Tag: World War II
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Cracking the Nazi Code by Jason Bell
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Cracking the Nazi Code: Hitler was not the beginning. Quick synopsis: A look at the career of Winthrop Bell who spied on the Nazis before World War II. Fact for Non-History People: By the end of World War II, the Nazis were responsible for 20 million deaths without counting combat related…
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Beverly Hills Spy by Ronald Drabkin
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Beverly Hills Spy: The climate is even great for spying! Quick synopsis: The story of Frederick Rutland who spied for the Japanese against America in World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Rutland was so poor that when he enlisted in the navy, he was only 5’2” and 85 pounds. Fact…
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Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin by Scott McGaugh
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: There is no damn way you’d get me in one of those things. Quick synopsis: The story of the American glider pilots of World War II. Fact for Non-History People: The U.S. produced 14,612 gliders between 1941 and 1945. Fact for History Nerds: General William Westmoreland…
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The Counterfeit Countess by Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Counterfeit Countess: Best. Fraud. Ever. Quick synopsis: The story of Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg who became a fake countess and saved thousands of people in World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Mehlberg negotiated the release of at least 9,707 people and that does not include the people saved by…
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Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons by Charlotte Gray
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: Mommy knows best. Quick synopsis: A dual biography of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt. Fact for Non-History People: Around the 1850s, 700 British families owned four fifths of the land in Britain. Fact for History Nerds: Between 1870 and 1914, 454 titled Europeans married American…
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Fragile Cargo by Adam Brookes
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Fragile Cargo: Never has luggage been so exciting! Quick synopsis: The story of the race to save China’s imperial treasures before and during World War II. Fact for Non-History People: In 1860 British and French troops looted imperial treasures including a litter of Pekingese puppies. One was given to Queen Victoria…
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Fierce Ambition by Jennet Conant
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Fierce Ambition: Journalists being hostile with each other? You don’t say. Quick synopsis: A biography of war correspondent Maggie Higgins. Fact for Non-History People: In the 1940s, American women did 80% of the nation’s buying. Fact for History Nerds: There were 325 accredited American war correspondents in World War II. 38…
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Strike of the Sailfish by Stephen Moore
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Strike of the Sailfish: You will NEVER get me on a submarine. Quick synopsis: The story of sister submarines in World War II. Fact for Non-History People: Radar at this point could detect a small warship about 10 miles away and closer if it was a part of a convoy. Fact…
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The Savage Storm by James Holland
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Savage Storm: Everyone was mad at the Italians, even the Italians. Quick synopsis: The story of the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943. Fact for Non-History People: By 1943, the Luftwaffe had already lost almost 6,000 aircraft in the Mediterranean alone. Fact for History Nerds: The German 10th Army lost…