Drive Thru History - Soldiers, Jamestown, and Heroes Of Virginia
354294
As the title mentions, this edition of Drive Thru History covers three main areas:

1.  Soldiers - Philadelphia area (Valley Forge, Germantown, Fort Mifflin).
2.  Jamestown - Jamestown, Williamsburg, Pocahontas, Yorktown.  Especially enjoyed this segment as I used to live in the area while serving in the US Air Force and often visited these locations.  Many pleasant memories!
3.  Heroes of Virginia - Jefferson, Washington, Madison, Slavery in Colonial America.

The narrator, Dave Stotts, does an excellent job of describing the importance of each site and shows appropriate reverance and humor.

The DVD lasts almost 1.5 hours and is a joy to watch.

Watch and be informed and entertained.

Highly recommended.
2523527
In June of 1863, the governor of Pennsylvania hastily sent out the call for all able bodied men from Pennsylvania to take up arms and fight against the invasion of The Army of Northern Virginia (ANV) led by General Robert E. Lee.  Men from Gettysburg, PA and the surrounding areas answered the call to counter the invasion of the ANV.  Author and historian Cooper H. Wingert tells about such men in "Emergency Men! The 26th Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia and The Gettysburg Campaign".  In this excellent book the author gives the back ground of the men who formed the militia company.  These men from the portion of southern Pennsylvania were from various backgrounds.  Teachers, lawyers, blacksmiths, students, farmers, (and a future governor of Pennsylvania) answered the call and were led by officers who did have some military experience.  As with any call to arms, these men were patriotic, swept with the grand idea of defending the flag, family, state, and country.  However, these were men who had no prior military training, and some had no experience in firing a rifle or pistol.  The training of these men was hasty to say the least, and on June 26, 1863 the milita (26th PA) met the forces of the ANV.  Needless to say they were ill-prepared to say the least, and some ran away from the encounter of General Jubal Early's forces (ANV) at the first opportunity.  The realities of battle became apparent to many in the militia and they quickly valued their lives more than their patriotic duty and quickly threw down their muskets and either surrendered or ran from battle.
But, many in the 26th PA stood their ground and fought bravely against the ANV.  The 26th PA was quickly surrounded and cut off from escaping to friendly ground.  The 26th PA (the men who were cut off) were forced to march continuously for over 24 hours in some instances to find friendly lines.  The weather was not good, the men had little food, and were continuoulsy under threat of being shot by soldiers of the ANV.  This is a story of "courage under fire" by many of the soldiers of the 26th.  As a militia unit these men overall did their state and country proud by answering the call of duty.  It is just a very small part of the Gettysburg Campaign but for Pennsylvania and the men of the 26th PA it was an important part of the Battle of Gettysburg.  Years later the men would meet in reunions and have an outstanding statue dedicated to the militia unit.  The chapers of the book are:
- Chapter 1: A Regiment is Born
- Chapter 2: With a Pie in Each Hand
- Chapter 3: Such a Confusion I Never Saw
- Chapter 4: Discretion as the Better Part of Valor
- Chapter 5: Such an Awful Time I Never Had
- Chapter 6: We Are Treated Very Meanly Here
- Chapter 7: Another Trip Down the Valley
- Chapter 8: Returning Home
- Chapter 9: Reunion at Gettysburg
The book has many excellent photographs, appendix's, bibliography and other fascinating feature that enhances the book.  There are 221 pages to the book, and I compliment the author's thorough research that included the letters of the soldiers describing their experience to their family, official records and correpsondence.  This is an excellent book that contributes to the history of the Gettysburg Campaign and is important to know that Pennslyvania State Militia's also fought in the Gettysburg campaign.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
828956
Great book with alot of history. My Dad bought this book for me, it has the story of my Great Grandpa and Great Great Grandpa, murdered by the West Virginia State Police at the same time. One had so many bullet holes in him, the death certificate said he was killed by a shotgun, it was a Thompson sub machine gun.
1203674
This is a great book for anyone interested in Central Vermont history or the colorful native people.  Clifford goes into detail about the life of one particular native, Joe Ranger, and the region of Pomfret and Hartford, VT between the late 19th to the mid-20th century.  His interesting account details the causes of things such as "flatlander" migration and the development of the idllyic Vermont image.  A quick, interesting read.
4521134
If you've ever been to modern Fort Lee, Virginia it's easy to get caught up in the Civil War history of the era, or focus on the logistics and transportation training that takes place there.  What you may not realize is that you're walking in the footsteps of one of the most successful division formations of World War I.
Vol 1. of Maj. (Ret) Gary Schreckengost's is a comprehensive accounting, through an approachable narrative, of the mustering of the 80th Division and its training to fight, both stateside and overseas with the British Third Army.
Maj. Schreckengost writes with all the passion of a modern day Operation Iraqi Freedom 80th Division veteran, and the eye for combat chronicle detail of an historian.  This book is a must-have for anyone's World War I history collection.
2730577
I bought this book for my dad and he enjoys it a great deal.  Lots of great detail and information about furniture companies we didn't know exited in Jamestown.  A good gift.
115904
I totally enjoyed this factionalized account of the Lost Colony of Virginia. The characters are well rounded and draw the reader in from the beginning. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough. Anyone interested in American history would enjoy this account.
4433043
Another great mystery for kids with lots of Virginia history in the story. Sam, Derek, & Caitlyn are once again involved in solving the mystery at historic Jamestown. Will capture the interest of readers as they try to solve the mystery and it's a great book to use in the classroom due to the historical information in the story.  Steven Smith will be doing an author visit to my school and I know the students will enjoy his presentation as much as they'll enjoy reading his books.
341047
Not since William C. Davis' 1975 "The Battle of New Market" has an author delved into the sharp engagement in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in the spring of 1864 that gave a much needed boost to the morale of the Confederacy, chased Union Gen. Franz Sigel back down the Valley to Strasburg and compelled Gen. George Crook, upon his learning of Sigel's defeat, to withdraw from Virginia to West Virginia despite his victory at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain just six days prior.

