As I have received some much-appreciated attention from a few esteemed fellow bloggers, I am excited to return the favor in kind. I thoroughly enjoy being a part of this community, and take great pride in being able to recognize stellar work as I come across it.
I direct you first, please, to a blog called Wig-Wags. This work is presented by Rene Tyree, a grad student at American Military University who is focusing on the Civil War. I love what I do for a living and loved my graduate education, but that does sound like fun. Anyway, if you want a comprehensive walk through the causes of the war among a host of other choices, not the least of which are the stellar book reviews, then you must turn here.
For a plentitude of book reviews (he's reading Glatthaar's "Everyman's War"), and news stories, get to Civil War Librarian.
Jim Beeghley (now Dr. Jim Beeghley, well done) runs a blog called Teaching The Civil War With Technology. This sort of effort is going to be a cornerstone in helping focus people's interests in learning about the war, disseminating information, and furthering research. Spend some time looking at the picture in the title bar, I love it! The Google Time Line Feature is pretty sweet, too.
Other bits and pieces...
-I may be able to deliver my lecture on the 20th Massachusetts Regiment at Gettysburg two more time next year; to the Orange County Roundtable and the Inland Empire Roundtable. I'm very excited about these opportunities, just need to get the dates to jibe.
-The Civil War Network is unfortunately down due to equipment issues, but fortunately not out. Can't wait for it to get back online
-This Sunday is chapters 7-8 of Miller's "Harvard's Civil War" at Civil War Interactive's book chat. It's an amazing book, and a cornerstone of research for my aforementioned lecture, and the conversation has been quite lively. It's free to participate.
-I've read and posted all of the comments that have been coming in, thanks and keep 'em coming!
Showing posts with label Civil War Network. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Civil War Network. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Civil War Network, Episode Two
I spent some time with The Civil War Network when episode 2 became available, and just like with episode 1, I am thrilled with what Francis Rose has generated. Episode 2 hit my traveling jones right on the head, The Jess and I are looking forward to a robust battlefield sojourn sometime in the next year or two, and this episode certainly laid the foundation.
To start off, Childs Burton introduced yet another annual conference I would love to attend, the Conference on the Art of Command in the Civil War. The 11th meeting was this past weekend and focuses on the Battle of Antietam, check out the speakers! Talk about your who's who of Antietam experts.
The second segment went away from Civil War travel and into the role of religion in the Civil War. This was a brisk conversation with Father Bob Miller, the author of "Both Prayed to the Same God" and touched on, however briefly, some vital themes in the motivations of ACW soldiers.
Getting back on the theme of Civil War destinations, Susan Trail, the superintendant of Monocacy National Battlefield Park, spoke about the state of the park and how the battle is interpreted there. She was followed by Waite Rawls, president of the Museum of the Confederacy, who discussed the controversial decision to set up several satellite facilities to the primary museum in Richmond, VA (though he doesn't want them to be called "satellite").
The standout of this episode was the interview with Don Pierce, who runs a resource that is going to be an integral part of our trip east called Civil War Traveler. Maps, tours, podcasts, you name it, it's here and it's free.
In my previous post, I touched on having various resources made available in a standardized fashion at all battlefield parks, this is the sort of thing I was referring to.
To start off, Childs Burton introduced yet another annual conference I would love to attend, the Conference on the Art of Command in the Civil War. The 11th meeting was this past weekend and focuses on the Battle of Antietam, check out the speakers! Talk about your who's who of Antietam experts.
The second segment went away from Civil War travel and into the role of religion in the Civil War. This was a brisk conversation with Father Bob Miller, the author of "Both Prayed to the Same God" and touched on, however briefly, some vital themes in the motivations of ACW soldiers.
Getting back on the theme of Civil War destinations, Susan Trail, the superintendant of Monocacy National Battlefield Park, spoke about the state of the park and how the battle is interpreted there. She was followed by Waite Rawls, president of the Museum of the Confederacy, who discussed the controversial decision to set up several satellite facilities to the primary museum in Richmond, VA (though he doesn't want them to be called "satellite").
