Tag: war
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Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Alexander Hamilton: I’m reviewing the book, not the play, dorks. Come at me. Quick synopsis: A (very) in-depth biography of Alexander Hamilton. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Hamilton was not born in the United States (or the colonies, actually). He was born in Nevis in the Caribbean. Fun Fact for…
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The Black Prince by Michael Jones
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Black Prince: This has nothing to do with the musician. Quick synopsis: A complete biography of Edward, the Black Prince of England. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: He wasn’t actually black. The name comes from…. well honestly, we still don’t know. Might have been the black armor. He might…
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Napoleon by Andrew Roberts
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Napoleon: Such a big life from such a little man. Quick synopsis: A (very) in depth biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Napoleon was once set upon by hundreds of rabbits during a hunt and needed to flee in a carriage just to get away. Everything I…
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Diamonds, Gold, and War by Martin Meredith
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Diamonds, Gold, and War: Boer, what’s it good for? Quick synopsis: The story of how South Africa went from a backwater British colony to one of the most sought-after prizes on earth. (Spoiler alert: It’s in the title, obviously.) Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Boer Wars have nothing to…
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God, War, and Providence by James Warren
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for God, War, and Providence: Massholes. Quick synopsis: A look at how Roger Williams and Rhode Island came to be and also how the other colonies (especially Massachusetts, they come off looking really bad) screwed over their Indian neighbors and tried to destroy Rhode Island. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: When…
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Never In Finer Company by Edward G. Lengel
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Never In Finer Company: Military egomaniacs get their men in a jam? You don’t say. Quick synopsis: Story of the “Lost Battalion” in World War I. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Jokes about using pigeons to send messages are commonplace as jokes. I think people forget that it actually was…
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The Polar Bear Expedition by James Carl Nelson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Polar Bear Expedition: We invaded Russia? We invaded Russia! Quick synopsis: Story of the Polar Bear Expedition, where the Allied Powers at the end of World War I invade near Archangel, Russia to…. well no one was quite sure what the hell they were doing there. Fun Fact Non-History People…
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Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Lost in Shangri-La: Wait until you get to the unneeded male nudity. Quick synopsis: Story of an airplane crash during World War II in New Guinea. The survivors of the crash are caught in a valley which will require an ingenious exit strategy. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: A drunk…
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When Montezuma Met Cortes by Matthew Restall
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for When Montezuma Met Cortes: When good scholarship goes wrong. Quick synopsis: A reexamination of when Montezuma first met Hernan Cortes. The author has many thoughts. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: N/A. This is historical scholarship that would put anyone not absolutely enamored with the time period into a coma. Fun…