Hello, and thank you for taking the time to stop by and read the inaugural post for a blog that I hope will fill a niche in the greater blogosphere. Some of you may be familiar with my other blog, The Sable Arm, which pertains to United States Colored Troops during the American Civil War.
My plans for this blog are much bigger and, due to the scope of the content that will be covered, the range of topics examined will be necessarily broader.
Over There stems from research that I have been conducting on the experiences of one county in Virginia during the Great War. This research has been converted into a museum exhibition that will be opening on September 16, 2010 (more on that later).
After two years of familiarizing myself with the topic, I figured it was time to “go public” and see if anyone out there is interested.
So without further ado, let’s get started!
In the words of a popular song from the war, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way”…
Sable Arm is very enjoyable and though I'm not as into WWI like I am the Civil War, I look forward to seeing your posts and how this turns out for you. Good luck with it!
ReplyDeleteI know just enough about the topic to be "dangerous" and not enough that I can call myself an historian of the period... perhaps a WWI buff... but this is one subject where I think most of us can speak without having to get as emotional with the CW. Looking forward to engaging in chats here!
ReplyDeleteRichard,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words! I have to admit, my attitude was very much like yours until two years ago. The Civil War was my “first love” when it came to history and while I would flirt with other topics I tended to view the Great War as nothing but a speed bump on the road to WWII. Three things changed that – 1.) I had the good fortune to befriend Dr. Mitch Yockelson, a WWI expert who became my thesis advisor when I was getting my MA, 2.) I happened to read Ed Lengel’s brilliant To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918 and, 3.) I began to conduct original research for the exhibit that I keep harping about. After all that, I’ve got to say that it’s been a pleasure getting to know the boys of the AEF!
Robert,
I know how you feel! One reason I can get so excited about the First World War is because I’m constantly experiencing the thrill of new discoveries (new to me, anyway). I’m hoping that this blog will serve as a forum for everyone to learn more about this topic, myself included. Come on over and post as much as you’d like!