From the Bookshelf of Baltimore County Public Library Summer Reading BCPL SRC …

[close] In the introduction to this book the author states "We're all familiar with the momentous events in our nation's history... But what about the lives lived after the fact?" That is the whole premise of this thoroughly enjoyable non-fiction offering. The author explains what happened in the lives of some of the most famous, or infamous, people in our nation's history AFTER the event that made them famous.

For example, what happened to Paul Revere after he warned those in Concord that British troops were marching their way? What happened to Jackie Robinson after he retired from baseball? What happened to Rosa Parks after she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus? The book is told chronologically, with a chapter on Columbus and the "discovery" of North America appearing first, followed by chapters that deal with the American Revolution, the Western frontier, the Civil War and the World Wars, just to name a few. Each chapter discusses a few (usually more than two, but often not more than four) people during that era and what happened to them after their history-making events. Also included after each vignette is a "Loose Ends" section, which gives brief histories of others that were involved in the lives of the main person being discussed. For example, in the vignette about the Wright brothers, the "Loose Ends" section discusses what happened to the original Kitty Hawk Flyer, and how "famously shy and reserved" the two brothers were.

If you like history at all, you should read this book. It gives a unique perspective on the effects of the notoriety of being historically famous. Did you know that Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark map the Louisiana Purchase fame) committed suicide just three years after his return from reading the Pacific Coast? Did you know that Jackie Robinson actually supported Richard Nixon in his first bid for the presidency? You'll learn a lot in this book and enjoy the learning.