire of…
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Dodge City by Tom Clavin
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Dodge City: Came for the Wild West. Stayed for the ridiculous nicknames. Quick synopsis: Part biography of Dodge City and what it was like in the time of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Part biography of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Also, part random cowboy stories which are almost completely tangential…
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Be Free or Die by Cate Lineberry
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Be Free or Die: How is this not a movie yet?! Quick synopsis: A recounting of the life of Robert Smalls, Union hero during the Civil War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Robert Smalls stole a Confederate ship and sailed it out to the waiting Union blockade right under the…
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The Finest Hours by Michael Tougias
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Finest Hours: Two shipwrecks for the price of one! Quick synopsis: The story of two oil tankers in distress off Cape Cod in 1952 and the effort to save the crew by the Coast Guard. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Both distressed ships split in half! And kept floating…
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A Great and Terrible King by Marc Morris
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Great and Terrible King: Braveheart was such a stupid movie. Quick synopsis: A complete biography of Edward I of England. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Other than the fact Edward I and William Wallace existed, Braveheart got everything else wrong. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Edward I effectively took…