Tag: History

Praise for WEST POINT AT GETTYSBURG

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The first volume of my three-volume series, West Point at Gettysburg (Vol. 1 A-G) is receiving initial praise.

These three volumes will tell the stories of every single West Point graduate who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. In addition, there are a host of interesting lists that also help tell a compelling story of these men, the battle, the Civil War, and their lives after this event.

This work will be published by Sunbury Press in early 2026.

One of the greatest and most respected Civil War writers, Dr. James M. McPherson of Princeton University and the author of Battle Cry of Freedom and a host of other Civil War books, just offered the following praise:

“Paul Semendinger has produced a unique volume that is a combination reference work, collective biography, and narrative of the battle of Gettysburg.  In all of these capacities it will be of great value to anyone interested in the American Civil War, especially it biggest and most famous battle.“

Other writers and historians have also offered positive reviews:

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Two Presidents, One Regiment

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“Are you alright Mr. President?”

“I’ll be fine, Mr. President.”

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Running Currahee

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Ever since my son Ryan had the same thought I did for an activity during our visit to see him in Georgia (“Three miles up, three miles down…”), I had been thinking of running Currahee Mountain.

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Currahee Mountain is the (extremely) large hill that was used as a (very difficult) physical fitness activity at Camp Toccoa during the early stages of paratrooper training during World War II.  The stories of the training, and the success of the troops, has been immortalized in the book and HBO miniseries Band of Brothers which tells the story of Easy Company from the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne.

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Book Review: Patrick Henry by Jon Kukla

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When one thinks of colonial America, the American Revolutionary period, and the birth of this nation, many great names come to mind.  Among these, of course, are Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and, George Washington. Stories of America’s founding fathers and brothers abound.  All of these men, and so many others were instrumental in the birth of our country.  Sometimes, the legends of these men outshine the other patriots and influential members of society who also played an important role throughout these important periods.  One such often overlooked giant of the time period was Patrick Henry.

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Currahee!

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It was the day before Fathers’ Day.  With the school year winding down, and summer beckoning, I found a few moments of quiet respite in my home.  For the first time, in a very long time, I felt myself relaxing.  Calmness and peace, two emotions I don’t experience often, were not as far away as they normally are.

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The True Wally Pipp

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Wally Pipp was one of the most misunderstood baseball players in history.  Today he is remembered more for missing a game with a headache than for his heroics on the ball field – and there were many!

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NY Yankee – Harry Hanson (1913)

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NOTE – The following passage comes from a draft of my book The Least Among Them which presents an original and unique history of the New York Yankees.  The Least Among Them is currently in the editing stage.  It is hoped that the final research for this text will be completed in 2017 with a targeted 2018 publication date.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN – HARRY HANSON (1913)

            It has been seen that the 1912 Highlanders were not a very impressive squad.   In 1913, the results on the field for this franchise did not change dramatically.  As a baseball team, they were still not very good.  In 1912, the Highlanders won 50 games and finished in last place in the eight team American League.  The 1913 squad fared only slightly better, earning 57 wins and a seventh place finish in the eight team league.  One member of the 1913 team was a man who set a Major League record that still stands today – a catcher by the name of Harry Hanson.

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Baseball History 1- Frank Baumholtz

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This is one reason why I love baseball…

Due to many obligations, my seventeen year old son and I had not seen much of each other for the past several days.  So, as I was doing some mindless tasks, he joined me in my home office to talk baseball.

The name “Stan Musial” came up.

I’m a life-long Yankees fan, but I hold a special place in my heart for Ted Williams and Stan Musial as they were my father’s and my uncle’s favorite players when they were growing up.  I enjoy talking about these legends from baseball’s past.

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