Tag: World history
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Dark Brilliance by Paul Strathern
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Dark Brilliance: Darkest before the dawn. Quick synopsis: A look at the Age of Reason through various artists. Fact for Non-History People: By the end of the Thirty Years War, the population of Europe decreased by 10%. Fact for History Nerds: Proportionally, more people in Europe died during the Thirty Years…
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The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Boys in the Light: No finer company. Quick synopsis: The story of the intersection between some American soldiers in World War II and the author’s father, a concentration camp survivor. Fact for Non-History People: Germany had over 1,000 concentration camps. Fact for History Nerds: Approximately 1.65 million people were kept…
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Embers of the Hands by Eleanor Barraclough
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Embers of the Hands: Vikings: They’re just like us! Quick synopsis: A look at the everyday lives of Vikings. Fact for Non-History People: Vikings were actually relatively clean people especially when it came to their hair. Fact for History Nerds: Most Viking boots were made of goatskin. My Take on…
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Monsterland by Nicholas Jubber
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Monsterland: Exactly what you want it to be. Quick synopsis: A look at the origins of history’s greatest monsters. Fact for Non-History People: One of the possible origins for vampires can be found in a Russian text from 1047. Fact for History Nerds: Mary Shelley was only 18 when she wrote…
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Nothing but Courage by James Donovan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Nothing but Courage: One of the few reasons to jump out of a perfectly good plane. Quick synopsis: The 82nd Airborne’s mission on D-Day. Fact for Non-History People: The American airborne forces would comprise 13,000 paratroopers and 4,000 men delivered by gliders. Fact for History Nerds: Approximately 2,500 American paratroopers would…
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Sceptred Isle by Helen Carr
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Sceptred Isle: Just because they are your favorite doesn’t mean they are everyone else’s. Quick synopsis: A look at English royal upheaval in the 14th century. Fact for Non-History People: Richard II is credited with either inventing or popularizing the handkerchief. Fact for History Nerds: Right before the Black Death arrived,…
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Submersed by Matthew Gavin Frank
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Submersed: Weirder than you can possibly expect. Quick synopsis: A look at amateur submarine culture and the murder of journalist Kim Wall. Fact for Non-History People: It is impossible to go 20,000 leagues under the sea because that’s twice the circumference of Earth. Fact for History Nerds: Kim Wall spoke 8…
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Taking Midway by Martin Dugard
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Taking Midway: When reading the mail was so important. Quick synopsis: The story of Midway Island and the battle which turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific. Fact for Non-History People: The Japanese lost 3,000 personnel in comparison to the U.S.’s about 300. Fact for History Nerds: Midway…
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The Mesopotamian Riddle by Joshua Hammer
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Mesopotamian Riddle: Nerdiest race ever. Quick synopsis: The story of the race to decipher one of the world’s oldest dead languages. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Cuneiform means “wedge-shaped” which makes a lot of sense when you look at it. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Cuneiform is one of…