Richard J. Sommers

BIG NEWS: Be on the look-out for my new book "Challenges of Command in the Civil War: Generalship, Leadership, and Strategy at Gettysburg, Petersburg, and Beyond." Volume I, "Civil War Generals and Generalship," contains ten free-standing essays analyzing various aspects of the subject. The book will be published by Savas Beatie later in 2018. Military history, especially the American Civil War, has fascinated me all my life. From early grade school through Carleton College and Rice University, where I earned a doctorate under the legendary Frank Vandiver, this interest ripened. My life's calling became my life's work as the Senior Historian of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (AHEC) and as a professor at the U.S. Army War College (AWC). On my own time outside the work place, I pursue this interest as Program Chairman of the Harrisburg Civil War Round Table for 32 years; as a speaker at Civil War Round Tables, seminars, and conferences all across the United States; and as author of over 100 books, articles, entries, and reviews on the Civil War and military history. Yet simply doing all these things has never been enough for me. I want to share my interest in and love for the Civil War. Directly through personal presentations, contacts, and correspondence and indirectly through writings, videos, and appearances on television and radio, I reach out to fellow Civil Warriors, to professional scholars and military historians, and to everyone interested in learning more about this fascinating period of our nation's history. Opening up new aspects of the Civil War especially appeals to me. So does understanding the impact of Army organization on Army effectiveness. My particular interest is analyzing generalship by senior strategic leaders. I explore all of those dimensions in "Richmond Redeemed: the Siege at Petersburg; the Battles of Chaffin's Bluff and Poplar Spring Church." Throughout, I seek to capture and convey the excitement of these military operations. The book unfolds as the battles unfold. Readers march with the approaching armies, charge with the assaulting columns, man the ramparts with the defenders - and all the while, share with senior commanders the challenges of seeking success in the chaos of combat. The first edition of "Richmond Redeemed" (Doubleday, 1980-81) was greeted with popular appeal, critical acclaim, and numerous awards for its thorough research, vivid writing, and insightful analysis. The 150th anniversary edition (Savas Beatie, 2014) builds upon the earlier work and adds new research, new illustrations, new writing, and new thinking to produce a new book. Much of that new thinking benefits from my teaching future strategic leaders of our Army and our Armed Forces while they are students at the Army War College. In January, 2014, I retired after 43+ years at AHEC. However, I shall never retire as a military historian. I continue teaching in the Army War College. I continue to be available to speak to Civil War groups all across the country. I continue to write. And I continue to pursue and to share and to make more widely available my love for the Civil War. Even greater than that love is my love for my wife, Tracy. We reside in picturesque, historic Carlisle, PA, overlooking scenic Letort Creek. RichmondRedeemed@aol.com The following link to the great C-SPAN "American History TV" series provides a video of my presentation on "Richmond Redeemed: Enduring Lessons in Leadership from the Siege of Petersburg." This talk, delivered at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center on October 15, 2014, includes some of the analysis in my book Richmond Redeemed (Savas-Beatie, 2014). For fuller analysis and richer detail, please read and enjoy the entire book: http://www.c-span.org/video/?322035-1/discussion-siege-petersburg