Tag: American history
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Five Bullets by Elliot Williams
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Five Bullets: How many is too many? Quick synopsis: The story of the Bernie Goetz case in 1980s New York City. Fact for Non-History People: The NYC murder count per year went from 1,392 in 1985 to 2,262 in 1990. To be clear, 1,392 was already a lot. Fact for History…
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Everybody Loses by Danny Funt
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Everybody Loses: Please read this book before your next bet. Quick synopsis: A look at the legalization of sports gambling in America. Fact for Non-History People: Americans bet $157 legally on sports in fiscal year 2025. Fact for History Nerds: 95% of this betting happened online. My Take on Everybody Loses:…
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The Pain Brokers by Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Pain Brokers: Sometimes surgery is the least painful part. Quick synopsis: The story of terrible humans taking advantage of people through mass tort schemes. Fact for Non-History People: There are approximately 170 different mass torts which cover over 393,000 individual claims going on as of 2025. Fact for History Nerds:…
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Neptune’s Fortune by Julian Sancton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Neptune’s Fortune: I hate boats, but I’d still do some treasure hunting. Quick synopsis: The sinking of the Spanish Galleon, San José, and the recent efforts to find its resting place. Fact for Non-History People: The Nuestra Señora de Atocha, found in 1985, holds the record for the most valuable recovered…
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Kings and Pawns by Howard Bryant
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Kings and Pawns: Everyone has got an angle. Quick synopsis: The story of the public collision between Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson. Fact for Non-History People: Jackie Robinson was court-martialed in the Army for refusing a segregated bus seat. Fact for History Nerds: The Hollywood Blacklist officially barred around 325 writers,…
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Tom Paine’s War by Jack Kelly
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Tom Paine’s War: Tommy P could really get people riled up with that quill. Quick synopsis: The story of Thomas Paine through his writings and the battle of New York during the revolution. Fact for Non-History People: Thomas Paine dropped out of school at age 12. Fact for History Nerds: Before…
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The Gods of New York by Jonathan Mahler
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Gods of New York: More like men with god complexes. Quick synopsis: The city and people of New York City in the late 1980s. Fact for Non-History People: NYC’s population declined by one million during the 1970s. Fact for History Nerds: During cold nights below 32 degrees, upwards of 8,000…
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Empire of Orgasm by Ellen Huet
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Empire of Orgasm: No comment so I don’t get banned. Quick synopsis: The story of the sex cult, OneTaste and its founder Nicole Daedone. Fact for Non-History People: OneTaste peaked with $10 million in revenue in 2017. At least, that’s what was reported. Fact for History Nerds: An annual membership with…
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Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Giuffre
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Nobody’s Girl: More brutal than you expect. And I expected a lot. Quick synopsis: The memoir of Virginia Giuffre, who was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most known victims. Fact for Non-History People: Epstein’s net worth at this death was $600 million. Barf. Fact for History Nerds: Giuffre’s abuse at the hands…