Tag: war
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The Rebel Romanov by Helen Rappaport
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Rebel Romanov: Even princesses deserve second acts. Quick synopsis: The life of Jule Saxe-Coburg and her flight from Russian court life. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Actual note from Grand Duke Alexander to his future wife included this tidbit that she reported that he was, “authorized by his parents…
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The Next One Is For You by Ali Watkins
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Next One Is For You: First, you get the guns. Quick synopsis: The story of how a group of Philadelphia gunrunners supplied the IRA during the Troubles. Fact for Non-History People: In the six months following Bloody Sunday, NORAID sent over $300,000 in donations to Northern Ireland. Fact for History…
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A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins by Gareth Harney
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins: Toss a coin to your nerd. Quick synopsis: Yeah, it is exactly what the title says it is. Fact for Non-History People: When Julius Caesar was kidnapped, he demanded his captors raise their ransom demand because he felt insulted by their low number.…
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The Rebel Empresses by Nancy Goldstone
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Rebel Empresses: More than just pretty faces. Quick synopsis: The lives of Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France. Fact for Non-History People: Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico was Austrian. His reign went as badly as you would expect. Fact for History Nerds: Sisi (Elisabeth) was a big supporter of…
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Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Hero of the Empire: He always had to be the center of attention somehow. Quick synopsis: The story of Winston Churchill’s escape from being a prisoner of war during the Second Boer War. Fact for Non-History People: Yes, there were two Boer Wars. Fact for History Nerds: Churchill was acting as…
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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…
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The Apache Wars by Paul Andrew Hutton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Apache Wars: Everything is inevitable if you are stubborn enough. Quick synopsis: A chronicle of the Apache Wars which was really a bunch of smaller wars over about 30 years. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Nickname fail: One of the main characters was half white, half Apache named…the Apache…
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Last Hope Island by Lynne Olson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Last Hope Island: I mean, it was a lot more than just one island. Quick synopsis: The story of the refugee governments who went to England to fight on during World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Polish fighter pilots kicked all sorts of ass. Remember that before you make a…
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No More Secrets by Betty Webb
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for No More Secrets: Secrets, secrets can be fun! Quick synopsis: The story of Betty Webb who served at Bletchley Park and the Pentagon in World War II. Fact for Non-History People: The Pentagon is the third-largest office building in the world. Fact for History Nerds: Bletchley Park’s activities were kept secret…