Best known as the battle where the Corps of Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute gained immortality, Charles R. Knight's solidly researched and well written account fleshes out the earlier work by Davis and provides insight into heretofore little known aspects of the battle, the events leading up to the fight and its aftermath. An example . . . how did a single company of dismounted Missouri cavalry end up fighting as infantry in the Valley of Virginia under the command of a general who had won fame in both the Eastern and Western theaters of the war and would go on to become the last Secretary of War of the Confederacy?

"Valley Thunder" is full of such nuggets of information and is an easy, informative and entertaining read. An absolute must for any serious student of the war.
4053332
This quick read is a very self serving yet informative look back on a bygone era that Virginia baby boomers will enjoy. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane for me. I still have my cherished Miller and Rhoads Santa and Me photos from the 50's and 60's. It's a wonderful gift for anyone who remembers shopping at this now extinct department store with its famous(real) Santa Claus and lovely Snow Queen.
4351334
The DVD-ROM is a great teaching adjunct for U.S. History - Civil War. Also, the audio tour CDs will enhance your visit when visiting the Gettysburg National Park in Pennsylvania.
2502475
I am from Virginia and interested in history and genealogy.  This was interesting and informative.
3613499
I love history and history about our "brave and true" makes reading this book even better.  I would recommend this book to everyone who love God and County!  These Americans were the bravest and the best and we could use some more heros like them!
2869696
In September 2010 Osprey Publishing released the paperback version of Tonight We Die As Men. Of course, it was another battalion from this same regiment that was made immensely famous in Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers.

History benefits from the publication of Tonight We Die As Men not simply because of the new attention paid to the equally deserving Third Battalion, but because the scholarship was approached with such care. Local historian Roger Day lives a few miles outside the English village of Ramsbury, which is where Third Battalion was stationed in the build up to the Normandy invasion. Coauthor Ian Gardner is a retired British paratrooper. Their personal connections granted a passion and an interest that might be lacking in other authors. In addition to their textual research Gardner and Day interviewed multiple Third Battalion airborne veterans as well as English and French civilians who encountered them during the war. These individual perspectives are what really make the book.

The airborne veterans recount stories of training in the States and life in England, including charming anecdotes of their pre-invasion antics. I was especially interested to read of the paratroopers' interactions with the people of Ramsbury, because I wrote about my own grandfather's relationship with Bristol residents before his assault on Utah Beach in my book&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Longshore-Soldiers-Life-in-a-World-War-II-Port-Battalion/dp/0982781105/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Longshore Soldiers: Life in a World War II Port Battalion</a>. In Normandy the mission of the Third battalion was to secure a pair of bridges. The battle narrative reminds readers that confusion and frustration can be a part of the reality of combat. Several of the veterans had been captured by the Germans. Some escaped, while others spent the duration of the war as prisoners.

Tonight We Die As Men is a valuable addition to the greater WWII airborne saga and a darn good read.
2026157
This volume looks at the 1864 Shenandoah Campaign, a federal military operation which ran concurrently with the Grant's Wilderness Campaign in central Virginia. While Grant attempted to get between Lee and Richmond a succession of Union generals tried to eliminate Confederate control over the strategic Shenandoah valley and possibly use it to cut the vital railroad supplying the Army of Northern Virginia. As the author shows in this volume of the Time-Life Civil War series, some of these generals were inept and experienced Confederate officers were able to beat the Federals and even use the Valley to invade Maryland and threaten Washington D.C. Eventually General Sheridan would be hand-picked by Grant to destroy the Confederates in the Shenandoah.

Well-illustrated, with great photos, artwork, maps and pictures of artifacts. Includes sidebars on the Volunteer Reserve Corps, the forts of Washington, artwork of the Battle of Cedar Creek, VMI, Sheridan's army, and the destruction of Chambersburg.
1434184
Some interesting history of Flint ...particularly for a "Flintite".  I think there would have been some good material that was left off regarding the A & W Drive-in; the factories and the role of GMI (Kettering).
157259
How slavery evolved in early America is a story that is not often - or well - told.  This book focuses on slavery in Virginia during 1772-1832 and speaks to the daily lives of slaves as well as their masters.  It talks about the changing plantation economy during the period, the expansion westward from the coast, the freedom offered by the British during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and changing inheritance laws and how all of these events impacted slave families.  Prominent Virginians such as Jefferson, Randolph, Carter, and Madison are portrayed as real people - not icons; the book delves into their often contradictory and changing positions towards slavery during the period.
I lived in Virginia for over 20 years and therefore am familiar with many of the people and places referred to in this book.  It will make my next trip to VA's historical areas that much more interesting because I now have this book's perspective as context.