When you are not working on your FHC Pandemic Journal, here are some history-related entertainment recommendations from our staff: Annie Murphy, Laura Rankin, Stacen Goldman, Becca Helgeson, and Rebecca Reiner
Books:
Annie’s pick: “…And Ladies of the Club” by Helen Hooven Santmyer (1984) – I read this book 30 years ago and it has stuck with me ever since. The novel is about a group of women in the fictional town of Waynesboro, Ohio who begin a woman’s literary club, which evolves through the years (1868 and 1932) into a significant community service organization in the town.
Becca’s picks: “The Devil and the White City” by Erik Larson (2004) – I’m really into true crime, so I was interested in the story of HH Holmes, one of (if not the) most prolific serial killers in American history. The story of his crimes is told in juxtaposition with creation opening of the Chicago World’s Fair, which was happening at the same time in the same city. Besides giving the reader (or listener, I have the audio book) a break from the violence, it lets you know how busy and out of the norm things were in that area at the time, which makes it a little easier to understand how he got away with it for so long. I also like how it’s told in a very narrative style.
“Maus” by Art Spiegelman (1991) – I discovered these books on my parents’ bookshelves during high school when I was learning about the Holocaust and became obsessed. He bounces back and forth between his father’s experiences in the concentration camps during WWII and his relationship with his father in modern day America. This book also introduced me to the concept of graphic novels as something separate from comic books. I hear his book about September 11th is also excellent, but I haven’t read it yet.
Stacen’s picks: “Assassination Vacation” by Sarah Vowell (2006) – I have a million history books I could recommend, but this one is my choice for a more playful, funny read during these troubled times. “Playful” and “funny”, of course probably don’t seem like adjectives that would describe a book about presidential assassinations, but that is the magic of Sarah Vowell. Read anything and everything by her that you can!
“The Little People, Big Dreams” series – This is a series of biographical picture books about a whole range of historical figures. To give you a sense of the variety of subjects covered, the series includes books about Rosa Parks, David Bowie, Marie Curie, David Attenborough, and many more. Each book has fun and quirky illustrations and additional true facts and photos at the end. A great way to get young kids engaged with inspiring and interesting figures across many different time periods. Amelia Earhart is a big hit in our house.
Laura’s picks: “Outlander” series by Diana Gabaldon – I am always so impressed with the amount of research the author puts into these massive books. From the historical events and period clothing to herbal medicine and botany, these fictional books are so much more than time travel and love. If you haven’t given it a try, now’s the time to try! I highly recommend the audiobooks – Davina Porter is an outstanding narrator.
“In the Unlikely Event” by Judy Blume (2015) – As a wonderful author already, Judy Blume weaves together the real events of the 1951 Miami Airlines C-46 crash in Elizabeth, New Jersey with a compelling story.
Anything by Ann Rinaldi – Author Ann Rinaldi starting writing historical fiction for children and young adults after her son became a reenactor in high school. As a teenager, I read ALL of her books and trace my love of history at a young age to her.
Movies:
Stacen’s picks: Historical Comedies – There are so many great movies about historical events, but a lot of them are intense or depressing, and I, for one, am not necessarily looking for that in this moment, so I’d recommend watching some comedy classics that have a historical bent. This means I’m recommending Blazing Saddles (1974), History of the World Part I (1981), The General (1926), Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail (1975), or even Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989). These all absolutely hold up. If you don’t like any of them, then really, just watch something that will make you laugh.
Newsies (1992) – This movie tells the story of the homeless newsboys who go on strike when Joseph Pulitzer raises the prices the Newsies pay for the “papes” at distribution. Although I put this family movie in my “kids” category, it’s really a good one for fans of musicals for all ages.
“Hairspray” (2007) – I’m probably showing my hand here, I’m a big fan of Musicals. Although it’s not based on true events or people, Hairspray is set in Baltimore during the 1960s, and the story of integration and protest is very true to the moment. Its fun, it’s funny, it’s a little dark, and it encourages everyone to accept themselves for who they are. If you watch the musical, let’s just choose to forgive John Travolta for his misguided turn as Edna Turnblad, the rest of the movie is still fun.
Becca’s picks: “Platoon” (1986) because it was my introduction to the Vietnam War, “Das Boot” (1981) because the ending had such an big impact on me emotionally, and “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967) because it focuses on a single event or series of events in American history (I like history stuff that focuses on one part of a time rather than the whole time period.)
Laura’s picks: National Treasure (2004) and Night in the Museum (2006) because they share an exciting side to history and artifacts that museum people want everyone to know about. The Highwaymen (2019) is another Bonnie and Clyde movie from a fresh perspective and Kevin Costner is fantastic as always. And of course, Gettysburg (1993). Charging across the actual battlefield, how can you not love it?!
TV Shows:
Rebecca’s pick: “The Who Was Show” series for kids on Netflix. Based on the book series, my kids loved it and it had some good history nuggets in it.
Laura’s picks: Victoria (2016) absolutely stunning and accurate look at Victoria and Albert, Mr. Selfridge (2013-2016) if you don’t know how department stores came to be you have to watch this show, Downton Abbey (2010-2015) an accurate depiction of life above and below the estate stairs and well casted, Hatfields & McCoys (2012) a slice of Kentucky history that really happened, The Crown (2018-2020) very eye-opening and well casted as well, Outlander (2014-2020) not as amazing as the books of course but the producers are doing justice to them and the cast is on point.
Becca’s pick: Deadwood (2004-2006) is about a lawless mining town and the drama of the gold rush set after the Civil War.
Annie’s pick: M*A*S*H (1972-1983) nuff said!
Podcasts:
Stacen’s pick: The Memory Palace – This beautiful short-form podcast about topics in history is history at its best: informative and inspiring. The compelling storytelling, beautiful audio production, and short run time guarantee anybody will have the time and attention span for this one!
Laura’s picks: Before Your Time – If you love Vermont, have ever skied its mountains, or simply interested in how things came to be (like the highways!), this podcast is extremely well-done and tells a fantastic story based off of the people, events or ideas around an object within the Vermont Historical Society’s large collection.
Lore – Aaron Mahnke lures you in with his voice and his well-researched legends that date back to the historical events like the Salem Witch Trials or the classic tales of monsters and aliens. If you like some of the darker parts of history, this podcast is for you.
Rebecca: Stuff You missed in History Class – Holly and Tracy talk about the greatest and strangest stuff you missed in history class.