22 Civil War books that I have written to date. 1 Underground Railroad book. 6 miniature wargaming books. 6,193 Civil War books from my inventory sold and signed in person at my frequent lectures and PowerPoint talks in the past 10 years. Thousands of books sold by book retailers and amazon. 67,000 miles on my Buick in six years just to give talks in 17 different states from Maine to Texas. The Legion of Honor for the Historical Miniature Gaming Society. Some amazing friends. Two sons who are college history professors. A deep love for Civil War history that I am trying to pass down now to my six grandkids.
And it all started on Christmas morning 1962 in a village in southeastern Ohio.
Little did my parents know that a shopping trip to Montgomery Ward to look for gifts for my sister and me would change the rest of my life so profoundly. My dad, a WWII veteran who had landed on Omaha Beach on June 7, 1944 (the day after D-Day), was a man of many talents and a modest income working for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, using his degree in forestry.
He and mom shelled out several dollars of their hard-earned cash for a huge box of toy soldiers to give to me.
The Civil War Centennial edition of the classic Marx Blue & Gray playset.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
CHARGE! Civil War miniature wargaming and dioramas 