We are just a few weeks away from the release of A Glorious Fate: The Life and Legacy of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw [UNC Press/Barnes & Noble/Bookshop] and I couldn’t be more excited. To be completely honest, I am just as much horrified as I am excited. The release of a new book is that moment when you lose control of years of work and leave it to others to assess its worth.
In anticipation of the book’s release, I was thrilled to receive the latest issue of The Civil War Monitor magazine, which includes my cover story about Robert Gould Shaw. Terry Johnston and the rest of his staff did an incredible job on the layout.
Many of you have already pre-ordered the book and for that I am greatly appreciative. Pre-orders are really important. It gives the publisher a clearer sense of demand and how many to print for the first run. High pre-publication date rankings on some websites also give the book increased exposure.
Right now I have no plans of offering signed copies direct for sale, though that may change. For those of you who would like a signed copy, you can tune into a live virtual book signing on September 29—the official release date—with the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago. Your book will include a signed book plate. This is a great opportunity to support a fantastic book store, which has done a great deal to support Civil War authors and the broader Civil War community.
My calendar is quickly filling up with presentations and workshops here in the Boston area and around the country. I recently updated my personal website and events page. I want to highlight a couple events.
On September 23 I will deliver the annual Crozier lecture at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where I taught high school history for 12 years.
There is no webpage yet up for this event, but on November 6, I will be at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. I’ve had the pleasure of working with their wonderful education team for the past eight summers. For this event I will be in conversation with Alex Wood, who is the Associate Director of Education and Public Programs. The following day I will lead a walking tour of Union monuments along Pennyslvania Avenue toward the Capitol Building. Afterwards, we will walk over to the National Gallery for a presentation on their life-size copy of the Shaw/54th Massachusetts memorial. Mark your calendars now and I will pass on additional information once it becomes available.
Though it is not until next year, I wanted you to know about the annual Seldom Heard History of the Civil War Era conference in Monterrey, CA from April 30 to May 2, 2027. This will be my third appearance at this event, hosted by David Woodbury, who has put together another exciting list of speakers.
This has become one of my favorite events of the year. Do yourself a favor and plan on being there if it is at all possible.
I am still accepting speaking invitations through next year. I am more than happy to work with you and your team to plan an event that meets your specific needs. Opportunities to spend time with students as part of my visit are particularly welcome. I am also willing to work with you on minimizing costs if at all possible.
You can contact me here to get the conversation started.
See you soon and thanks to all of you for your continued support.
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