...than right here, right now? I can’t think of anything more promising than being a Civil War historian during the Civil War’s Sesquicentennial in Virginia. Perhaps at no other time during our lifetime will we hold the attention of the general public like we do now. This past weekend I spent a few hours watching CSPAN coverage of the events going on at Manassas Battlefield and a few more reading through the recollections by friends and colleagues who were there. To say that it put me “in the mood” is an understatement and I cannot wait to participate in the 150th anniversary events that will be taking place here in Fredericksburg next December. My BIG announcement coming up will present how I plan to make my mark for the benefit of others. Until then, here are links to some excellent Blog postings by those who survived the 100+ degree heat in Manassas:

• Robert Moore at Cenantua’s Blog
• Mannie Gentile at My Year of Living Rangerously
• John Cummings at Spotsylvania Civil War Blog
• John Hoptak at 48th Pennsylvania Infantry
• Craig Swain at To the Sound of the Guns

My friends over at Patriots of the American Revolution just emailed a sneak peek of my upcoming feature on the Aaron Burr – Alexander Hamilton duel. This 5-page article will be running in the Sept./Oct. 2011 issue. It will be my fifth contribution to PAR. My next piece will present a look at Thomas Paine’s controversial philosophies on religion. What better reason do you need to get a subscription to THE leading publication on the War for Independence? Visit PAR’s website for more information.