The Last Siege, The Mobile Campaign, Alabama 1865 by Paul Brueske (Casemate Press 2018), $32.95 Twenty-three years ago, BGES obtained a ABPP Grant to conduct a Preservation Conference for the Mobile Campaign. Having spent some time to organize, conduct, and write a report, I was fairly familiar with the key sites related to the campaign … Read more
The art of bringing news of the battle, words and pictures intertwined, began with the very first war correspondents and special artists during the mid-19th century. Acclaimed war illustrators such as Alfred Waud and painter Winslow Homer captured the public’s ravenous attention for news of the war, as did the early photojournalists Timothy O’Sullivan and Andrew … Read more
Like many Civil War enthusiasts, BGES member Tim Talbott’s interest in America’s most transformative event is a family affair. Indeed, his love of history was driven by his parents and grandparents. Today, it plays out in his role as Director of Education, Interpretation, Visitor Services & Collections at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum … Read more
If you’re not a believer in fate, then Dennis Frye’s amazing life journey may be somewhat lost on you. For the rest of us—including Frye himself—his story is a case study in the compelling power of destiny. “I agree one thousand percent,” he says. Frye, a longtime supporter and faculty member for BGES, was slated … Read more
Over the past two weeks you have seen a change in the way in which we close the loop on the Medford Great Photography Hunt. To be frank, it was cumbersome and, with so much else going on, I just fell behind and, before we knew it, we had a long list of photographs that … Read more
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775–1777 (the Revolution Trilogy) by Rick Atkinson (Henry Holt Press, 2019) $40. I love a single malt scotch and my favorite is GlenFarclas 105. It is hard to come by and I savor every single drink—I could drink it every day, … Read more
Since the day he was born, Scott Williams has known no other home than Virginia—specifically Chesterfield County in the Richmond area. But Williams, a BGES member for nearly a decade, admits that familiarity didn’t necessarily breed appreciation. In fact, in 1996, when he began working for the county as a mapping technician, he came to … Read more
In the age of the Covid-19 pandemic and what many decry as the “cancel culture” era, you might think being an independent bookseller with a focus on military history, particularly the Civil War, would be just about the worst business model to pursue. But as the old saying goes, don’t judge a book by its … Read more
After the Civil War, southerners were faced the challenge of reintegrating back into and moving forward to help rebuild their nation. Award-winning author Stephen M. “Sam” Hood, in his new book Patriots Twice: Former Confederates and the Building of America after the Civil War, dives into the contributions of more than 300 Confederate soldiers, sailors, … Read more
The BGES Blog never misses an opportunity to talk with Paul Severance. An Army veteran, he is an acknowledged expert on Gettysburg and a living history enthusiast. Severance has hosted several BGES tours, and was originally scheduled to lead another, “A Walking Tour of the Battle of Fredericksburg,” in December—thanks to Covid-19 it’s been rescheduled … Read more
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