News

With the 75th anniversary of D-Day rapidly approaching, we wanted to share six facts about D-Day you might not know. 1) The Allied forces for Operation Overlord comprised 23 infantry divisions (13 U.S., eight British, two Canadian); 12 armored (five U.S., four British, one each Canadian, French, and Polish); and four airborne (two each U.S. and British)—for a total of 20 American divisions, 14 British, three Canadian, and one each French and Polish. However, the assault forces on 6 June 1944 involved only two U.S., two British, and one Canadian division. Read More

Historian Mark Bielski's upcoming release, A Mortal Blow to the Confederacy: The Fall of New Orleans, 1862, will arrive this fall. The timing perfectly coincides with the preparations for the siege of the South's greatest city, New Orleans. The Union was about to enact their master plan for a massive naval attack from the Gulf of Mexico and the Confederate leadership squabbled over the best way to defend this vital port and economic center as well as control of Mississippi River. Read More

The expression that March comes in “like a lion” and goes out “like a lamb” may depend upon where one lives and the situation at the time. For George Washington in 1777, he may have felt threatened by a lion or even pursued by a pack of wolves. Similarly, any Irish conscripts in the British Army in the French and Indian War had a rough St. Patrick’s day at Fort William Henry ten years earlier. This month’s History Happenings take place during March. Our historian Mark Bielski covers historical events from the American Revolution to the Civil War and WWII. Read More

For those of you have traveled or will be traveling with us on our Band of Brothers Tour, as well as fans of Easy Company, we are delighted to let you know that you can help preserve the Legacy of Leadership of these great American heroes who trained on this mountain by supporting the Camp Toccoa at Currahee Project. Read More

I am delighted to be leading the Civil War: This Hallowed Ground Tour this June 22 - 30 and I'd liked to personally invite you to join me on this week-long adventure. We will visit a wonderful selection of historic places where 19th Century Americans struggled to decide whether our country would remain intact or split asunder. Some of the most fruitful sources of information we explore are the personal experiences recorded by Civil War participants in journals, in letters, and in oral histories. Their first-person accounts bring our Civil War history to life and we are able to see how soldiers and their families, doctors and nurses, and townspeople as well as commanders on both sides were affected by the campaigns in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.  Read More

On our Original Band of Brothers Tour, we begin our tour where the men of Easy Company began—at the training camp in Toccoa, Georgia. We visit the train station where recruits for the 506th first arrived, now the Currahee Military Museum. We travel to the site of the camp and then proceed up Mount Currahee, the 1,000 ft. mountain that the men of the 506th ran daily for training. Read on to learn more about the fascinating history of the home of the Band of Brothers. Read More

Season four of the hit Starz show Outlander just wrapped. The historical time travel drama has been credited, in part, for the fourth consecutive year of increased tourism in Scotland, as fans visit the Highlands to see the mythical Craigh na Dun stones and Lallybroch's real-life counterpart, Midhope Castle as well as other spots where the series has been filmed. If you’re interested in doing some historical time travel in Scotland, we’d highly recommend you join our historian Chris Anderson on the Scotland: Jacobite Rising of 1745 Tour. Read More

Warfare History Network has published historian Kevin Hymel’s article, "Commanding Patton's Personal Tanks,” an interview with Lieutenant Jim Craig. From North Africa to Sicily, Lieutenant Craig led General George S. Patton, Jr.’s Provisional Tank Company. Read More

On the History with Mark Bielski Podcast, our director and historian Mark Bielski discusses history from ancient to modern times with experts in their fields of study, with special attention to the Civil War and WWII. He and his guests leave the textbooks behind and delve into the characters, backstories and often the intrigues that drove events throughout history. From the Cold War in the Middle East to an interview with Mrs. Gladys LeBreton, whose grandfather was a friend of Confederate President Jefferson, Mark has had a fascinating string of recent episodes. Tune in! Read More

The Commemorative Air Force will bring two veteran D-Day aircraft, the famed C-47 That’s All, Brother and the C-53 D-Day Doll, to reenact that original channel crossing and paratrooper jump into Normandy on the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, recalling the sacrifice made by so many in the fight for freedom. Read More