Category: Books/Museum Reviews

  • Catherine the Great by Robert Massie

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Catherine the Great: She’s not even Russian!  Quick synopsis: An in-depth biography of Catherine the Great of Russia.  Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: There is a rumor Catherine died while having sex with a horse. No, she didn’t, you sicko.   Fun Fact for History Nerds: Catherine is one of the…

  • The Bounty by Caroline Alexander

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Bounty: All of this over a plant. Quick synopsis: The story of the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789 in the middle of the South Pacific. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The mutineers who ended up at Pitcairn Island created a society that today comes from only 4 family…

  • The Axeman of New Orleans by Miriam Davis

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Axeman of New Orleans: I guess this guy didn’t like Italian food. Quick synopsis: A true crime story from the early 1900s. The Axeman murdered 6 people and assaulted 6 more while they slept in New Orleans from 1918 to 1919 (maybe as early as 1910). Fun Fact Non-History People…

  • Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Alexander Hamilton: I’m reviewing the book, not the play, dorks. Come at me. Quick synopsis: A (very) in-depth biography of Alexander Hamilton. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Hamilton was not born in the United States (or the colonies, actually). He was born in Nevis in the Caribbean. Fun Fact for…

  • The Promise of the Grand Canyon by John Ross

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Promise of the Grand Canyon: A lot of heartache just to explore a big hole.  Quick synopsis: A partial biography of John Wesley Powell focused on his exploration of little-known parts of the Grand Canyon.  Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: John Wesley Powell took on a crazy exploration of…

  • The Black Prince by Michael Jones

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Black Prince: This has nothing to do with the musician.  Quick synopsis: A complete biography of Edward, the Black Prince of England.  Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: He wasn’t actually black. The name comes from…. well honestly, we still don’t know. Might have been the black armor. He might…

  • The Unexpected President by Scott Greenberg

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Unexpected President: May be the last time a politician pulled a sincere 180. Quick synopsis: The life of President Chester A. Arthur. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Arthur had fresh flowers placed at the portrait of his deceased wife every day he was president. He never remarried. Fun Fact…

  • The Faithful Executioner by Joel Harrington

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Faithful Executioner: Who knew being an executioner for 45 years would be depressing? Quick synopsis: A biography of Frantz Schmidt of Nuremberg who was an executioner for 45 years and executed 394 people. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Executing was a family affair, literally. If you were an executioner,…

  • Floodpath by Jon Wilkman

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Floodpath: Came for the flood, got too much else. Quick synopsis: The story of the St. Francis Dam flood. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Mulholland Drive in L.A. is named after the designer and builder of the St. Francis Dam. He was alive when the flood happened and killed scores…