First Author Conclave at Civil War Battlefields

We are excited to announce the first ever Savas Beatie Author Conclave! We've been working on this event for awhile now, and are very much looking forward to it. More details to follow in the coming weeks, but for now here is our press release announcing the event.

Be sure to check out the free tour schedule, and RSVP to help us gauge attendance!

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SB Authors to Lead Field Tours & Book Discussions for 150th Anniversary of Civil War

EL DORADO HILLS, CA, June 25, 2013 – Savas Beatie LLC is excited to announce its first Author Conclave. Beginning on July 28, Savas Beatie staff and authors cordially invite all members of the general public to congregate for three days in Gettysburg, PA, Antietam, MD, and Leesburg, VA to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War—free of cost! Readers and history buffs of all experience levels will enjoy author-led battlefield tours, lively debate, and book discussions.

Managing Director Theodore P. Savas is thrilled about the conclave’s potential as a new tradition for authors and their readers. “We are very excited about our first Author Conclave,” explained Savas. “It is a grand opportunity for all of us to discuss new writing projects and harness the power of collaboration.” Savas continued, “Introducing the authors and readers, touring fields together, and connecting on a wide variety of levels will create a synergy that will help everyone. This unique learning experience will provide readers and battlefield enthusiasts with collective insights above and beyond what anyone could gain from reading a book independently, removed from the historic scene.”

Renowned historian and Conclave host Eric Wittenberg echoed these sentiments. “The opportunity to gather so many distinguished historians in one place presented an opportunity that I simply could not pass up. It will give everyone a chance to spend quality time with both historians and readers of our collected works in one of my favorite places,” Wittenberg said.

Longtime Savas Beatie reader Rea Redd, Civil War Librarian LLC, can’t wait to join his favorite authors on the fields either, stating, “The Savas Beatie Authors [and Readers] Conclave may well become one of the memorable highlights of the 150th Anniversary of 1863. The event promises to be on the level of the National Parks battlewalks of Chancellorsvillle and Gettysburg. Seven well established authors touring four battlefields in three states over three days!  Bring your maps, sunblock, and, with a nod to U2, ‘Get Your Boots On!’”

For more information and the event schedule, please see below or visit the Savas Beatie website. 

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THE ARMY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN U.S. ARMY HISTORY WRITING

Savas Beatie title The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. II: Antietam wins for Reprint category

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif., May 22, 2013 – The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. II: Antietam edited by Thomas Clemens was selected as the 2012 winner of The Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Writing Award for the reprint category. The Army Historical Foundation has an annual awards program to recognize books and articles that have made a distinctive contribution to U.S. Army history.

“It is great to see Ezra Carman's premiere achievement recognized by the Army Historical Foundation; a fine organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of America's military past,” said Editor Thomas Clemens. “Carman labored many years to write the most detailed study of the Maryland Campaign ever created. Having an organization of military historians, veterans and enthusiasts endorse his effort is very gratifying, and of course the efforts by the Savas Beatie staff made it all possible. It was inspiring, and a bit intimidating, to work on the manuscript with Carman's ghost looking over my shoulder, and a pleasure to work with the people at Savas Beatie.”

The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, Vol. II: Antietam is second volume of Ezra Carman’s The Maryland Campaign of September 1862. Editor Thomas G. Clemens, recognized internationally as one of the foremost historians of the Maryland Campaign, spent more than two decades studying Antietam and editing and annotating Carman’s manuscript.

“All of us here at Savas Beatie are pleased that Dr. Clemens’ work has been bestowed with this prestigious award," explained Savas Beatie’s Managing Director Theodore P. Savas. "He has spent decades researching Carman’s magisterial account."

Candidates are nominated by their publishers. A select Awards Committee of distinguished military historians and writers carefully judge the finalists. Each finalist is judged against the following four criteria: Significance to U.S. Army History, quality of writing (e.g. clarity, style and analysis), historical accuracy, and presentation (e.g. use of maps, photographs or other materials).

