Tag: civil war

  • The Rush by Nathaniel Philbrick

    Fear not, dear readers. Nathaniel Philbrick is still at the top of his game with The Rush. And as per usual, this book is way more than it looks like from the title and the cover. Gold is one thing. What people do with it becomes the real story. Philbrick starts with the famed discovery…

  • 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…

  • Boutwell by Jeffrey Boutwell

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Boutwell: The dude behind the dude. Quick synopsis: The life of Civil War era politician, George Boutwell. Fact for Non-History People: During Reconstruction, President Grant only declared martial law once and it was in South Carolina. Fact for History Nerds: The number of slaves in the U.S. tripled between 1790 to…

  • Somewhere Towards Freedom by Bennett Parten

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Somewhere Towards Freedom: A brutal army march was way better than the alternative. Quick synopsis: A look at Sherman’s March focusing on the stories of the newly freed slaves that followed his army. Fact for Non-History People: By the time Sherman reached Savannah, there were 20,000 freed slaves with him. Fact…

  • Our Ancient Faith by Allen Guelzo

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Our Ancient Faith: The ultimate democracy fanboy. Quick synopsis: A look at how Abraham Lincoln treasured and communicated his love for American democracy. Fact for Non-History People: Abraham Lincoln is in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Fact for History Nerds: Lincoln is the only president who holds a patent. It was…

  • The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Immortal Irishman: This guy packed a lot into 44 years. Quick synopsis: The story of Thomas Francis Meagher who was an Irish Nationalist and American Civil War general. Fact for Non-History People: Meagher was actually sentenced to death by the British. His sentence was commuted to life in Tasmania. Yeah,…

  • Wide Awake by Jon Grinspan

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Wide Awake: I don’t know who they liked, but I do know who they hated. Quick synopsis: The story of the Wide Awakes, who fought against the “slave power” around the time of the Civil War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: A huge supporter of the Wide Awakes was P.T.…

  • On Great Fields by Ronald White

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for On Great Fields: More than just a sweet mustache. Quick synopsis: A look at the life of Civil War officer and hero of Gettysburg, Joshua Chamberlain. Fact for Non-History People: Chamberlain was named after the American ship captain who is famous for the saying, “Don’t give up the ship.” Fact for…

  • Sheridan’s Secret Mission by Robert Cwiklik

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Sheridan’s Secret Mission: Wasn’t much of secret. Quick synopsis: The story of when U.S. Grant sent Philip Sheridan to report on the civil unrest and racism in the South. Fact for Non-History People: Black men encompassed 10% of the Union forces. Fact for History Nerds: Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard grew up…