Updated: Monday, 21 November 2011 8:15 AM EST
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On Saturday I will be making my third appearance at Gray Ghost Winery’s annual “Civil War Authors Day.” This year I will be signing 2 books and 1 DVD. I am also presenting a brief talk on Richard Kirkland as part of their author vignettes.
This FREE event is on Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information, visit their website at www.grayghostvineyards.com.
This Saturday I will be joining my friend (and favorite client) Mort Kunstler here in Fredericksburg. Mort will be signing his new 2011 snow print “How Real Soldiers Live” at my friend Terry Thomann’s Civil War Life Museum Store (829 Caroline Street) from 10 am until 3 pm. Mort’s newest project is one that I will be covering in detail here at Blog, or Die. It is an accurate representation of Washington’s crossing of the Delaware. According to Mort himself, this will be the painting that he is best remembered for years from now. I will post some pictures of the Sat. event next week.
Below: "The Spirit" by Bill Bleyer for Newsday October 9, 2011
With the War of 1812 Bicentennial fast-approaching, folks all across our country and in Canada (especially in Canada) are preparing a series of programs to commemorate one of the most overlooked wars in American history. You may recall a recent movie review that I posted on the new PBS film “The War of 1812.” A production of WNED (Toronto), Florentine Films/HOTT Productions, in association with WETA, Washington DC, “The War of 1812” is a 2-hour documentary that not only presents a historical look at the conflict, but also how it has been remembered and forgotten today. The film includes interviews with 26 leading American, British, Canadian and Native historians, first-hand accounts, battle re-enactments and period artwork which all help to define this war. In addition to battlefield exploits, the experiences of civilians and politicians are included. This includes familiar characters such as the Indian warrior Tecumseh and first lady Dolley Madison.
You can now watch the entire 2-hour film online at PBS and view a series of special bonus features and behind-the-scenes material. I have only begun to study the War of 1812 and believe it to be incredibly important when understanding how America established its early diplomacy and maintained its independence after the Revolution. The War of 1812 was also the seminal event that defined James Madison’s presidency. I am especially interested to see how our neighbors in the “Great White North” acknowledge this war, as it seems to mean a lot more to them than it does to us. Future posts may look at the Canadian perspective and interpretation.
Our tour covered the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Battlefields and focused on the Sunken Road, Spotsylvania Courthouse area, and of course the Bloody Angle. What started out as a 5 hour tour ended in 7 as we had such a tremendous time together. Michael Aubrecht provided a detailed presentation for the Fredericksburg portion and John Cummings presented his original research at Spotsylvania’s hallowed grounds. Stops were also made at Stevenson Ridge and the Confederate Cemetery. AABT thanks the Brashears for their patronage, generosity, and for providing us with a wonderful day.