Category: Books/Museum Reviews

  • Stalingrad by Antony Beevor

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Stalingrad: Which mass murderer is dumber, Hilter or Stalin? You decide! Quick synopsis: A chronicle of the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II. Basically, the soldiers were heroes and all the megalomaniacs at the top were…well megalomaniacs. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Yes, Russians actually shot their own troops…

  • Battle of the Books on Alfred the Great

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for This Book Battle: He did more than just whoop the Vikings. Quick synopsis: Biography of Alfred the Great, England’s first king (well, kinda. It is a super long story about who the first “king” is and well, let’s just assume he is.) Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Alfred the Great…

  • The Killer Across the Table – J. Douglas/M. Olshaker

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Killer Across the Table: You won’t want to be a criminal profiler after this. You may want to be Dirty Harry, though. Is that reference too old? Ok, you’ll want to be the Punisher. Quick synopsis: John Douglas (the guy who made criminal profiling a “thing”) recounts four scum he…

  • The Winter Fortress by Neal Bascomb

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Winter Fortress: I love it when the good guys blow stuff up! Quick synopsis: The story of a group of Norwegian commandos in World War II trying to take out an important enemy site tied to an atomic bomb. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: It seems like something made…

  • Battle of the Books on Rorke’s Drift

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline: Welcome to a badass last stand. Quick synopsis: The story of the battle of Rorke’s Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War. 150 British soldiers made a last stand against 4,000 Zulu warriors in defense of the field hospital located in Rorke’s Drift. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: When the thousands of Zulu…

  • The Mirage Factory by Gary Krist

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Mirage Factory: L.A. was full of crazy people from the beginning. Quick synopsis: The story of the origins and early years of L.A. as it was becoming the city we know today. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: In trying to bring enough water to the fast-growing population of L.A.,…

  • The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Children’s Blizzard: If this book doesn’t make you cry then you are a sociopath. Quick synopsis: The story of the blizzard of 1888 in the Midwest which surprised the heartland and caused massive sadness. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Weather forecasting used to be much worse! And in the…

  • Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Close to Shore: Here’s another reason never to go to New Jersey. Quick synopsis: The story of a rogue shark which terrified the New Jersey Shore in 1916. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Ever wonder why when you watch an old movie all the telephone operators are ladies? Turns out,…

  • Marooned by Joseph Kelly

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Marooned: I would’ve stayed in Bermuda. Quick synopsis: The founding of Jamestown and the absolutely crazy set of circumstances and difficult people that made it last. Also, a lot of Joseph Kelly philosophy. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Stephen Hopkins was sentenced to death for mutiny in Bermuda. Years later…