Many years in the making, the recently published book The Civil War and Pop Culture: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War, edited by Jon Tracey and Chris Mackowski, features a series of essays by a wide range of historians reflecting on the depiction of the Civil War in the American popular imagination.
A celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Emerging Civil War, the Pop Culture book includes Derek Maxfield’s essay “Re-Creating War in Peaceful Fields: Catharsis Through Reenacting.” Originally written in 2016 for another project, Maxfield interviewed many re-enactors and living historians, including Dave Kreutz and Tom Schobert. The essay reflected on Maxfield’s own introduction to living history and evolving attitudes toward impressionists and depictions of historical figures using first person interpretation.
Dave Kreutz, a Buffalo native who has portrayed President Lincoln across the nation, received his copy of the book at the Holland Land Office in Batavia where Maxfield presented a talk on Victorian Deathways.
A second book was presented to Tom Schobert. Schobert has portrayed dozens of military and civilian historical figures over the years from the Revolutionary War era through the U.S. Civil War – most famously General Robert E. Lee. He is also active in the West Seneca Historical Society and has performed at the Forest Lawn Cemetery as William Fargo and Millard Fillmore.
Prior to a recent book talk at the West Seneca Historical Society, Derek Maxfield presented Tom Schobert (in absentia) with an Excellence in Living History Award on behalf of the Rudely Stamp’d Historical Impressions for his many years of remarkable work as a living historian.
The book and an ebook version are available for purchase through the Savas Beatie Website.
Derek D. Maxfield 