Tag: American history
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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…
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Nothing but Courage by James Donovan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Nothing but Courage: One of the few reasons to jump out of a perfectly good plane. Quick synopsis: The 82nd Airborne’s mission on D-Day. Fact for Non-History People: The American airborne forces would comprise 13,000 paratroopers and 4,000 men delivered by gliders. Fact for History Nerds: Approximately 2,500 American paratroopers would…
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Phantom Fleet by Alexander Rose
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Phantom Fleet: The Taking of U-505. Quick synopsis: The Battle of the Atlantic and the attempt to steal a German U-boat. Fact for Non-History People: The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest campaign of World War II. Fact for History Nerds: 3,500 Allied merchant ships were sunk during the Battle…
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The Sailing of the Intrepid by Montel Williams and David Fisher
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Sailing of the Intrepid: Old habits die hard. Quick synopsis: The story of how in 1944 the crew of the USS Intrepid used old school methods to make it home. Fact for Non-History People: Yes, that Montel Williams is the author. He is an Annapolis grad (Go Army!) and is…
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Taking Midway by Martin Dugard
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Taking Midway: When reading the mail was so important. Quick synopsis: The story of Midway Island and the battle which turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific. Fact for Non-History People: The Japanese lost 3,000 personnel in comparison to the U.S.’s about 300. Fact for History Nerds: Midway…