Tag: war
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The Agitator by Peter Duffy
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Agitator: Commies vs. Nazis. Who ya got? Quick synopsis: The story of William Bailey who boarded a German luxury liner and threw the swastika flag into the Hudson River. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Everyone knows that the Nazis hated the Jews. What most people don’t realize is that…
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Commander Will Cushing by Jaime Malanowski
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Commander Will Cushing: This mofo was CRAZY! Quick synopsis: A biography of Commander William Cushing with a major focus on his bonkers actions in the military during the Civil War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Cushing was basically an action movie hero. The big event in his life was during…
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Catherine the Great by Robert Massie
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Catherine the Great: She’s not even Russian! Quick synopsis: An in-depth biography of Catherine the Great of Russia. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: There is a rumor Catherine died while having sex with a horse. No, she didn’t, you sicko. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Catherine is one of the…
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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…