Category Archives: history

Songs of America

Posted on February 11, 2022 by smellincoffee

Song of America: Patriotism, Protest, and the Music that Made a Nation© 2019 Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw289 pages Songs of America is a partial history of America, illustrated by its music, one celebrating the progress of Americans toward greater … Continue reading →

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On horses, septic tanks, and roving Spainards

Posted on January 14, 2022 by smellincoffee

I began the year by returning to a favorite subject of mine: horses! The Equine Legacy is a history of not only horses in America, but donkeys and mules, from the Age of Discovery to just after the Great War. … Continue reading →

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A Furious Sky

Posted on November 17, 2021 by smellincoffee

A Furious Sky: The Five Hundred Year History of America’s Hurricanes© 2020 Eric Jay Dolin415 pages A Furious Sky is a history of hurricanes in American history, opening with Columbus’ attempts to warn a rival governor of imminent danger and … Continue reading →

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Travels with George

Posted on November 5, 2021 by smellincoffee

Travels with George: In Search of Washington and his Legacy© 2021 Nathaniel Philbrick400 pages Travels with George couldn’t help but be interesting, what with its premise of the author following George Washington’s footsteps in an reenactment of his tour of … Continue reading →

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For all the Tea in China

Posted on October 28, 2021 by smellincoffee

For all the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink and Made History© 2010 Sarah Rose272 pages A love of tea is one of the great English stereotypes, at least in the United States, so I thought … Continue reading →

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The War that Made the Roman Empire

Posted on October 26, 2021 by smellincoffee

The War that Made the Roman Empire: Anthony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium© 2022 Bary Strauss368 pages Rome, at the death of Julius Caesar, was no stranger to internal war.  A functioning, healthy republic had long vanished,  torn in pieces … Continue reading →

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Books books books

Posted on October 14, 2021 by smellincoffee

Between the nonfunctional hospital wifi and the only decent television programs being overtaken by baseball, most of my entertainment last week was good ol’ fashioned books. Midnight at Chernobyl popped onto my radar after I watched the excellent HBO series … Continue reading →

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Touching History

Posted on September 27, 2021 by smellincoffee

Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama that Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11©2008 Lynn Spencer 320 pages When the brilliant blue skies over the continental United States became a place of confusion, dread, loss, and death, … Continue reading →

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Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants

Posted on September 7, 2021 by smellincoffee

Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans© Garrett Ryan 288 pages For those interested in the life of Greece and Rome beyond senatorial politics and agricultural policy, Naked States offers an … Continue reading →

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