Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Genre: non-fiction, history
Review: I grew up in Maryland, and had Maryland history in 4th grade, so a few of these stories, such as Frederick Douglass's early life and the battle that prompted Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner, were already familiar to me. But Cottom really delves deeply into Maryland history to justify the "little-known" part of his title. For example, who knew that John Wilkes Booth was present at John Brown's execution? Or the story behind the grant for the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins? Who's ever even heard of the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, or knew that the very last man to die in battle in WWI was from Maryland? Or, my personal favorite, who knew that Cab Calloway and Thurgood Marshall went to high school together?
Well, obviously somebody knew, and I'm glad that Ric Cottom put so many little gems together in this volume. With tales ranging in time from the exploration of the New World though the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, these stories cover a wide variety of topics, from battles to baseball. Although originally written for radio, these pieces have been well-adapted for print, and if some are too short for your taste, there's plenty of source material given for further reading.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this e-book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
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