Tag: European history
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Cracking the Nazi Code by Jason Bell
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Cracking the Nazi Code: Hitler was not the beginning. Quick synopsis: A look at the career of Winthrop Bell who spied on the Nazis before World War II. Fact for Non-History People: By the end of World War II, the Nazis were responsible for 20 million deaths without counting combat related…
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The Killing Ground by Myke Cole and Michael Livingston
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Killing Ground: You don’t have to be a Spartan to die here! Quick synopsis: A look at all the battles that ever occurred at Thermopylae. It wasn’t just the one. Fact for Non-History People: It wasn’t Leonidas and 300 Spartans. There was about 1,000 Spartans and 6,000 other Greeks. Fact…
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The Counterfeit Countess by Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Counterfeit Countess: Best. Fraud. Ever. Quick synopsis: The story of Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg who became a fake countess and saved thousands of people in World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Mehlberg negotiated the release of at least 9,707 people and that does not include the people saved by…
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The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Art Thief: Fine, let’s do a heist. Quick synopsis: The story of Stéphane Breitwieser. The world’s most prolific art thief. Fact for Non-History People: It is estimated Breitwieser stole art worth $2 billion dollars. Yes, BILLIONS. Fact for History Nerds: Myles Connor Jr. was a member of MENSA and also…
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The Last Ships from Hamburg by Steven Ujifusa
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Last Ships from Hamburg: 99 problems but a ship ain’t one. Quick synopsis: The story of the men instrumental in the Jewish exodus from Eastern Europe before World War I. Fact for Non-History People: Thomas Ismay purchased the White Star Line in 1867 for only one thousand pounds. Yes, the…
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Agincourt by Michael Livingston
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Agincourt: Shakespeare is full of –it. Quick synopsis: A new look at one of the most famous battles in history. Fact for Non-History People: Henry V was shot in the face with an arrow at an earlier battle when he was Prince of Wales. Clearly, he survived, but damn, it a…
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Pure Wit by Francesca Peacock
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Pure Wit: Pure indifference to people’s opinions, as well. Quick synopsis: A biography of Margaret Cavendish, an author in 1600s England. Fact for Non-History People: The title of a pamphlet in this time period for context, “The Arraignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Woman.” Fact for History Nerds: Cavendish was…
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The Devils Will Get No Rest by James Conroy
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Devils Will Get No Rest: The Reality TV Reunion Show of World War II. Quick synopsis: The story of the Allied Casablanca Conference of World War II. Fact for Non-History People: FDR saw Churchill naked. No, I won’t explain it any further. Fact for History Nerds: During World War II,…
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The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream by Dean Jobb
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: This Cream has gone bad. (I’ll see myself out.) Quick synopsis: The story of Victorian era serial killer, Dr. Thomas Neil Cream. Fact for Non-History People: Crime was so bad in one area of London during this time that instead of Waterloo Station people…