The ECW Series Receives Special Recognition from the Army Historical Foundation

We were surprised here at Emerging Civil War today by some unexpected news from the Army Historical Foundation.

The Foundation announced its 2015 Distinguished Writing Awards and, as part of the honors, recognized the Emerging Civil War Series with a special award for contributions to the field.

According to the AHF’s press release, “In addition to announcing the Distinguished Writing Awards, the Army Historical Foundation also recognized editors Chris Mackowski and Kristopher White and publisher Savas Beatie, LLC, with the Lieutenant General Richard G. Trefry Award for their contributions to the literature on the history of the U.S. Army. This award is for their work on the Emerging Civil Series, an invaluable collection of Civil War battlefield guides.”

The award is named after Lt. Gen. Richard G. Trefry, who is, among other roles, a former inspector general for the U.S. Army.

“The Emerging Civil War Series is a huge team effort,” Chris said, the ECWS’s series editor. Fifteen authors have contributed books to the series, some forty-nine writers have contributed appendices and forewords, and dozens of photographers have contributed pictures. Hal Jespersen has created northward of 140 original maps. “The ECWS is what it is because so many people have joined in to help readers connect with Civil War history.”

The first ECWS title, Simply Murder: The Battle of Fredericksburg, came out in December of 2012 in time for the battle’s 150th anniversary. “The twenty-first book in the series just came out last week, and our twenty-second book is due this week,” said Kris, the series’ chief historian. “We have about a dozen others in various stages of development. We’re glad they’ve been so popular with readers. I think they resonate so strongly because we really try to keep the history accessible.”

For more on the award, read the press release from Savas Beatie, the ECWS’s publishing house. For a full list of titles in the series, check out the Emerging Civil War Series page here on the blog or search under the drop-down menu at the Savas Beatie website for “Emerging Civil War Series.”

The Army Historical Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, is dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American soldier. Its goal is to promote greater public appreciation for the contributions that America’s Army – Active, Reserve, and National Guard – has made to the nation in 241 years of service.

In addition to fundraising for the National Museum of the United States Army, the Foundation’s projects and activities include refurbishment of historical Army buildings; acquisition and conservation of historical art, artifacts, and documents; support of Army history education programs; historical research; publication of historical materials on the American soldier; and providing counsel and support to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals as the Foundation.

The AHF Distinguished Writing Awards program was established in 1997 to recognize authors who make a significant contribution to the literature on U.S. Army history.