The standout of this episode was the interview with Don Pierce, who runs a resource that is going to be an integral part of our trip east called Civil War Traveler. Maps, tours, podcasts, you name it, it's here and it's free.
In my previous post, I touched on having various resources made available in a standardized fashion at all battlefield parks, this is the sort of thing I was referring to.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
My Civil War Community, And Yours Too
One of the best parts of blogging about the Civil War is the feeling of connecting with the Civil War community and landmarks, something that is otherwise difficult to do in California (San Diego Civil War Roundtable notwithstanding). Linking up with other bloggers, historians, park rangers, authors, students, etc and chatting about our shared interest is a huge part of what makes this a satisfying hobby, otherwise I sometimes feel like I'm just spinning my wheels.
All good things start at home, and the import of having The Jess share this interest is far and away the best part. I've also found a few wonderful niche communities out there and have tried to mention them to draw you into these circles as well, if you like. Things like the SDCWRT, Civil War Network (just finished program two, review is coming, but it's dynamite), links to other blogs are all part of this, but I want to be more comprehensive in this project, because it really is a ball. So I've added a label called Civil War Community and will be sure to add it to posts that fall into this category.
This post's contribution is the Civil War History Ring, which I joined today. If you look on the right toolbar, you'll see the blue icon. If you click it, it'll show you other sites that have subscribed. I do not vouch for their content or views, that's for the individual to decide, but there may be something there you enjoy. Remember to click on the red icon above it for the Civil War Top 100 sites, many are daily stops on my web tours. On the same sidebar, I've started a blogroll so you can share other sights that are a frequent part of my Civil War learning. Don't worry, I've included some choice mixology and coffee blogs as well.
All good things start at home, and the import of having The Jess share this interest is far and away the best part. I've also found a few wonderful niche communities out there and have tried to mention them to draw you into these circles as well, if you like. Things like the SDCWRT, Civil War Network (just finished program two, review is coming, but it's dynamite), links to other blogs are all part of this, but I want to be more comprehensive in this project, because it really is a ball. So I've added a label called Civil War Community and will be sure to add it to posts that fall into this category.
This post's contribution is the Civil War History Ring, which I joined today. If you look on the right toolbar, you'll see the blue icon. If you click it, it'll show you other sites that have subscribed. I do not vouch for their content or views, that's for the individual to decide, but there may be something there you enjoy. Remember to click on the red icon above it for the Civil War Top 100 sites, many are daily stops on my web tours. On the same sidebar, I've started a blogroll so you can share other sights that are a frequent part of my Civil War learning. Don't worry, I've included some choice mixology and coffee blogs as well.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Loving The Civil War Network And Virtual Book Signing!
Here is a luxurious hour spent on a warm Sunday afternoon: stretched out on the floor with my head on two pillows, award-winning Rwandan coffee lovingly roasted by The Jess in my cup, and the first episode of The Civil War Network playing on a pair of brand new Bose speakers. To wrap up, a review of The Abraham Lincoln Bookstore's latest offerings on virtualbooksigning.net.
To start, let's discuss the premiere episode of Francis Rose's brainchild, The Civil War Network. Right from the getgo, a most encouraging sign; excellent production and sound quality. This man clearly knows what he is doing. The audio was crisp even though the interviews are done over the phone, the editing is smooth, and he is a well-informed, engaging, and professional interviewer. All those combine for a great program and tons of promise for future episodes.
