Tag: war
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The Greatest Knight by Thomas Asbridge
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline: Oh look, an actual knight. Quick synopsis: A complete biography of William Marshal of England. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: William Marshal served five separate kings: Henry II, the “Young King” Henry, Richard I the Lionheart, John (yes, THAT King John), and Henry III. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Marshal…
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The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams: He’s more than just a beer! Quick synopsis: A biography of the overshadowed Adams, Samuel. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: He was never called “Sam.” Always Samuel. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Adams was gifted a slave from his mother-in-law. He immediately had her emancipated. Surrey…
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Black Snow by James M. Scott
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Black Snow: It wasn’t just two atomic bombs that were dropped. Quick synopsis: The story of how the U.S. bombing strategy evolved right before the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: More American airmen died in the skies over Europe than the Marine Corps…
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The Vortex by Scott Carney and Jason Miklian
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Vortex: The people ended up being the killer storm. Quick synopsis: The story of a killer storm and the creation of Bangladesh. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: “Pakistan” is actually an acronym of the largest provinces and groups making up the country. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Cyclones…
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The Martyr and the Traitor by Virginia Anderson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Martyr and the Traitor: The ending will leave you hanging. I am so sorry. I’ll do better. Quick synopsis: The stories of Nathan Hale (you know him, probably) and Moses Dunbar (you do not) who were both tried and executed for treason. It just turns out one was executed by…
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Hitler’s Boy Soldiers by Helene Munson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Hitler’s Boy Soldiers: Just when you thought the Nazis couldn’t get any worse. Quick synopsis: The story of how Hitler and the Nazis indoctrinated young men even before World War II. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: What was a good exercise for these young men? Manning anti-aircraft guns! Yes, really!…
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The Daughters of Yalta by Catherine Grace Katz
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Daughters of Yalta: It all makes for very complicated dinner parties. Quick synopsis: The story of the Yalta Conference near the end of World War II through the eyes of Sarah Churchill, Anna Roosevelt, and Kathleen Harriman. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Franklin D. Roosevelt never knew what he…
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History Nerds United Podcast S1:E4 – James M. Scott
Pulitzer Prize finalist and author James M. Scott joins the podcast to talk about Rampage, his book on the World War II Battle of Manila. James explains his writing process, where he gets his ideas, the challenge in getting children to pay attention to history, and how to make the perfect gin and tonic. Hint:…
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Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Tunnel 29: It’s like Shawshank but from the opposite direction. Quick synopsis: The story of Tunnel 29 which was dug from West Germany to East Germany to allow people to escape. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The East Germans called the Berlin Wall the “anti-fascist protection barrier.” History can be…