Tag: war
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The Confidence Men by Margalit Fox
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Confidence Men: Maybe I’ve had fortune tellers wrong this whole time. Quick synopsis: The story of how two British POWs in World War I make their escape… by using telepathy. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: This may be the only example in military history of a conviction on espionage…
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Louis XIV by Josephine Wilkinson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Louis XIV: Current world record holder for longest reign! Quick synopsis: A biography of Louis XIV of France, the Sun King. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Guess how Louisiana got named? Yup, this guy. He is the longest reigning monarch of all time (72 years, 110 days). Queen Elizabeth is…
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Gibraltar by Roy and Leslie Adkins
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Gibraltar: (In Sean Connery voice) Welcome to the Rock! Quick synopsis: The story of the Siege of Gibraltar from 1779 to 1783. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: There were so many cannonballs shot into the streets that you could basically walk on them as if they were the actual street.…
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Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Shadow Divers: Damn Nazis are still causing problems. Quick synopsis: The discovery and attempts to identify an unknown Nazi sub off New Jersey in 1991. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Back in 1991, when the book takes place, a diver could only be at a wreck for about 20 minutes…
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The Ratline by Philippe Sands
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Ratline: Nazi blood runs deep. Quick synopsis: The story of Nazi Otto van Wachter and his family. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The path many Nazis took to avoid prosecution was called the “Ratline.” I don’t know of a term that was so apt. Fun Fact for History Nerds:…
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The Unknowns by Patrick K. O’Donnell
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Unknowns: You have to give it to Americans. We may not do it better, but we always do it bigger. Quick synopsis: An overview of American involvement in World War I through the lens of the body bearers of the Unknown Soldier. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Germans were…
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Grant by Ron Chernow
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Grant: When is Lin-Manuel Miranda going to make a musical out of this? Quick synopsis: A (very) in depth biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Battle of Shiloh had more casualties than the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War combined. Gettysburg…
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Grant by William S. McFeely
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Grant: This book is one of the reasons to hate the 80s. Quick synopsis: A terrible biography of U.S. Grant. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: This terrible book won the Pulitzer Prize. It annoys me to no end. Fun Fact for History Nerds: This book is an example of an…
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Crucible of Hell by Saul David
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Crucible of Hell: Kind of puts The Karate Kid in a whole new light. Quick synopsis: Story of the battle of Okinawa in World War II. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The movie Hacksaw Ridge is based on an actual action during the Battle of Okinawa. Fun Fact for History…