Tag: exploration
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The Beast in the Clouds by Nathalia Holt
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Beast in the Clouds: You’ll be begging for the heroes to fail. Quick synopsis: The story of the Roosevelt Brothers’ search for the elusive panda. Fact for Non-History People: Pandas weren’t known to the western world until 1869 and even then there were doubts until the Roosevelt brothers went looking.…
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Arctic Labyrinth by Glyn Williams
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Arctic Labyrinth: If at first you don’t succeed, keep sending people to freeze to death. Quick synopsis: The history of the quest for the Northwest Passage. Fact for Non-History People: I’ve read a lot about this. Why did people think the Northwest Passage existed? Because it would be convenient if it…
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Realm of Ice and Sky by Buddy Levy
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Realm of Ice and Sky: Safety was NOT a priority. Quick synopsis: The story of three different airship expeditions to the North Pole. Fact for Non-History People: The North Pole averages -40 degrees in the winter. It’s the same in Fahrenheit and Celsius so don’t at me. Fact for History Nerds:…
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Astoria by Peter Stark
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Astoria: This has nothing to do with the Goonies. Sorry. Quick synopsis: The story of John Jacob Astor trying to populate the Pacific Northwest and monopolize the fur trade in the area. Fact for Non-History People: Astoria, Oregon is named after John Jacob Astor. He never stepped foot there. Too busy…
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Champlain’s Dream by David Hackett Fisher
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Champlain’s Dream: Apparently, you didn’t need to be a genocidal madman to start a new colony. Quick synopsis: The founding of New France by Samuel de Champlain. Fact for Non-History People: Saint John, New Brunswick was established before Jamestown and Plymouth. Fact for History Nerds: Samuel de Champlain’s burial site is…
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The Last Island by Adam Goodheart
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Last Island: Leave them alone. Quick synopsis: The story of North Sentinel Island and the isolated tribe that calls it home. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Andaman Island chain contains nearly 600 islands and thousands of species that don’t exist anywhere else in the world. Fun Fact for…
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The Explorers by Amanda Bellows
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Explorers: The story of people who refused to sit still. Quick synopsis: A look at different explorers who are often overlooked in history. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Daniel Boone never wore a coonskin cap. He probably wore a beaver hat. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Sacagawea had an…
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Paradise of the Damned by Keith Thomson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Paradise of the Damned: Europeans loved falling for the old “city of gold” trick. Quick synopsis: The story of Sir Walter Raleigh’s obsession with El Dorado. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Columbus’s first voyage covered 3,700 miles in 36 days of sailing. Fun Fact for History Nerds: The Orinoco River…
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Throne of Grace by Tom Clavin and Bob Drury
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Throne of Grace: Life without a map. Quick synopsis: The story of one of America’s forgotten explorers, Jedediah Smith. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Arithmetic used to be called ciphering in schools. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Between 1700 and 1822, European markets purchased nearly forty million pieces of beaver…