Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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A Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World by José Luis González Macías
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World: Long title, short book, tons of fun! Quick synopsis: A look at lighthouses…at the end of the world. So, the title, basically. Fact for Non-History People: The first lighthouse was of course Egypt’s Pharos of Alexandria, better know as…
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Twenty Years by Sune Engel Rasmussen
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Twenty Years: Plenty of rage to go around. Quick synopsis: A look at the war in Afghanistan through the eyes of various Afghans. Fact for Non-History People: In the 1980s, Afghans in Iran and Pakistan made up nearly half of the world’s population of refugees. Fact for History Nerds: The U.S.…
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The Horse by Timothy Winegard
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Horse: Because without them, we’d have to walk. Like suckers. Quick synopsis: The story of the horse. Yes, the whole story. Fact for Non-History People: 99.99 percent of all species that have ever existed are extinct. Fact for History Nerds: Horses have been used in war for over 5,000 years.…
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A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Well-Trained Wife: When you gotta go, you gotta go. Quick synopsis: The story of how Tia Levings left her abusive marriage. Fact for Non-History People: U.S. women couldn’t open their own bank accounts until 1960. Fact for History Nerds: They couldn’t get credit cards until 1974. My Take on A…
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McMillions by James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for McMillions: Happy Meal with a side of fraud. Quick synopsis: The story of how no one really won the Monopoly game at McDonald’s. Fact for Non-History People: McDonald’s executives are required to work at a restaurant for a week. Fact for History Nerds: The chances of winning one of the big…
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Red Dead’s History by Tore Olsson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Red Dead’s History: When video games and history collide. Quick synopsis: A look at how historically accurate the video game Red Dead Redemption II is. Fact for Non-History People: Red Dead Redemption II has sold over fifty million copies and is in the top ten of bestselling video games ever. Fact…
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The Wrong Stuff by John Strausbaugh
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Wrong Stuff: Better to be lucky than good. Quick synopsis: The story of the Soviet space program during the Space Race. Hilarity ensues. Fact for Non-History People: During World War II, upwards of 27 million Russian soldiers and civilians were killed in comparison to 420,000 American casualties. Fact for History…
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The Devil Behind the Badge by Rick Jervis
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Devil Behind the Badge: 100% accurate title. Quick synopsis: The story of Border Patrol agent and serial killer Juan David Ortiz and his victims. Fact for Non-History People: By 2009, 12% of all military veterans who served in combat zones were diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or acute stress. (Additional note:…
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Alexander at the End of the World by Rachel Kousser
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Alexander at the End of the World: Bro did not know when to go home. Quick synopsis: The story of Alexander the Great’s final 7 years. Fact for Non-History People: Alexander was never defeated in battle. Fact for History Nerds: Alexander named over 70 cities after himself. Self-obsessed much? Am I…