Tag: war

  • Forged in War by Mark Galeotti

    Forged in War by Mark Galeotti

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Forged in War: No lies detected. Quick synopsis: A look at Russian wars throughout its history.   Fact for Non-History People: Galeotti posits that Oleg the Wise should get the credit for creating Russia rather than the usually named Ryurik. Fact for History Nerds: After the fall of the USSR, Pepsi…

  • Operation Biting by Max Hastings

    Operation Biting by Max Hastings

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Operation Biting: Disclaimer: No actual biting occurs. Quick synopsis: The story of the British parachute assault to capture Nazi radar in 1942.   Fact for Non-History People: British paratroopers did not have reserve shoots while U.S paratroopers did. Fact for History Nerds: General Eisenhower started World War II a colonel but…

  • Henry V by Dan Jones

    Henry V by Dan Jones

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Henry V: Shakespeare took a little dramatic license. Quick synopsis: A full biography of England’s greatest warrior king, Henry V.   Fact for Non-History People: Henry V got shot in the face with an arrow as a teen and somehow didn’t die. Fact for History Nerds: Around the time of Henry’s…

  • Twenty Years by Sune Engel Rasmussen

    Twenty Years by Sune Engel Rasmussen

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Twenty Years: Plenty of rage to go around. Quick synopsis: A look at the war in Afghanistan through the eyes of various Afghans. Fact for Non-History People: In the 1980s, Afghans in Iran and Pakistan made up nearly half of the world’s population of refugees. Fact for History Nerds: The U.S.…

  • The Killing Ground by Myke Cole and Michael Livingston

    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…

  • Fierce Ambition by Jennet Conant

    Fierce Ambition by Jennet Conant

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Fierce Ambition: Journalists being hostile with each other? You don’t say. Quick synopsis: A biography of war correspondent Maggie Higgins. Fact for Non-History People: In the 1940s, American women did 80% of the nation’s buying. Fact for History Nerds: There were 325 accredited American war correspondents in World War II. 38…

  • Unwavering by Taylor Kiland and Judy Gray

    Unwavering by Taylor Kiland and Judy Gray

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Unwavering: Hell hath no fury like a military spouse. Quick synopsis: The story of the POW/MIA movement during the Vietnam War. Fact for Non-History People: There were 591 American servicemen repatriated in 1973 from Vietnam. Fact for History Nerds: 643,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Vietnam over the three-and-a-half-year campaign…

  • Battle for the Island Kingdom by Don Hollway

    Battle for the Island Kingdom by Don Hollway

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Battle for the Island Kingdom: It’s good to be king. Until you get killed, probably by a family member. Quick synopsis: A look at England and its rulers from 1000-1066. Fact for Non-History People: A mail hauberk (shirt made of metal links) could take a thousand-man hours to create. Fact for…

  • Agincourt by Michael Livingston

    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…