If amateur in its original sense is one who pursues a passion purely for the love of it, then attorney and author Monte Akers is its spokesperson. History is his romance. From Custer s Last Stand to the shooting of Bonnie and Clyde, The Accidental Historian chronicles one man s fascination with the past and the different ways he has immersed himself in American history over fifty years. Akers explores incidents, little-known episodes, and fascinating sidelights from some of the most popular events of years gone by. Come along with Akers as he reveals a shocking secret about Robert E. Lee....

Now updated with a shocking deathbed confession and a touching account of reconciliation, here is the engrossing story of a 1922 lynching followed by a racially motivated reign of terror and the devastating effects both had on a small Texas town.

By the summer of 1863, following Chancellorsville, it was clear to everyone on both sides of the Civil War that the Army of Northern Virginia was the most formidable force Americans had ever put in the field. It could only be tied in battle, if against great odds, but would more usually vanquish its opponents. A huge measure of that army s success was attributable to its cavalry arm, under Major General J.E.B. Stuart, which had literally run rings around its enemies.

But Northern arithmetic and expertise were gradually catching up. In this work, the sequel to his acclaimed Year of...