Tag: Asian history
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On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for On Desperate Ground: Fine, fine. Marines are good at stuff. I’ll admit it for once. Quick synopsis: The battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Mao Zedong believed orgasms directly halted the aging process. He’s dead now so I guess not. Fun Fact for…
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Vagabond Princess by Ruby Lal
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Vagabond Princess: Her Instagram account would have been awesome. Quick synopsis: The biography of Mughal Princess and writer Gulbadan Begum from the 1500s. Fact for Non-History People: Royal couriers were super-fast back in the day. A good rider with a solid horse could cover around 350 miles on a great…
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Empires of the Steppes by Kenneth Harl
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Empires of the Steppes: It wasn’t just Genghis. Quick synopsis: A look at the leaders of the Eurasian steppes. Fact for Non-History People: Attila the Hun died during a celebration of his wedding from probably a burst blood vessel. Fact for History Nerds: The man who coined the term “Silk Road”…
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Narcotopia by Patrick Winn
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Narcotopia: Apparently, you can’t trust a spy agency. Quick synopsis: The story of the narco-state in Burma. Fact for Non-History People: This narco-state has a larger military than Sweden or Kenya. Fact for History Nerds: The Southeast Asia drug trade generates $60 billion each year in meth alone. My Take on…
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The Sister by Sung-Yoon Lee
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Sister: Hell hath no fury like a dictator’s sister. Quick synopsis: A look at the sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong. Fact for Non-History People: The official name of North Korea is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It is neither a democracy nor a…
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Valor by Dan Hampton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Valor: The story of a man who refused to enjoy a beach vacation. Quick synopsis: The story of Bill Harris in World War II as he fights, gets captured, fights, fights some more and absolutely refuses to sit still. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Chicago’s mayor thought it was possible…
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Target Tokyo by James M. Scott
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline: Wait, we bombed Tokyo right after Pearl Harbor? I’ll be damned. Quick synopsis: We bombed Tokyo right after Pearl Harbor. Yes, really. Jimmy Doolittle and his Doolittle Raiders actually did a hell of a lot. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: When the Doolittle Raiders took off for their bombing run, they…
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No Beast So Fierce by Dane Huckelbridge
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for No Beast So Fierce: Well, I won’t look at the Cincinnati Bengals the same way again. They represent a murderer! Quick synopsis: The story of deadliest animal in history: the Champawat Tiger. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Champawat Tiger killed 435 people. Yes, you read that correctly. Fun Fact…
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The Greatest Beer Run Ever by Chick Donohue
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Greatest Beer Run Ever: I can’t improve on the title, so I won’t even try. Quick synopsis: Chick Donohue went to bring his friends beer….in Vietnam…during the Vietnam War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Yes, the synopsis is true. All of it. Fun Fact for History Nerds: If you…