Mr. Rose introduced us to Jenine Culligan from the Huntington, WV Museum of Art. She spoke about the various exhibits of ACW photography and art they have available and I want to go! Next was a blogger and author named Harry Smeltzer who discussed his blog Bull Runnings, which is his attempt to digitize an entire Civil War battle, the First Battle of Bull Run. This is quite a story, he is self-motivated and working without compensation and is digitizing all pertinent records to do with the battle; ie orders of battle, casualty lists, medal citations, and the records of the hearings of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. He was asked if this is a project he will ever finish, and he answered a definitive "no". He's just plugging along, ensuring that this one piece of American history is recorded for posterity and for free.
Part three was a talk with Dr. Carroll Van West and a newly designed southern Tennessee Civil War driving trails guide called "Civil War Trails: Fighting for the Rails". His discussion of how the 47 points on the tour were selected was really amazing. First of all, large fields managed by the National Park Service (Shiloh, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga) were excluded. Secondly, each spot was evaluated on whether it provided a "sense of place": did it capture and preserve the environs present nearly 150 years ago. Third was a quest for balance. These stops cover the war at the state and local level, addressing soldiers, women, children, slaves, Union and Confederacy. This is how to bring the Civil War home to us today, put us in the middle of it and give us a chance to understand face to face.
The fourth segment was a conversation with Civil War book collector Paul Taylor, keeper of the blog With Sword and Pen. This one was auditory bliss, being a Civil War bibliophile myself. He gave the three most important rules of collecting (condition, condition, condition) and also mentioned the importance of always buying books you want to read, but buying 1st editions if possible. I stick to buying books I want to read that I can afford, first edition or not, and sometimes let the condition go by the wayside. I ain't sellin' 'em, but sure wanna buy 'em.
The finale was certainly grand, being an interview with Pulitzer-Prize winning author of "Battle Cry of Freedom" James McPherson. He was discussing how he gives tours of famous battlefields, focusing primarily on Gettysburg. That being the only field I've visited, and that I read his book "Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg" cover-to-cover the night before The Jess and I walked the ground for ourselves, this was a tremendous interview. There is no one I would rather have as a tour guide on a Civil War battlefield, this interview tells you why. If you want more, here is an NPR interview with Dr. McPherson from 2003.
I'm a pretty enthusiastic guy, as my first post about this endeavor surely showed, and it was justified and more after listening to the first episode of The Civil War Network. The second episode is in development, and you'll know as soon as I do when it's released.
If this wasn't enough, www.virtualbooksigning.net had a program yesterday morning with two of the premier ACW authors. Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the live broadcast and ask questions (working, always working), but the archived broadcast will be available soon. Though I missed out on the Q and A, my copies of each book will be in the mail this week. Dr. McPherson will be on virtualbooksigning.net in November discussing his new book about Abraham Lincoln. Again, oh yes, please.
To start, let's discuss the premiere episode of Francis Rose's brainchild, The Civil War Network. Right from the getgo, a most encouraging sign; excellent production and sound quality. This man clearly knows what he is doing. The audio was crisp even though the interviews are done over the phone, the editing is smooth, and he is a well-informed, engaging, and professional interviewer. All those combine for a great program and tons of promise for future episodes.
Mr. Rose introduced us to Jenine Culligan from the Huntington, WV Museum of Art. She spoke about the various exhibits of ACW photography and art they have available and I want to go! Next was a blogger and author named Harry Smeltzer who discussed his blog Bull Runnings, which is his attempt to digitize an entire Civil War battle, the First Battle of Bull Run. This is quite a story, he is self-motivated and working without compensation and is digitizing all pertinent records to do with the battle; ie orders of battle, casualty lists, medal citations, and the records of the hearings of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. He was asked if this is a project he will ever finish, and he answered a definitive "no". He's just plugging along, ensuring that this one piece of American history is recorded for posterity and for free.
