Escaped Nazis in northern Minnesota. A jilted countess on the prairie. A Minneapolis mobster.

Each Sunday, award-winning Star Tribune columnist Curt Brown gives readers a look back at their moving, entertaining and inspiring history.

Now those columns have been collected in a new e-book, "Frozen in History: Amazing Tales from Minnesota's Past."

Guided by tips from readers of his popular column, Brown uncovers the unexpected – from the state's beginnings to its out-sized impact on computers and the space race.

You can buy "Frozen in History: Amazing Tales from Minnesota's Past" for $3.99 at startribune.com/ebooks.