As one of the final events in the Lest We Forget series of events, the Andover Historical Society looks forward to welcoming the pre-eminent living expert on the Battle of Spotsylvania, award winning historian Gordon C. Rhea, to Andover to discuss the Battle of Spotsylvania, which occured in May 1864 as part of the U.S. Civil War. Mr. Rhea will be speaking at the Town House (aka Old Town Hall) on Thursday, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to public.
The Andover Bookstore will provide copies of several of Mr. Rhea’s books for sale at the event.
Mr. Rhea is a nationally acclaimed historian. He has lectured extensively on topics of military history at the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, at several National Military Parks, and at historical societies and civil war round tables across the country. He had been a member of numerous boards of directors of historical societies, magazines, and historic preservation organizations, including the Civil War Library and Museum, Philadelphia, and North and South magazine. Mr. Rhea has appeared on History Channel, A&E Channel, and Discovery Channel in programs related to American history and has written scores of articles for various scholarly and popular publications. His books, which are considered authoritative in their fields, include:
• The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864
(LSU Press: Baton Rouge, 1994). (History Book Club Main Selection, Book of the Month Club Selection, winner of Landry Award, Civil War Regiments’ Award).
• The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern: May 7-12, 1864
(LSU Press: Baton Rouge, 1997) (History Book Club Dual Main Selection, winner of Landry Award).
• To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13-25, 1864
(LSU Press: Baton Rouge, 2000) (History Book Club Main Selection, winner of Landry Award, 2000, and the Fletcher Pratt Award, 2001).
• Cold Harbor: Grant and Lee, May 26-June 3, 1864
(LSU Press: Baton Rouge, 2002) (History Book Club Dual Main Selection, Military History Book Club Dual Main Selection; winner of Daniel M. Laney Award, Austin, and Richard Barksdale Harwell Award, Atlanta.
• Carrying the Flag
(Perseus, New York, 2003)
• In the Footsteps of Grant and Lee: From the Wilderness to Cold Harbor
(LSU Press: Baton Rouge, 2007) (with Chris Heisey, photographer)
• The Battles of Wilderness and Spotsylvania
(National Park Civil War Series: Eastern National Park and Monument Association, 1995).
Support for Lest We Forget has been provided by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.