A hardened and shameless scribbler of historic nonsense, who for more than thirty years has taken his meals in front of his laptop, astride his saddle, or beside the campfire.James M. Volo, Ph.D. has been teaching Physics, Physical Science, and Astronomy for the past 48 years. He received his bachelor's degree in American History from CCNY in 1969, his masters in military studies from American Military University in 1997, and his doctorate from Berne University in 2000. He has taught Education for Secondary and Elementary Schools teachers on the Graduate level for more than 20 years. He is the author of several reference works regarding US military, social, and cultural history, and has served as a consultant for TV and motion picture productions. Dr. Volo was chosen as a multiple contributor to the prestigious 150th Anniversary Essential Civil War Curriculum Project. He also served as a consultant for the CSPN Yellow Bus series “CSPAN Does de Tocqueville” in 1997. Among his published works are Blue Water Patriots: The American Revolution Afloat (Greenwood, 2006), Daily Life in Civil War America (Greenwood, 1998), Family Life in the 19th Century (Greenwood, 2007), the Popular Culture of the Antebellum Period (Greenwood, 2004), and the Encyclopedia of the Antebellum South (Greenwood, 2000).