Tag: World history
-
Knowing What We Know by Simon Winchester
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Knowing What We Know: What I know is that I don’t know much. Quick synopsis: A look at knowledge and how our understanding and interaction with the world has changed through history. Fun Fact for Non-History People: Language was born in 4 different places all over the world around 3400 B.C.…
-
The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Facemaker: The good doctor. Quick synopsis: The story of Dr. Harold Gillies, who pioneered face reconstruction of World War I casualties. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: In World War I, over 280,000 soldiers from just Britain, Germany, and France suffered some form of facial trauma. Fun Fact for History…
-
The Last Days of the Dinosaurs by Riley Black
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: Poor dinos… Quick synopsis: A look at the time right before, and then way after, the stupid asteroid killed all the dinosaurs. The asteroid is a jerk. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The asteroid impact released the equivalent energy of 100 teratonnes of dynamite…
-
Spare Parts by Paul Craddock
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Spare Parts: The “spare” part is very misleading. Generally, the owner still needed them. Quick synopsis: The history of transplants from the first skin grafts to the present day. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The first target of a transplant? The skin or specifically the nose. How? Oh, you just…
-
The Fairy Tellers by Nicholas Jubber
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Fairy Tellers: Fairy tales are way more messed up than you remember. Quick synopsis: A look at some of the famous original fairy tellers in history. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: There’s a fairy tale called Hans My Hedgehog. He rides a rooster and stabs a princess with his…
-
Operation Vengeance by Dan Hampton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Operation Vengeance: It does not pay to sneak attack the U.S. Quick synopsis: The story of the mission to kill Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Isoroku Yamamoto intended to attack Pearl Harbor after Japan announced formal declaration of…
-
The Terrible Hours by Peter Maas
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Terrible Hours: As if you needed more reasons not to go on a submarine. Quick synopsis: The story of the rescue of the crewmen on the submarine Squalus in 1939. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Until about the mid-1930s, if your submarine had a problem, you were going to…
-
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…
-
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…