Peter Burchard (1921–2004)

Shortly after the Battle of Shiloh, Jed Smith, a Wisconsin Yankee, stands guard through the Mississippi night. It is then he meets a small southern boy and his dog. Warmed by the boy's helplessness and fear of the Northern soldiers, he befriends him and his family and protects them from the more bullying elements in his troop who ruthlessly raid Southern property. This time out of war does not shake his loyalty to the Northern cause, but makes him wish to serve well so that the nation may show more once more be reunited. A good story told with tenderness, this is an attractive fictional reflection on the war between the states. show less

"The work was nearly finished now, but tunneling was only the first step. There were armed guards in and around the jail, all dreading a prison break. And a complex of earthworks surrounded Richmond. But anything was better than this. . . ."
Jim Cutter was one of the diggers, one of twenty men who knew about the tunnel. Rat Hell is the story of his escape, against heavy odds, from Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. It is fiction based on fact, set against somber reality: for the people of show more the South, privation and impending defeat; for their prisoners, starvation and disease.
The plan of escape was an ingenious one, conceived in desperation and carried forward with dogged persistence. The story takes the reader through the dark and frozen streets of Richmond "to a hilly, lightly wooded stretch of country where buildings were scarce, wherea man stood out like a question mark." show less

Burchard does a nice job sympathetically unfolding the life of Col. Robert G. Shaw in his little book. The book appears to be well-researched.

Col. Shaw and the hundreds of unnamed soldiers of the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment are rightfully depicted as heroes, as they gave their life for their country in battle. For persons interested in the history of African American's in the US military, particularly the Civil War, this book should be on their "must read" list.

Included are several show more photos, maps, and graphics which enhance reading. Indexed. show less

Burchard follows the early development of flight which is often ignored in history, that history prior to the Wright Brothers first flight. In this account of the pursuit of air travel the author credits developers of flight theory throughout Europe and into America. The illustrations in this book are detailed and from museums and manuscripts. The reader is confronted with the reality that there was a thriving community of researchers who were collaborating in order to successfully fly.