Tag: American history
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Freedom Ship by Marcus Rediker
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Freedom Ship: If you can’t run, sail. Quick synopsis: A look at the Underground Railroad but from a maritime perspective. Fact for Non-History People: If you broke the original Fugitive Slave Law, you might get a fine of around $15,000 in today’s dollars. Later, the penalties increased a lot. Fact for…
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The Undiscovered Country by Paul Andrew Hutton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Undiscovered Country: “Undiscovered” really depends on your point of view. Quick synopsis: A look at American westward expansion through the lives of four famous faces. Fact for Non-History People: The American Census Bureau declared the western frontier “closed” in 1890. Fact for History Nerds: The U.S. military tried using camels…
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The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Boys in the Light: No finer company. Quick synopsis: The story of the intersection between some American soldiers in World War II and the author’s father, a concentration camp survivor. Fact for Non-History People: Germany had over 1,000 concentration camps. Fact for History Nerds: Approximately 1.65 million people were kept…
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The Aviator and the Showman by Laurie Gwen Shapiro
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Aviator and the Showman: Her Atlantic flight was the least interesting thing about her. Quick synopsis: The lives of Amelia Earhart and her husband George Putnam. Fact for Non-History People: Earhart was also a fashion designer. Well, kinda. Fact for History Nerds: Amelia set the woman’s world altitude record of…
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The Gunfighters by Bryan Burrough
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Gunfighters: Guns? Check. Fights? Check. No lies detected. Quick synopsis: A look at all the Texan and Texas-adjacent gunfighters of the Wild West. Fact for Non-History People: The time of the “Wild West” only covers about 30 years. Fact for History Nerds: The Pony Express only lasted about 18 months.…
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Midnight on the Potomac by Scott Ellsworth
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Midnight on the Potomac: An old story told new. Quick synopsis: A different look at the last year of the Civil War. Fact for Non-History People: Lincoln would even visit Confederate prisoner hospital tents during the war. Fact for History Nerds: One out of every 50 Americans were killed during the…
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Spitfires by Beck Aikman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Spitfires: You don’t need people shooting at you to be in danger. Quick synopsis: A look at the American women pilots in Britain during World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Women flew 80% of ferrying missions during World War II. Fact for History Nerds: 3% of WASP pilots died in…
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The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Fate of the Day: You loved the original so don’t miss the sequel. Quick synopsis: The American Revolution from Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780. Fact for Non-History People: The Marquis de Lafayette’s full name was Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette. Fact for History Nerds: Georgia is the only state…
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Murderland by Caroline Fraser
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Murderland: So many ways to die. Quick synopsis: A look at the rise of serial killers in the 1970s and 1980s with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. Fact for Non-History People: Serial killers peaked in the U.S. with 300 known offenders in the 1970s. Fact for History Nerds: Washington state…