Category: Books/Museum Reviews

  • Freedom on Trial by Scott Farris

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Freedom on Trial: Technically it was the KKK on trial. So “Idiots on Trial” would also work. Quick synopsis: A look at the Ku Klux Klan trials of South Carolina right after the Civil War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: During the Ku Klux Klan trials, the juries were mostly…

  • Revolutionary Brothers by Tom Chaffin

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Revolutionary Brothers: This is a lovely reminder of why Thomas Jefferson sucks. Quick synopsis: A shortened dual biography of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson after the American Revolution and leading to the French Revolution. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Thomas Jefferson had his own daughter kidnapped. Go ahead,…

  • Charlotte Bronte by Claire Harman

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline: Jane Eyre was way truer to life than I thought. Quick synopsis for Charlotte Bronte: The biography Charlotte Bronte, best known as the writer of Jane Eyre. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Charlotte’s sister, Emily, wrote Wuthering Heights, another book you probably dodged in high school unsuccessfully. Fun Fact for History…

  • Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline Liar’s Poker: This has aged hilariously badly. Quick synopsis: The short career of author Michael Lewis as a bond salesman for the Salomon Brothers in the 1980s. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Most of the people in this book either went bankrupt, got fired, or went to jail. Good luck guessing…

  • Terror to the Wicked by Tobey Pearl

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Terror to the Wicked: Seems like everyone wanted to kill each other all the time in early America. Quick synopsis: The story of the first jury trial in the American colonies. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Rockabye baby is actually based on an American Indian song. Fun Fact for History…

  • Three Pianos by Andrew McMahon

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Three Pianos: Sex, drugs, rock and roll. A tale as old as time. Quick synopsis: A memoir of Andrew McMahon. He was the lead singer/songwriter of Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, and Andrews McMahon in the Wilderness (duh). Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Andrew drinks a lot and does a lot…

  • Star Spangled Scandal by Chris DeRose

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Star Spangled Scandal: A famous dad does not make you bulletproof. Quick synopsis: The murder of Philip Baron Key by Daniel Sickles in 1859 right in front of the White House. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Philip Barton Key was the son of Francis Scott Key, the writer of the…

  • The Taking of Jemima Boone by Matthew Pearl

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Taking of Jemima Boone: Daniel Boone, the original American badass. Quick synopsis of The Taking of Jemima Boone: The story of the kidnapping of Daniel Boone’s daughter and essentially the founding of Kentucky. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Kentucky was almost called Transylvania. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Daniel…

  • Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Madhouse at the End of the Earth: Belgium tried to do what? Quick summary: The voyage of the Belgica, a ship from Belgium intent on Antarctic discovery in 1897. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Antarctic Giant Petrel’s defense mechanism is to puke on you. It smells really bad apparently.…