Tag: World history

  • Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn

    I think most people have wondered if their family is harboring a deep, dark secret. Rarely, though, does it ever include Nazi spies. For Christine Kuehn, it actually did mean Nazi spies. And a bunch of them at that! She recounts the story in her book, Family of Spies, which is quite literally correct as…

  • The Jackal by Joby Warrick

    When you think of Carlos the Jackal, you probably picture a suave, cold-blooded hitman roaming the capitals of the world. He has every action planned to the most minute detail. He can think on his feet. He is James Bond without a moral core. That’s a cool visual and all, but the real Carlos the…

  • Checkmate by Ben Mezrich

    If only there was a way in chess for everyone to lose. No, a draw doesn’t count. However, you could make the argument that Checkmate by Ben Mezrich ends in a draw and that’s what everyone deserves. The story is about chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and a young (and supremely obnoxious) Hans Niemann. You may…

  • The Great Shadow by Susan Wise Bauer

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Great Shadow: This book does not cover the man-cold, unfortunately. Quick synopsis: A look at illness throughout history. Fact for Non-History People: Smallpox is the only disease eradicated by man. Fact for History Nerds: Technically, rinderpest has also been eradicated, but that’s for livestock. My Take on The Great Shadow:…

  • Stolen Revolution by Yeganeh Torbati and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Stolen Revolution: Seems rather timely under the current circumstances. Quick synopsis: A look at Iran after the revolution of 1979. Fact for Non-History People: Female literacy rates skyrocketed from under 30% to over 80% post-revolution. Fact for History Nerds: However, over 60% of Iranians are under 30 and want reform. My…

  • 1873 by Liaquat Ahamed

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for 1873: The depression before the depression. Quick synopsis: The story of the worldwide crash and depression of 1873. Fact for Non-History People: The crash bankrupted 89 out of 364 U.S. railroads. Fact for History Nerds: The crash was initially called the Great Depression but when 1929 surpassed it, it was then…

  • Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Self-Help from the Middle Ages: Poor people couldn’t turn to Instagram to fix their lives. Quick synopsis: A look at psychological thought in a time period you wouldn’t expect. Fact for Non-History People: The Seven Deadly Sins were used as an early diagnostic tool. Fact for History Nerds: Catholic confession could…

  • The Black Death by Thomas Asbridge

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Black Death: The ultimate equalizer. Quick synopsis: A look at the most devastating plague in human history. Fact for Non-History People: There are still 1,000 to 2,000 cases of plague reported each year. Fact for History Nerds: People who lived through it didn’t call it the Black Death. They called…

  • The Long Run by Martin Dugard

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Long Run: Much easier to read this than actually run. Quick synopsis: The story of the marathon and the worldwide running boom. Fact for Non-History People: The marathon distance wasn’t officially standardized at 26.2 miles until 1921. It was very complicated before that. Fact for History Nerds: The fastest official…