William R. Forstchen
Encyclopedia
William R. Forstchen is an American
author
who began publishing in 1983 with the novel Ice Prophet. He is a Professor of History and Faculty Fellow at Montreat College
, in Montreat, North Carolina
. He received his doctorate from Purdue University
with specializations in Military History, the American Civil War
and the History of Technology.
Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award winning We Look Like Men of War, a young adult novel about an African-American regiment that fought at the Battle of the Crater
, which is based upon his doctoral dissertation, The 28th USCTs: Indiana’s African-Americans go to War, 1863-1865 and the "Lost Regiment
" series which has been optioned by both Tom Cruise and M. Night Shyamalan.
Forstchen’s writing efforts have, in recent years, shifted towards historical fiction and non fiction. In 2002 he started the “Gettysburg” trilogy with former Speaker of the House
Newt Gingrich
; the trilogy consists of Gettysburg
, Grant Comes East
, and Never Call Retreat. More recently, they have published two works on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and immediately after that attack Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy. Their current focus is on the American Revolution with the publication in 2009 of "To Try Men's Souls," a novel about Washington's crossing of the Delaware and Tom Paine's writing "The American Crisis," and in 2010 will release a novel about Valley Forge and the Battle of Monmouth Court House. Forstchen and Gingrich previously collaborated on the alternate history novel 1945 (1995).
In March 2009, One Second After
(Forge/St. Martin’s books) was released and immediately reached the New York Times best seller list where it remained for six weeks. Based upon several years of intensive research and interviews, it examines what might happen in a “typical” American town in the wake of an attack on the United States with “electro-magnetic pulse
” (EMP) weapons. Similar in plotting to books such as On the Beach and Alas, Babylon
, One Second After
is set in a small college town in western North Carolina and is a cautionary tale of the collapse of social order in the wake of an EMP
strike. The book was cited on the floor of Congress and before the House Armed Services Committee by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett
(R-MD), chair of the House Committee tasked to evaluate EMP weapons, as a realistic portrayal of the potential damage rendered by an EMP attack on the continental United States.
Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina
with his daughter Meghan. His other interests include archaeology, and he has participated in several expeditions to Mongolia and Russia. He is a pilot and co-owns an original 1943 Aeronca L-3B
recon plane used in World War II.
and Albert S. Hanser.
.
and Albert S. Hanser.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who began publishing in 1983 with the novel Ice Prophet. He is a Professor of History and Faculty Fellow at Montreat College
Montreat College
Montreat College is a private, four-year, liberal arts Christian college with campuses located in Black Mountain, Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina, United States and its primary campus in Montreat, North Carolina. The college offers on-campus traditional four-year degrees, an adult studies...
, in Montreat, North Carolina
Montreat, North Carolina
Montreat is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 696 in 2008. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He received his doctorate from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
with specializations in Military History, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the History of Technology.
Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award winning We Look Like Men of War, a young adult novel about an African-American regiment that fought at the Battle of the Crater
Battle of the Crater
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade The...
, which is based upon his doctoral dissertation, The 28th USCTs: Indiana’s African-Americans go to War, 1863-1865 and the "Lost Regiment
The Lost Regiment
The Lost Regiment is a series of science fiction novels written by William R. Forstchen.-Plot:The plot revolves around a Union Army regiment from the American Civil War which gets transported to an alien world. The 35th Maine Infantry is being transported by ship from Virginia late in the war when...
" series which has been optioned by both Tom Cruise and M. Night Shyamalan.
Forstchen’s writing efforts have, in recent years, shifted towards historical fiction and non fiction. In 2002 he started the “Gettysburg” trilogy with former Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
; the trilogy consists of Gettysburg
Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War
Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War is an alternate history novel written by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. It was published in 2003 and became a New York Times bestseller. It is the first part in a trilogy in which the next books are respectively Grant Comes East and Never Call...
, Grant Comes East
Grant Comes East
Grant Comes East: A Novel of the Civil War is a New York Times bestseller written by former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen, and Albert S. Hanser. It was published in 2004 and is the sequel to Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War...
, and Never Call Retreat. More recently, they have published two works on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and immediately after that attack Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy. Their current focus is on the American Revolution with the publication in 2009 of "To Try Men's Souls," a novel about Washington's crossing of the Delaware and Tom Paine's writing "The American Crisis," and in 2010 will release a novel about Valley Forge and the Battle of Monmouth Court House. Forstchen and Gingrich previously collaborated on the alternate history novel 1945 (1995).
In March 2009, One Second After
One Second After
One Second After is a 2009 novel by American writer William R. Forstchen. The novel deals with an unexpected electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the town of Black Mountain, North Carolina....
(Forge/St. Martin’s books) was released and immediately reached the New York Times best seller list where it remained for six weeks. Based upon several years of intensive research and interviews, it examines what might happen in a “typical” American town in the wake of an attack on the United States with “electro-magnetic pulse
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
” (EMP) weapons. Similar in plotting to books such as On the Beach and Alas, Babylon
Alas, Babylon
Alas, Babylon is a 1959 novel by American writer Pat Frank . It was one of the first apocalyptic novels of the nuclear age and remains popular fifty years after it was first published...
