Lars D.H. Hedbor's Blog
November 3, 2023
Coming Face-to-Face With a Character
As a novelist of the American Revolution, time and time again, I am struck by the sheer concentration of extraordinary men and women who could be found among the relatively small population of North America in that era. In the course of writing The Will — which marked a departure from my normal practice of […]
July 21, 2019
A Comprehensive View
The Tales From a Revolution books take place within a relatively narrow span of years, and over a pretty sweeping expanse of territory. I often hear the question of which one comes first, and how the stories relate to one another. To answer that question succinctly, I put together an infographic, layering a timeline over […]
April 4, 2019
Why The Revolution?
I’m often asked why I write about the American Revolution. It is true that here are many fascinating and compelling eras in human history. Indeed, when I reach the end of my explorations of the Revolution, I expect to broaden my scope. In part, I started writing about the Revolution because of the opportunity – […]
March 10, 2018
A Broader View
When we think about the American Revolution, I suspect that most of us picture men in powdered wigs and waistcoats trading quips about taxation and tea in between firing volleys at faceless, vile Redcoats. I’ve sought to puncture the idea that the Revolution was a phenomenon of elites from Boston, New-York and Philadelphia, widening the […]
July 1, 2017
Rochambeau!
The Expédition Particulière That Helped Win Yorktown Most readers doubtless know that the French helped, not only at sea, by helping to keep the English from landing reinforcements, but by land, with the force under le Compte de Rochambeau combining with Washington and Lafayette’s forces to besiege Cornwallis at Yorktown. Cornwallis’ surrender sapped the will […]
April 19, 2017
April 19th, 1775
“The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” As we observe the anniversary of the outbreak of open hostilities between Britain and her restive subjects in America, I thought you all might enjoy this brief peek into the moment on that cool spring morning that has echoed through history to today. As the sun rose on a […]
February 16, 2017
National Television Again!
This was so much fun to be a part of — you can see me tonight in my appearance on America: Fact vs. Fiction, sharing what I know about the fateful events when Alexander Hamilton met Aaron Burr at the dueling grounds at Weehauken. Was Hamilton, as the song says, taking “deadly aim” at his opponent, […]
March 11, 2016
A Congressional Appeal to a “Friend of Science”
Some things can’t wait for matters of war or peace… From the Baxter Manuscripts, containing a documentary history of the conduct of the American Revolution in Maine: Letter to the Commandg Officer of the British at Penobscot— Similar One to Genl Wadsworth. Boston Sept. 12, 1780 Sr It is expected that there will be a very remarkable Eclipse […]
January 7, 2016
The Perfect Storm: Bernardo de Gálvez and the Gulf Coast Campaign
One of the genuine pleasures of research is the discovery of someone whose contributions are barely noticed in classroom histories, but without whom, events would have turned out dramatically differently. The Spanish Governor-General of Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez, is one such figure. His energetic and often brilliant contributions to the American Revolution ensured that the […]
August 31, 2015
I Write Dead People
I, like many authors, am sometimes taken to task for killing off favorite characters. While I’m no George R. R. Martin, my stories (being set in a time of war, and a period of far more medical uncertainty than today) often rack up a body count. It is well to remember that no matter how […]
