Category: Books/Museum Reviews

  • Mystery on the Isle of Shoals by J. Dennis Robinson

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Mystery on the Isle of Shoals: It’s actually not a mystery who did it, but people like conspiracies. Quick synopsis: The murder of Karen and Anethe Christensen on the isolated Smuttynose Island in 1873. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Smuttynose Island got its name from sailors who felt the seaweed…

  • Maniac by Harold Schechter

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Maniac: Always pay attention to people buying a lot of explosives. Quick synopsis: The Bath School disaster in 1927. Andrew Kehoe bombed the local Michigan grade school out of revenge for perceived slights and holy hell he didn’t stop there. Fun Fact for Non-History People Will Like: This is still the…

  • Grant by Ron Chernow

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Grant: When is Lin-Manuel Miranda going to make a musical out of this? Quick synopsis: A (very) in depth biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Battle of Shiloh had more casualties than the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War combined. Gettysburg…

  • Grant by William S. McFeely

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Grant: This book is one of the reasons to hate the 80s. Quick synopsis: A terrible biography of U.S. Grant. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: This terrible book won the Pulitzer Prize. It annoys me to no end. Fun Fact for History Nerds: This book is an example of an…

  • Triangle by David Von Drehle

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Triangle: This is why we have fire safety requirements. Quick synopsis: The story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. It is one of the worst industrial disasters in the history of the US and one of the main reasons for a lot of major reforms. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:…

  • Last Stands by Michael Walsh

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Last Stands: This book should have been titled “Get Off My Lawn!” Quick synopsis: This is a philosophy book masquerading as a look at famous last stands in history. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: None of those in this book! Fun Fact for History Nerds: None of these, either! My…

  • A Most Wicked Conspiracy by Paul Starobin

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Most Wicked Conspiracy: I should have been a gold miner in the 1900s. Quick synopsis: The story of how a crooked politician tried to steal the gold right out from miners in Nome, Alaska around 1900. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Gold was literally just sitting around waiting to…

  • Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Jungle of Stone: I wouldn’t even do what they did in 1839 today. Forget that. Quick synopsis: Two guys went into the Jungle and discovered the Mayans were way more legit than anyone gave them credit for. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The archaeological site of Copan, in Honduras, was…

  • Crucible of Hell by Saul David

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Crucible of Hell: Kind of puts The Karate Kid in a whole new light. Quick synopsis: Story of the battle of Okinawa in World War II. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The movie Hacksaw Ridge is based on an actual action during the Battle of Okinawa. Fun Fact for History…