History
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FIRST FAMILY by Joseph J. Ellis | Review
“The Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author of “Founding Brothers” and “His Excellency “brings America’s preeminent first couple to life in a moving and illuminating narrative that sweeps through the American Revolution and the republic’s tenuous early years. John and Abigail Adams left an indelible and remarkably preserved portrait of their lives together in their personal correspondence: both… Continue reading
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FREDERICK DOUGLASS by William S. McFeely
I’ve been fascinated by the life and writing of Frederick Douglass ever since reading his autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) in my Introduction to Literature class during my very first semester of college. Born into slavery, Douglass eventually escaped to the North, became a free man, and rose to be a prolific orator… Continue reading
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THE QUARTET by Joseph J. Ellis | Review
The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789 is a comprehensive, cohesive, carefully crafted analysis of the transition from distinctly powerful states in America under the Articles of Confederation to a nation of united states under the newly ratified Constitution. By focusing on the brilliant men who made this shift possible– George Washington, John Jay, Alexander… Continue reading
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LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott | Review
The enduring popularity and praise of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has intrigued me for some time. I couldn’t help but wonder what made this classic American novel stand out among its neighbors, particularly since it initially seemed to be a simple story about four sisters living during the Civil War. What is it about… Continue reading
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WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED by Gail Collins | Review
When Everything Changed is an incredibly comprehensive account of how the role of women in society has changed throughout recent American history. Though I expected this book to have a certain level of detail in its research, I did not expect it to discuss this topic from such a wide variety of perspectives. Here the… Continue reading
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GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell | Review
Before reading Gone with the Wind I had imagined that it would be a tragic tale of star-crossed romance set against the dramatic backdrop of the Civil War. In all honestly, I wondered how the such a story could possibly go one for over a staggering one thousand pages. Boy, do I stand corrected. In… Continue reading
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Thoughts While Reading GONE WITH THE WIND {Part 5}
The time has finally come: I have finished reading Gone with the Wind!! Today I share my thoughts on the fifth and final installment in this classic American novel. Feel free to catch up with any of my previous posts in this series by clicking here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. It’s been… Continue reading
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ALEXANDER HAMILTON by Ron Chernow
Ever since I first learned about the Hamilton musical over a year ago I’ve been itching to read Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton. I’ve always had a passion for American history (flashback to my AP United States History class days), especially the early years of America becoming an independent nation. Several books about this topic sit on my bookshelf as… Continue reading
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QUOTE: Anthony Doerr
“You know the greatest lesson of history? It’s that history is whatever the victors say it is. That’s the lesson. Whoever wins, that’s who decides the history. We act in our own self-interest. Of course we do. Name me a person or a nation who does not. The trick is figuring out where your interests… Continue reading
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Book Review: 1776
Author: David McCullough Number of Pages: 386 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Release Date: May 24, 2004 “America’s most acclaimed historian presents the intricate story of the year of the birth of the United States of America. “1776” tells two gripping stories: how a group of squabbling, disparate colonies became the United States, and how the British Empire tried to… Continue reading
About ME, Holly

former english major, current twenty-something book lover, allergic to nuts. drop me a line at nutfreenerd@gmail.com or on instagram.