Category Archives: history

Travelin’ man

Posted on July 21, 2015 by smellincoffee

Hello again, dear readers! I’ve been on a mini-vacation this past weekend, staying with my sister’s in-laws in Atlanta and watching the Atlanta Braves take on the Chicago Cubs.  The game itself was a sleepy affair, with little hitting and  only … Continue reading →

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Last Call

Posted on July 1, 2015 by smellincoffee

Last Call: the Rise and Fall of Prohibition © 2010 Daniel Okrent 480 pages “Law and order should not ruin the lives of law-abidin’ people! Like that stupid law of Prohibition they had in the old days. Gangsters had to go … Continue reading →

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Recarving Rushmore

Posted on June 24, 2015 by smellincoffee

Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty© 2009 Ivan Eland527 pages Presidential rankings tend to favor  those who were most active, reigning during a crisis or creating expansive new programs that alter the nation’s fortunes.  What of … Continue reading →

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The Cost of Liberty

Posted on June 21, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Cost of Liberty: The Life of John Dickinson© 2013 William Murchinson257 pages “Experience must be our only guide; reason may mislead us.” Can you claim to be a Founding Father if you didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence?  What … Continue reading →

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Behind the Mask of Chivalry

Posted on June 20, 2015 by smellincoffee

Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Klan© 1995 Nancy MacLean336 pages             I’m a faithful follower of Brother John Birch, and I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church   — and I ain’t even got a garage, … Continue reading →

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American Colonies

Posted on June 13, 2015 by smellincoffee

American Colonies: The Settling of North America© 2001 Alan Taylor526 pages           American Colonies is a sweeping history of the New World,  one that attempts to convey the full American experience, beginning with the arrival of … Continue reading →

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The English People on the Eve of Colonization

Posted on June 8, 2015 by smellincoffee

The English People on the Eve of Colonization© 1954 Wallace Notestein302 pages    If there was ever an exemplar for not judging a book by its cover, The English People on the Eve of Colonization is it. The binding is … Continue reading →

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The Colonial Experience

Posted on June 5, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Americans: The Colonial Experience© 1967 Daniel Boorstin528 pages               Daniel Boorstin’s The Americans delivers a cultural history of the American colonies, beginning first with profiles on the disparate groups that settled on the eastern seaboard (Puritans, Quakers, and … Continue reading →

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The Fiery Cross

Posted on May 26, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Fiery Cross: The Ku Klux Klan in America© 1998 Wyn Craig Wade528 pages Living in the country as I did,  the bus ride to school always lasted over an hour, and in elementary school I remember being utterly petrified … Continue reading →

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The Wars of the Roses

Posted on May 25, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Wars of the Roses© 1996 Alison Weir496 pages The wars of the roses sounds like a gardening contest run amok, but no genteel horticulturists were involved.  The strange appellation refers to a series of dynastic crises in 15th century … Continue reading →

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