Tag: biography
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Charlotte Bronte by Claire Harman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline: Jane Eyre was way truer to life than I thought. Quick synopsis for Charlotte Bronte: The biography Charlotte Bronte, best known as the writer of Jane Eyre. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Charlotte’s sister, Emily, wrote Wuthering Heights, another book you probably dodged in high school unsuccessfully. Fun Fact for History…
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Hero of Two Worlds by Mike Duncan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Hero of Two Worlds: Parisians definitely have made a habit of rioting. Quick synopsis: A biography of the Marquis de Lafayette. They keep writing them and I am going to keep reading them. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Good job, Hartford, Connecticut. When Lafayette and his family were trying to…
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In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park/Maryanne Vollers
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for In Order to Live: North Korea is worse than I thought, amazingly. Quick synopsis: The story of Yeonmi Park, who escaped North Korea only to end up being human trafficked in China. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Children are taught that Kim Jong Il wrote fifteen hundred books while at…
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Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Shadow Divers: Damn Nazis are still causing problems. Quick synopsis: The discovery and attempts to identify an unknown Nazi sub off New Jersey in 1991. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Back in 1991, when the book takes place, a diver could only be at a wreck for about 20 minutes…
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Grant by Ron Chernow
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Grant: When is Lin-Manuel Miranda going to make a musical out of this? Quick synopsis: A (very) in depth biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Battle of Shiloh had more casualties than the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War combined. Gettysburg…
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Grant by William S. McFeely
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Grant: This book is one of the reasons to hate the 80s. Quick synopsis: A terrible biography of U.S. Grant. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: This terrible book won the Pulitzer Prize. It annoys me to no end. Fun Fact for History Nerds: This book is an example of an…
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The Agitator by Peter Duffy
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Agitator: Commies vs. Nazis. Who ya got? Quick synopsis: The story of William Bailey who boarded a German luxury liner and threw the swastika flag into the Hudson River. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Everyone knows that the Nazis hated the Jews. What most people don’t realize is that…
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Catherine the Great by Robert Massie
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Catherine the Great: She’s not even Russian! Quick synopsis: An in-depth biography of Catherine the Great of Russia. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: There is a rumor Catherine died while having sex with a horse. No, she didn’t, you sicko. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Catherine is one of the…
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Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Alexander Hamilton: I’m reviewing the book, not the play, dorks. Come at me. Quick synopsis: A (very) in-depth biography of Alexander Hamilton. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Hamilton was not born in the United States (or the colonies, actually). He was born in Nevis in the Caribbean. Fun Fact for…