Tag: American history

  • Wise Gals by Nathalia Holt

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Wise Gals: Women spies want the same pay? Who would have thought. Quick synopsis: The story of the first women in the CIA. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: In Egypt, American money helped build a massive concrete spire to broadcast a radio station. Its nickname was, “Roosevelt’s erection.” Fun Fact…

  • Black Snow by James M. Scott

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Black Snow: It wasn’t just two atomic bombs that were dropped. Quick synopsis: The story of how the U.S. bombing strategy evolved right before the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: More American airmen died in the skies over Europe than the Marine Corps…

  • American Demon by Daniel Stashower

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for American Demon: Eliot Ness should have stayed in Chicago. Quick synopsis: The story of Eliot Ness and the Cleveland Torso Murderer.   Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Allow me to share this actual slogan for a Cleveland amusement park: “Nothing to depress or demoralize.” Sounds like fun to me! Fun…

  • Retail Gangster by Gary Weiss

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Retail Gangster: Yeah, the title is already awesome. I got nothing. Quick synopsis: The story of “Crazy Eddie” Antar, an electronic store czar who was just a huge crook. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Craze Eddie actually created a med school. Yes, really. It was the University of St. Lucia…

  • The Martyr and the Traitor by Virginia Anderson

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Martyr and the Traitor: The ending will leave you hanging. I am so sorry. I’ll do better. Quick synopsis: The stories of Nathan Hale (you know him, probably) and Moses Dunbar (you do not) who were both tried and executed for treason. It just turns out one was executed by…

  • The Most Hated Man on the Internet (Netflix)

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Most Hated Man on the Internet: Yeah, I’d hate him, too. Quick synopsis: The story of Hunter Moore, who ran a revenge porn site. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Hunter Moore called himself a “professional life ruiner.” Edgy, bro. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Hunter got away with posting…

  • The Most Famous Man in America by Debby Applegate

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Most Famous Man in America: Stanford was ridiculous when it was founded! Quick synopsis: The biography of famous preacher, Henry Ward Beecher. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Does the name sound vaguely familiar? You probably know his sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Fun Fact for…

  • The Scandalous Hamiltons by Bill Shaffer

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Scandalous Hamiltons: Thank God we have paternity tests now. Quick synopsis: A true crime story about Robert Ray Hamilton and his wife after a stabbing. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: You can leave in your will that you want a fountain created in your name. You have to pay…

  • Inventing the It Girl by Hilary Hallett

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Inventing the It Girl: Sex sells. Quick synopsis: A biography of novelist and screenwriter Elinor Glyn. Fun Fact for Non-History People Will Like: In the 1890s, 46,000 women died giving birth in England and Wales. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Elinor’s sister and brother-in-law survived the sinking of the Titanic. My…