Tag: European history

  • The Black Prince by Michael Jones

    The Black Prince by Michael Jones

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Black Prince: This has nothing to do with the musician.  Quick synopsis: A complete biography of Edward, the Black Prince of England.  Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: He wasn’t actually black. The name comes from…. well honestly, we still don’t know. Might have been the black armor. He might…

  • The Faithful Executioner by Joel Harrington

    The Faithful Executioner by Joel Harrington

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Faithful Executioner: Who knew being an executioner for 45 years would be depressing? Quick synopsis: A biography of Frantz Schmidt of Nuremberg who was an executioner for 45 years and executed 394 people. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Executing was a family affair, literally. If you were an executioner,…

  • Napoleon by Andrew Roberts

    Napoleon by Andrew Roberts

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Napoleon: Such a big life from such a little man. Quick synopsis: A (very) in depth biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Napoleon was once set upon by hundreds of rabbits during a hunt and needed to flee in a carriage just to get away. Everything I…

  • Isabella by Kirstin Downey

    Isabella by Kirstin Downey

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Isabella: She did more than just tell Columbus to go sailing. Quick synopsis: A complete biography of Isabella I of Castile. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Yes, that Isabella. 1492, Columbus and all that. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Isabella was truly a badass woman both for good and bad.…

  • Absolute Monarchs by John Julius Norwich

    Absolute Monarchs by John Julius Norwich

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Absolute Monarchs: Popes behaving badly. Quick synopsis: It’s about the Pope. All of them. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Pope Stephen VI put Pope Formosus on trial. The catch? Formosus was dead for 7 months. They exhumed him and had him sit there during the trial. It’s called the Cadaver…

  • The Last Duel by Eric Jager

    The Last Duel by Eric Jager

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Last Duel: This is why we have lawyers. Quick synopsis: The story of the last trial by combat in France in 1386. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are set to write and act in the movie version of this book. That is all the…

  • The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio by Hubert Wolf

    The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio by Hubert Wolf

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio: Lesbian nuns. Don’t give me a dirty look. It’s literally true.  Quick synopsis: It’s 1858 at a convent in Rome. Stuff is about to go down.  Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Lesbian nuns. Am I appealing to the lowest common denominator? Yes. It’s still true.  Fun…

  • My Favorite History: Saint Thomas More

    My Favorite History: Saint Thomas More

    Imagine being one of the great philosophers of your age. You serve a king, die a martyr’s death, and are revered by the Catholic Church. However, your greatest contribution to the world is a book you wrote on a lark. And the title is used today to mean the exact opposite of the point you…

  • Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson

    Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Madame Fourcade’s Secret War: Spying sounds exhausting. Quick synopsis: The story of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the spy master of a massive network in France throughout World War II. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Spying in France during World War II was very often a family affair. Olson notes multiple instances where…