Part three was a talk with Dr. Carroll Van West and a newly designed southern Tennessee Civil War driving trails guide called "Civil War Trails: Fighting for the Rails". His discussion of how the 47 points on the tour were selected was really amazing. First of all, large fields managed by the National Park Service (Shiloh, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga) were excluded. Secondly, each spot was evaluated on whether it provided a "sense of place": did it capture and preserve the environs present nearly 150 years ago. Third was a quest for balance. These stops cover the war at the state and local level, addressing soldiers, women, children, slaves, Union and Confederacy. This is how to bring the Civil War home to us today, put us in the middle of it and give us a chance to understand face to face.
The fourth segment was a conversation with Civil War book collector Paul Taylor, keeper of the blog With Sword and Pen. This one was auditory bliss, being a Civil War bibliophile myself. He gave the three most important rules of collecting (condition, condition, condition) and also mentioned the importance of always buying books you want to read, but buying 1st editions if possible. I stick to buying books I want to read that I can afford, first edition or not, and sometimes let the condition go by the wayside. I ain't sellin' 'em, but sure wanna buy 'em.
The finale was certainly grand, being an interview with Pulitzer-Prize winning author of "Battle Cry of Freedom" James McPherson. He was discussing how he gives tours of famous battlefields, focusing primarily on Gettysburg. That being the only field I've visited, and that I read his book "Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg" cover-to-cover the night before The Jess and I walked the ground for ourselves, this was a tremendous interview. There is no one I would rather have as a tour guide on a Civil War battlefield, this interview tells you why. If you want more, here is an NPR interview with Dr. McPherson from 2003.
I'm a pretty enthusiastic guy, as my first post about this endeavor surely showed, and it was justified and more after listening to the first episode of The Civil War Network. The second episode is in development, and you'll know as soon as I do when it's released.
If this wasn't enough, www.virtualbooksigning.net had a program yesterday morning with two of the premier ACW authors. Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the live broadcast and ask questions (working, always working), but the archived broadcast will be available soon. Though I missed out on the Q and A, my copies of each book will be in the mail this week. Dr. McPherson will be on virtualbooksigning.net in November discussing his new book about Abraham Lincoln. Again, oh yes, please.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A Bit Of Civil War Housekeeping
It's been a fun time recently, lots of posts, lots of comments. I so enjoy hearing from people who read my missives, I'm flattered that you take the time!
A few housekeeping issues:
-the website for the San Diego Civil War Roundtable does appear to be down. I've emailed our chapter president and will certainly mention when it's back up and running.
-it's been brought to my attention from several readers that Warren Wilkinson, the author of the regimental history of the 57th Massachusetts, passed away in 1995. I wasn't aware of that and couldn't find much about him when I wrote the post; certainly no offense was intended. The book he was working on that was subsequently completed by Steven Woodworth, entitled "A Scythe of Fire: A Civil War Story of the 8th Georgia Infantry Regiment", is used by Dr. Joan Waugh, who was my professor at UCLA, in one of her courses; a ringing endorsement to be sure! After I finish the research for my lecture in October, Mr. Wilkinson's books will be on top of the reading list.
-many thanks to Brett Schulte at TOCWOC for the mention, and much thanks to Francis Rose of the Civil War Network and Bjorn Skaptason of virtualbooksigning.net for their kind emails .
-the first program of the Civil War Network is now available! It's an interview with Pulitzer-prize winning author James McPherson about battlefield touring, promises to be fantastic! I'll be enjoying it tonight and will blog about it soon.
A few housekeeping issues:
-the website for the San Diego Civil War Roundtable does appear to be down. I've emailed our chapter president and will certainly mention when it's back up and running.
-it's been brought to my attention from several readers that Warren Wilkinson, the author of the regimental history of the 57th Massachusetts, passed away in 1995. I wasn't aware of that and couldn't find much about him when I wrote the post; certainly no offense was intended. The book he was working on that was subsequently completed by Steven Woodworth, entitled "A Scythe of Fire: A Civil War Story of the 8th Georgia Infantry Regiment", is used by Dr. Joan Waugh, who was my professor at UCLA, in one of her courses; a ringing endorsement to be sure! After I finish the research for my lecture in October, Mr. Wilkinson's books will be on top of the reading list.
