Tag: American history
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Dodge City by Tom Clavin
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Dodge City: Came for the Wild West. Stayed for the ridiculous nicknames. Quick synopsis: Part biography of Dodge City and what it was like in the time of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Part biography of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Also, part random cowboy stories which are almost completely tangential…
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Be Free or Die by Cate Lineberry
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Be Free or Die: How is this not a movie yet?! Quick synopsis: A recounting of the life of Robert Smalls, Union hero during the Civil War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Robert Smalls stole a Confederate ship and sailed it out to the waiting Union blockade right under the…
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John Adams (HBO)
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for John Adams: Paul Giamatti playing a jerk. He’s the best at it! Quick synopsis: The events of John Adams’ life covered by the book of the same name by David McCullough. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: John Adams was the lawyer for the British soldiers accused in the Boston Massacre.…
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The Finest Hours by Michael Tougias
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Finest Hours: Two shipwrecks for the price of one! Quick synopsis: The story of two oil tankers in distress off Cape Cod in 1952 and the effort to save the crew by the Coast Guard. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Both distressed ships split in half! And kept floating…
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Musing: I Hate Thomas Jefferson
What’s this musing about: Thomas Jefferson was a moody and terrible hypocrite. I hate Thomas Jefferson. Oh, you want to know why? I’d be happy to let you know. And now, I will employ one of my favorite things: a numbered list. His supporters talk about how madly he loved his wife. There is evidence…
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My Favorite History: The White Hurricane
From November 7th through November 10th, 1913, the Great Lakes were hammered by what was called the Great Lakes Storm of 1913, or much more ominously, the “White Hurricane.” I love history when I have absolutely no insight before I start digging in. I am huge lover of shipwreck stories and came across White Hurricane…
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Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Dark Tide: You’ll never think of a sugar rush the same way again. Quick synopsis: A recounting of the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. You heard me right. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: In 1919, a giant vat of molasses in Boston burst, sending a flood of molasses through…
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The Girl on the Velvet Swing by Simon Baatz
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Girl on the Velvet Swing: A whole lotta crazy going on. Quick synopsis: A true crime story from the early 1900s. A famous architect rapes a woman and he is later murdered publicly by the woman’s husband. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Stanford White was a famous architect who…
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My Favorite History: The Marquis de Lafayette
Ever heard of Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier? How about the Marquis? Still no? How about any of the literally dozens of places named either Fayette, Lafayette, or Fayetteville? All of these places are named after one man who is my favorite historical figure. He is the Marquis de Lafayette and he is…