America's Hidden History by Kenneth C. Davis

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Title: America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation

Author: Kenneth C. Davis

Genre: Non-Fiction, History

Length: 292 pages

Published: 2008

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Kenneth C. Davis, author of the phenomenal New York Times bestsellerDon't Know Much About History, presents a collection of extraordinary stories, each detailing an overlooked episode that shaped the nation's destiny and character. Davis's dramatic narratives set the record straight, busting myths and bringing to light little-known but fascinating facts from a time when the nation's fate hung in the balance.

Spanning a period from the Spanish arrival in America to George Washington's inauguration in 1789, America's Hidden History details these episodes, among others: The story of the first real Pilgrims in America, who were wine-making French Huguenots, not dour English Separatists The coming-of-age story of Queen Isabella, who suggested that Columbus pack the moving mess hall of pigs that may have spread disease to many Native Americans The long, bloody relationship between the Pilgrims and Indians that runs counter to the idyllic scene of the Thanksgiving feast The little-known story of George Washington as a headstrong young soldier who committed a war crime, signed a confession, and started a war!

Full of color, intrigue, and human interest, America's Hidden History is an iconoclastic look at America's past, connecting some of the dots between history and today's headlines, proving why Davis is truly America's Teacher.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

All in all this book was pretty good. It was easy to read (which some history books are not), and I feel like I learned more about George Washington and other prominent figures in our nation's history than I ever learned in school. 

Some parts were a little boring and tough to get through, which is why I had to rate this at four stars instead of five. For the most part, however, it had some really great information. Definitely worth the read for the history buff out there. 

You can purchase America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello

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Title: Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho

Author: Stephen Rebello

Genre: Biography / History

Length: 224 pages

Published: 2010

Publisher: Open Road Media

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) First released in June 1960, Psycho altered the landscape of horror films forever. But just as compelling as the movie itself is the story behind it, which has been adapted as a movie starring Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, Helen Mirren as his wife Alma Reville, and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh.

Stephen Rebello brings to life the creation of one of Hollywood’s most iconic films, from the story of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein, the real-life inspiration for the character of Norman Bates, to Hitchcock’s groundbreaking achievements in cinematography, sound, editing, and promotion. Packed with captivating insights from the film’s stars, writers, and crew members, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho is a riveting and definitive history of a signature Hitchcock cinematic masterpiece.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was a random book I found while perusing Amazon. It was fairly cheap so I was definitely intrigued and picked it up (the kindle version). All in all it wasn't too bad. It gave a lot of great information about how Hitchcock came across the story of Psycho (a novel by Robert Bloch), how the censors of the 1950s worked with movies, and how he directed this cult classic. 

There were a lot of references to other films, actors, directors, etc. and that made for some of the information to be a little distracting, but I can see why those references were necessary. I loved reading about Hitchcock's quirks. He was definitely a brilliant filmmaker. It was sad to see how he struggled after the success of Psycho. 

Definitely a must read for fans of the movie!

You can purchase Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Secret Holocaust Diaries by Nonna Bannister

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Title: The Secret Holocaust Diaries

Author: Nonna Bannister

Genre: Memoir, History

Length: 299 pages

Published: 2009

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Nonna Bannister carried a secret almost to her Tennessee grave: the diaries she kept as a young girl experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust while learning compassion and love for her fellow human beings. Nonna's writings tell the remarkable tale of how a Russian girl, born into a family that had known wealth and privileges, was exposed to the concentration camps and learned the value of human life and the importance of forgiveness.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Nonna Bannister spent her life after WWII keeping the secret of her heritage from her husband and children. Some time before she died, she showed her husband everything: the secret diaries she had kept throughout her youth and WWII which she had painstakingly translated over the years. After her death, the diaries were published.

A lot of the book focuses on her youth and the happy times with her family. There are a lot of very interesting facts about Russian culture and history that I did not know prior to reading this book. the book starts out with a few chapters about how her mother and her ended up on the train heading west into Europe. After a heartbreaking scene, it delves into Nonna's family history and diary entries from her youth. It resumes with everything that happened to her and her mother in WWII. 

You can really see the bubble of innocence that Nonna lived in growing up and how that bubble was shattered by the war. She ended up coming through stronger than ever. Most memoirs from WWII seem to be mostly written by Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, so this was a refreshing change since it gave insight on WWII from the perspective of a Russian labor worker. 

You can purchase The Secret Holocaust Diaries through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Secret Holocaust Diaries? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Fiona Carnarvon

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Title: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle

Author: Fiona Carnarvon

Genre: Non-Fiction: British History, Biography

Length: 310 pages

Published: 2011

Publisher: Broadway

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration for the hit PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and the basis of the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley. Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war. 

Much like her Masterpiece Classic counterpart, Lady Almina was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred de Rothschild, who married his daughter off at a young age, her dowry serving as the crucial link in the effort to preserve the Earl of Carnarvon's ancestral home. Throwing open the doors of Highclere Castle to tend to the wounded of World War I, Lady Almina distinguished herself as a brave and remarkable woman.

This rich tale contrasts the splendor of Edwardian life in a great house against the backdrop of the First World War and offers an inspiring and revealing picture of the woman at the center of the history of Highclere Castle.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

I must admit that the idea of writing a non-fiction book review is a little daunting to me. Unlike with fiction, I can't really discuss why I think the author chose a certain setting or plot point to happen, because, well, this is a true account. So please bear with me and I hope this isn't as difficult to write as I keep thinking it will be. 

I did enjoy Lady Almina quite a bit. I found it to be a fast, easy read. It's less of a biography about Almina, than it is a history of Highclere Castle during her time there as Countess. Part of the time it seemed to be more about Almina, since it would follow her to the work she did in London during WWI, as well as her trips to Egypt with her husband. Other times it seemed to be all about Highclere. It flowed well between the two, but I felt like more time could have been spent talking about Almina after her husband died and she left Highclere. A little more than a rushed "she remarried and dealt with a lawsuit involving her new husband's first wife". I felt like the conclusion was really lacking because of this.

I loved the parts which spoke about how the estate was run. I found it fascinating to learn about the amount of staff was needed to properly run such a large estate. It was also interesting to see the changes Almina made with the house in order to nurse wounded soldiers during WWI. 

I haven't watched the show, Downton Abbey, as of yet, but I definitely will be watching it to see how much they drew on Almina Carnarvon's for the character Cora Crawley. I definitely recommend this book, whether you are a Downton Abbey fan or simply into history.

You can purchase Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.