ECW Names Tim Talbott as New Book Review Editor

We are pleased to announce that Tim Talbott is taking over the reins as our new book review editor.

Tim has been an avid reader of Civil War era scholarship for the past 25 years. By day, he serves as the chief administrative officer for the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust. He began contributing to ECW in 2020, at first with a series of posts cross-posted with the Battle of New Market Heights Memorial and Education Association, which he co-founded and where he served as president. You can read Tim’s full bio here.

“I think book reviews are vital to the educational aspect of ECW,” Tim explains. “History, more so than a number of other disciplines, is largely delivered via publications. People who enjoy history are usually big readers, so having book reviews available is an important service for ECW’s readers.”

Tim’s enjoyment of writing book reviews dates back to his time on college.” One of the first things I learned from my first historical methods professor is the importance of reading critically. He was a big proponent of having his students write book reviews to not only become familiar with the historiography of given fields, but to also to strengthen their historical thinking skills,” Time says. “I feel that I’ve become a much better thinker (and hopefully writer) by writing book reviews, so I enjoy that as reward. The other thing I like about writing book reviews is that it really helps keeping current on the latest scholarship and the present trends in historical arguments. I love it when authors offer books/arguments (of course, backed with evidence) that make me think about things I had not previously considered.”

Tim admits the “what’s in it for me” aspect was a big motive for accepting the position. “I thought being book review editor would be a good way to have more interaction with my fellow ECW contributors, as well as the blog’s readers,” Tim says. “I’m also hoping I’ll get to learn some new things about the publishing world and how it works.”

Going forward, Tim expects that ECW book reviews will be an evolving process. “While I have a few ideas, and have consulted with some others on what I hope will turn into a few exciting new directions to explore, I do not think ECW readers will see a radical departure from what we are providing present,” he says. “Hopefully, as with other things, we’ll try and see what works best. Creating strong relationships with a diverse group of proven publishers is a goal I have for myself. Making the process as easy as possible for reviewers, yet maintaining high quality standards for the best benefit of ECW’s readers, is key for me.”