, One Second After
One Second After
One Second After is a 2009 novel by American writer William R. Forstchen. The novel deals with an unexpected electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the town of Black Mountain, North Carolina....
is set in a small college town in western North Carolina and is a cautionary tale of the collapse of social order in the wake of an EMP
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
strike. The book was cited on the floor of Congress and before the House Armed Services Committee by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
(R-MD), chair of the House Committee tasked to evaluate EMP weapons, as a realistic portrayal of the potential damage rendered by an EMP attack on the continental United States.
Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
with his daughter Meghan. His other interests include archaeology, and he has participated in several expeditions to Mongolia and Russia. He is a pilot and co-owns an original 1943 Aeronca L-3B
Aeronca L-3
|-See also:-External links:* * *...
recon plane used in World War II.
The Lost Regiment Series
- Rally CryRally CryRally Cry is the first novel in William Forstchen's Lost Regiment series of science fiction novels. The book follows the Union Army's 35th Maine Volunteer Infantry and 44th New York Light Artillery as they board a transport ship, the Ogunquit, in City Point, Virginia on January 2, 1865...
(1990) - Union Forever (1991)
- Terrible Swift Sword (1992)
- Fateful Lightning (1992)
- Battle Hymn (1997)
- Never Sound Retreat (1998)
- A Band of Brothers (1999)
- Men of War (1999)
- Down to the Sea (2000)
Ice Prophet series
- Ice Prophet (1983)
- The Flame Upon the Ice (1984)
- A Darkness upon the Ice (1985)
Wing Commander series
- End RunEnd runAn end run in football is a running play in which the player carrying the ball tries to avoid being tackled by evading the defending players from the opposing team...
(1993) - Fleet ActionFleet actionA fleet action is a naval engagement involving combat between forces that are larger than a squadron on either of the opposing sides. Fleet action is defined by combat and not just manoeuvring of the naval forces strategically, operationally or tactically without engaging. Most famous large naval...
(1994) - Heart of the Tiger (1995) (along with Andrew Keith)
- Action Stations (1998)
Star Voyager Academy series
- Star Voyager Academy (1994)
- Article 23Article 23 (novel)Article 23 is a science fiction novel by William R. Forstchen, first published in 1998. It is the second in his Star Voyager series for young adults.-Plot:...
(1998) - Prometheus (1999)
Civil War trilogy
Along with Newt GingrichNewt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
and Albert S. Hanser.
- Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil WarGettysburg: A Novel of the Civil WarGettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War is an alternate history novel written by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. It was published in 2003 and became a New York Times bestseller. It is the first part in a trilogy in which the next books are respectively Grant Comes East and Never Call...
(2003) - Grant Comes EastGrant Comes EastGrant Comes East: A Novel of the Civil War is a New York Times bestseller written by former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen, and Albert S. Hanser. It was published in 2004 and is the sequel to Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War...
(2004) - Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final VictoryNever Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final VictoryNever Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory is the conclusion of an alternate history trilogy by former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen, and Albert S. Hanser. It was published in 2005 by Thomas Dunne Books. The other two books are Grant...
(2005)
Pacific War series
Along with Newt GingrichNewt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
.
- Pearl Harbor (2007)
- Days Of Infamy (2008)
Historical fiction
- We Look Like Men of War (2003)
- The Battle of the Crater: A Novel (2011) (along with Newt GingrichNewt GingrichNewton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
and Albert S. Hanser)
George Washington series
Along with Newt GingrichNewt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
and Albert S. Hanser.
- To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom (2009)
- Valley Forge: George Washington and the Crucible of Victory (2010)
The Gamester Wars trilogy
- The Alexandrian Ring (1987)
- The Assassin Gambit (1988)
- The Napoleon Wager (1993)
Non-fiction
- Hot Shots: An Oral History of the Air Force Combat Pilots of the Korean War (2000) (along with Jennie E. Chancey)
- Hot Shots: America's First Jet Aces (2002) (along with Jennie E. Chancey)
- Honor Untarnished: A West Point Graduate's Memoir of World War II (2003) (wrote introduction)
- It Seemed Like a Good Idea...: A Compendium Of Great Historical Fiascoe (2009)
The Crystal series
Along with Greg MorrisonGreg Morrison
Greg Morrison is an Tony Award–winning and Drama Desk Award–winning Canadian writer and composer best known for his work on the music and lyrics of The Drowsy Chaperone, which he wrote with Lisa Lambert. He also has extensive credits directing and musical directing shows across the United States,...
.
- The Crystal Warriors (1988)
- The Crystal Sorcerers (1991)
Stand-alone
- Into the Sea of Stars (1986)
- 1945 (1995) (along with Newt GingrichNewt GingrichNewton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
) - The Four Magics (1996) (along with Larry Segriff)
- One Second AfterOne Second AfterOne Second After is a 2009 novel by American writer William R. Forstchen. The novel deals with an unexpected electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the town of Black Mountain, North Carolina....
(2009) - Doctors of the Night (2011)
Short stories
- "A Hard Day for Mother", published in Alternate Generals (1998)
- "Lee's Victory at Gettysburg… and Then What?", published in Alternate Gettysburgs (2002)