Kenneth C. Davis's Blog, page 120
April 26, 2010
DKMA Minute #17 William Weatherford: An American "Braveheart"
Do you know the name William Weatherford? You should. He was a charismatic leader of his people who wanted freedom and to protect his land. Just like "Braveheart," or William Wallace of Mel Gibson fame.
Only William Weatherford, also known as Red Eagle, wasn't fighting a cruel King. He was at war with the United States government.
William Weatherford's story is one of six pieces of Hidden History I recount in my new book, A NATION RISING
Here is a link to my page about A NATION RISING coming o...
William Weatherford: An American "Braveheart"
Do you know the name William Weatherford? You should. He was a charismatic leader of his people who wanted freedom and to protect his land. Just like "Braveheart," or William Wallace of Mel Gibson fame.
Only William Weatherford, also known as Red Eagle, wasn't fighting a cruel King. He was at war with the United States government.
I tell his story in my new book A NATION RISING
Booklist (May 2010)
Davis is a widely read author and a contributor to National Public Radio. He has made a career out...
April 19, 2010
Patriots' Day: It's Not About the Marathon
As we reach another Patriots' Day, the day that commemorates the beginning of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775, I have been watching the so-called "Tea Party" movement with interest. This movement claims some connection to the original patriots in Boston whose protest of a "tea tax" ultimately led to the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord. So here's a little refresher about some of the hidden history of this most important day in American History.
"Listen my children, and...
April 15, 2010
The Day Baseball –and America– Changed
The words "sports hero" get thrown around a lot in America. But today is a day to celebrate a real sports hero, Jackie Robinson. Even if you hate baseball!
If you come down to Ebbets Field today, you won't have any trouble recognizing me. My number's forty-two.
–Jackie Robinson to his wife, April 15, 1947:
When Jackie Robinson (1919–72) said that to his wife, it was on the day he became the first black man to play modern major league baseball. Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers that year and w...
April 14, 2010
DKMA Minute #16: A Nation Rising: A Video Q&A with Author Kenneth C. Davis
With the publication of A NATION RISING (Smithsonian/HarperCollins) on May 11th, bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis answers some questions about his career and new book.
JUST IN: Advance Praise for A NATION RISING:
Davis is a fine writer who uses a fast-moving narrative to tell these stories well.
–Jay Freeman, Booklist (May)
Advance Praise for A NATION RISING–
"With his special gift for revealing the significance of neglected historical characters, Kenneth Davis creates a multilayered...
A Nation Rising: A Video Q&A with Author Kenneth C. Davis
With the publication of A NATION RISING (Smithsonian/HarperCollins) on May 11th, bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis answers some questions about his career and new book.
Advance Praise for A NATION RISING–
"With his special gift for revealing the significance of neglected historical characters, Kenneth Davis creates a multilayered, haunting narrative. Peeling back the veneer of self-serving nineteenth-century patriotism, Davis evokes the raw and violent spirit not just of an 'expanding...
April 9, 2010
Ghosts of Confederates Past
On April 9, 1865, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
After four years of Civil War, with his Army of Northern Virginia practically starving and reeling under the onslaught of Union pressure from Grant's superior forces, Robert E. Lee had to contemplate the inevitable –surrender. On the evening of April 8, after a last-ditch attempt at breaking through Union lines failed, Lee was told that his army could n...
April 8, 2010
The Power of the Press: My Lai and Seymour Hersh
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the anniversary of the American attack on My Lai during the Vietnam war. Today April 8, is the birthday of the journalist who broke that story, Seymour Hersh. In his honor, I want to remind you of My Lai and what one of the great journalists of our lifetime has accomplished.
On March 16, 1968, in a small Vietnamese village, "something dark and bloody" took place.
On November 12, 1969, journalist Seymour Hersh broke the story of the massacre in My Lai during...
April 7, 2010
Today in History-Shiloh: "The slaughter on both sides is immense."
In the Bible, "Shiloh" meant "place of peace."
That word took a whole new terrible meaning on April 7, 1862, when Union forces led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee, near Corinth. Coming nearly one year after the Civil War began with the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the battle was the most horrific and costly of the war to that point.
In a report on the battle two days later, the New York Times account said,
The slaughter on both sides is...
