Tag: American history
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The Last Ships from Hamburg by Steven Ujifusa
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Last Ships from Hamburg: 99 problems but a ship ain’t one. Quick synopsis: The story of the men instrumental in the Jewish exodus from Eastern Europe before World War I. Fact for Non-History People: Thomas Ismay purchased the White Star Line in 1867 for only one thousand pounds. Yes, the…
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60 Songs That Explain the 90s by Rob Harvilla
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for 60 Songs That Explain the 90s: Just put the nostalgia directly in my veins! Quick synopsis: Um, just look at the title. Fact for Non-History People: Green Day’s Dookie sold 20 million copies. Fact for History Nerds: Everyone in Metallica, including the drummer Lars Ulrich, concede that Lars is an overrated…
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Unwavering by Taylor Kiland and Judy Gray
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Unwavering: Hell hath no fury like a military spouse. Quick synopsis: The story of the POW/MIA movement during the Vietnam War. Fact for Non-History People: There were 591 American servicemen repatriated in 1973 from Vietnam. Fact for History Nerds: 643,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Vietnam over the three-and-a-half-year campaign…
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Founding Partisans by H.W. Brands
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Founding Partisans: Always Team Hamilton. Quick synopsis: A look at just how much partisan politics affected the early U.S. Fact for Non-History People: Hamilton crammed his legal studies into 6 months and then passed the NY bar. Fact for History Nerds: In the first election without Washington, Adams beat Jefferson by…
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The Last Outlaws by Tom Clavin
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Last Outlaws: Crime doesn’t pay unless you count the free bullets you get shot with. Quick synopsis: The story of the Dalton Gang and the end of the Wild West. Fact for Non-History People: Emmett Dalton was shot 23 times and didn’t die. Fact for History Nerds: The Daltons were…
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Charlie Chaplin vs. America by Scott Eyman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Charlie Chaplin vs. America: The Tramp was given his walking papers. Quick synopsis: The story of when Charlie Chaplin got barred from returning to the U.S. after World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Chaplin learned sign language to better converse with an artist he hired for his studio. Fact for…
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The Burning of the World by Scott Berg
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Burning of the World: Politics may have done more damage than the fire. Quick synopsis: The story of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Fact for Non-History People: In today’s dollars, we can estimate the fire caused about $5-7 billion dollars in damage. Fact for History Nerds: Chicago was only…
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Opposable Thumbs by Matt Singer
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Opposable Thumbs: Thumbs were never the same. Quick synopsis: The story of how Siskel and Ebert changed how we review movies. Fact for Non-History People: 1963’s Cleopatra cost about $31 million to make it. In today’s dollars, that would be $600 million or $200 million more than Avengers: Endgame. Fact for…
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The Sisterhood by Liza Mundy
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Sisterhood: This has nothing to do with traveling pants. Quick synopsis: A look at the women of the CIA from inception to now. Fact for Non-History People: In the CIA in the 90s, women filled 40% of positions but only 10% of the highest-level jobs. Fact for History Nerds: The…