-many thanks to Brett Schulte at TOCWOC for the mention, and much thanks to Francis Rose of the Civil War Network and Bjorn Skaptason of virtualbooksigning.net for their kind emails .
-the first program of the Civil War Network is now available! It's an interview with Pulitzer-prize winning author James McPherson about battlefield touring, promises to be fantastic! I'll be enjoying it tonight and will blog about it soon.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Debut Of The Civil War Network
There is a wonderful new resource that, having recently broken virtual ground, is ready for its official debut. I speak of The Civil War Network, which describes itself as "the home of Civil War podcasts."
Oh yes, please!
I've had www.thecivilwarnetwork.com on my blogroll since its first post on July 24th of this year, and have been following the site's development and preparation with growing anticipation. This site was started by Francis Rose, who brings a wealth of broadcast experience to this endeavor, and will most certainly fill a large void in online Civil War discussion and learning.
I want to share Francis' mission statement, which I have taken verbatim from the website (italics added because it deserves to be italicized):
"The mission of The Civil War Network is to inform, educate, and entertain people interested in the Civil War. The Civil War Network will fulfill its mission through audio, video, the written word, and other forms of media presentations. The Civil War Network will fulfill its mission while adhering to the highest journalistic, entertainment, and ethical standards."
The last few weeks have been studded with previews of the programs to come: an interview with Dr. James McPherson, author of "Battle Cry of Freedom" talking about touring battlefields, Harry Smelzer of "Bull Runnings" discussing the digitization of a Civil War battle, and Paul Taylor of the blog "With Sword and Pen" chatting about, wait for it, collecting Civil War books!
Yes, I am that excited!
There is also an open request for input on future programs, and given what I've been writing about lately (read: the Battle of the Wilderness and Wal-Mart's encroachment), I'm going to ask for one about efforts at battlefield preservation, hopefully with a member of the Civil War Preservation Society. Better yet, an interview with Warren Wilkinson, the author of the regimental history of the 57th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
The first program will be available for free no later than August 27th, and can be downloaded for free on iTunes as well. It's just so exciting to have creative thinkers putting their work out there for all of us who have the same interest to share in, and The Civil War Network certainly promises to be at the forefront.
Oh yes, please!
I've had www.thecivilwarnetwork.com on my blogroll since its first post on July 24th of this year, and have been following the site's development and preparation with growing anticipation. This site was started by Francis Rose, who brings a wealth of broadcast experience to this endeavor, and will most certainly fill a large void in online Civil War discussion and learning.
I want to share Francis' mission statement, which I have taken verbatim from the website (italics added because it deserves to be italicized):
"The mission of The Civil War Network is to inform, educate, and entertain people interested in the Civil War. The Civil War Network will fulfill its mission through audio, video, the written word, and other forms of media presentations. The Civil War Network will fulfill its mission while adhering to the highest journalistic, entertainment, and ethical standards."
The last few weeks have been studded with previews of the programs to come: an interview with Dr. James McPherson, author of "Battle Cry of Freedom" talking about touring battlefields, Harry Smelzer of "Bull Runnings" discussing the digitization of a Civil War battle, and Paul Taylor of the blog "With Sword and Pen" chatting about, wait for it, collecting Civil War books!
Yes, I am that excited!
There is also an open request for input on future programs, and given what I've been writing about lately (read: the Battle of the Wilderness and Wal-Mart's encroachment), I'm going to ask for one about efforts at battlefield preservation, hopefully with a member of the Civil War Preservation Society. Better yet, an interview with Warren Wilkinson, the author of the regimental history of the 57th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
The first program will be available for free no later than August 27th, and can be downloaded for free on iTunes as well. It's just so exciting to have creative thinkers putting their work out there for all of us who have the same interest to share in, and The Civil War Network certainly promises to be at the forefront.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
