Tag: American history
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Raised by a Serial Killer by April Balascio
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Raised by a Serial Killer: Father does NOT know best. Quick synopsis: The story of April Balascio being raised by her father and serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards. Fact for Non-History People: The U.S. leads the world in the number of documented serial killers and have more than the next ten…
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Naming Gotham by Rebecca Bratspies
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Naming Gotham: We’re gonna need to rename a few things after this. Quick synopsis: The various stories about how major parts of New York City were named. Fact for Non-History People: Major Deegan was actually an army major. His full name was William Francis Deegan. Fact for History Nerds: When Anne…
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The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Immortal Irishman: This guy packed a lot into 44 years. Quick synopsis: The story of Thomas Francis Meagher who was an Irish Nationalist and American Civil War general. Fact for Non-History People: Meagher was actually sentenced to death by the British. His sentence was commuted to life in Tasmania. Yeah,…
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Trial by Ambush by Marcia Clark
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Trial by Ambush: Oh look, a miscarriage of justice. Quick synopsis: The trial of Barbara “Bloody Babs” Graham in the 1950s. Fact for Non-History People: Clark was dubbed “Giggles Clark” during the OJ Trial because a camera caught her smiling and chuckling at times. She found the name funny, actually. Fact…
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Reagan by Max Boot
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Reagan: Wow, that whole “Gipper” thing was total BS. Quick synopsis: The life of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Reagan’s post-presidency office was used as a set in Die Hard. Fun Fact for History Nerds: By 2022, Reagan had an approval rating of 73% only bested…
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Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline: Grade school failed us all. Quick synopsis: The founding of New England. Come on, everyone knows this one. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: It should never be forgotten that the Pilgrims were actually aiming for Virginia. Oops. Fun Fact for History Nerds: By the end of the first year, only 50…
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Gangster Hunters by John Oller
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Gangster Hunters: Whole lotta crime in a short amount of time. Quick synopsis: The story of the FBI taking down the most famous gangsters in American history. Fact for Non-History People: During a particularly laborious search, the FBI considered asking the Boy Scouts for help. Cooler heads prevailed. Fact for…
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The Swamp Fox by John Oller
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Swamp Fox: Leave my history alone, Mel Gibson. Quick synopsis: A biography of Francis Marion, American Revolutionary officer and guerilla warfare proponent. Fact for Non-History People: Francis Marion is (loosely) the inspiration for Mel Gibson’s character in The Patriot. Banastre Tarleton is the historical inspiration for the bad guy in…
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Ghosts of Panama by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr.
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Ghosts of Panama: Turns out you shouldn’t trust drug dealers. Quick synopsis: The story of the U.S. invasion of Panama. Fact for Non-History People: Manuel Noriega was into the occult and had a “witch” on staff. Fact for History Nerds: During the 1970s, 63% of the School of the Americas…