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ABOUT THE ARMY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

The Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards program was established in 1997 to recognize authors who make a significant contribution to the literature on U.S. Army history. Its goal is to promote greater public appreciation for the contributions that America’s Army – Active, Reserve, and National Guard – has made to the nation in 233 years of service.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND EDITOR

Ezra Carman was born in Oak Tree, New Jersey, on February 27, 1834, and educated at Western Military Academy in Kentucky. He fought with New Jersey organizations throughout the Civil War. He died in 1909 on Christmas day and was buried just below the Custis-Lee mansion in Arlington Cemetery.

Thomas G. Clemens earned his doctoral degree at George Mason University, where he studied under Maryland Campaign historian Dr. Joseph L. Harsh. Tom has published a wide variety of magazine articles and book reviews, has appeared in several documentary programs, and is a licensed tour guide at Antietam National Battlefield. A retired professor from Hagerstown Community College, he also helped found and is the current president of Save Historic Antietam Foundation, Inc., a preservation group dedicated to saving historic properties.

John Bell Hood book trailer

Robert E. Lee in War and Peace book trailer

Savas Beatie in Book Business Magazine

Lemonade, cigars, and steak. While it's clear which item might not make the best pairing to your palette, all three work together to form a perfect book marketing example in a recent article written by Savas Beatie Managing Director Theodore P. Savas for Book Business Magazine. 

Enjoy the article and story, and here's to hoping it gets your creative juices flowing as well. 

Read the article here.

Using LinkedIn to increase author event attendance

Two and a half years after the release of Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason, authors Dan Van Vaften and David Hirsch continue to gain media coverage and have successful book signing events. While updating me on another well-attended presentation, co-author Dan Van Haften mentioned that using his LinkedIn connections helped spread the word about his events. Below you'll find the simple step-by-step method he used to increase his reach. It's a straightforward approach for other authors to replicate. - Sarah Keeney

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When I retired from Alcatel-Lucent in 2007, I had 40 LinkedIn connections.

Shortly after Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason was published, I started sending out LinkedIn connection requests to everyone on LinkedIn I had contact with during my 37 year Bell Labs/AT&T/Lucent/Alcatel-Lucent career.

Over time I got to 330 LinkedIn connections.

After Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln, and the Structure of Reason was released as an ebook in June, 2012, I sent email notices to a large number of media people identified through the Bacon’s Media Guide.

After sending out a few hundred emails to publicize the ebook, I clicked on the LinkedIn option to send a LinkedIn connection request to every person in my email contact list. I received numerous acceptances, some as many as six months or more later. My first media acceptances were an editor from Duluth and from Green Bay.

I then realized I could send LinkedIn connection requests to all people connected to my new media “friends”. I sent out a large number of requests, over time building up media contacts across the country.

I got to 500+ LinkedIn connections (currently about 750). These connections included people such as Judy Woodruff. They included many people in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as the New York City area.

When I had an event at Ford’s Theatre, I sent out LinkedIn InMail to my contacts in the Washington, D. C. area. One hundred fifty people showed up.

When I had an event at the DuPage History Museum, I sent out LinkedIn InMail to my Chicago area contacts. Some people I knew sent their regrets (they were in China, they had a conflict, etc.). Twenty three people showed up, and I sold ten books. I knew at least three people in the audience already had one (or both) of our books.

When David and I participated in the Redoglake Book Salon, I sent out LinkedIn InMail to media people in the New York City area, plus most areas outside Chicago.

- Dan Van Haften
The Structure of Reason

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Another Intoxicated Pilot Removed from Plane; Flying Drunk Still Relevant Today

Flying Drunk: The True Story of a Northwest Airlines Flight, Three Drunk Pilots, and one Man's Fight for Redemption By Joe Balzer (Savas Beatie, 2009)

On January 4, 2013, an American Eagle captain was removed from an aircraft carrying 53 passengers set to leave the Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport due to intoxication.

Since 2008, the number of intoxicated pilots has held steady. 

“One of the most notorious cases of a pilot drinking and flying occurred in 1990, when the captain, flight engineer and first officer were arrested when their flight from Fargo landed at the Twin Cities airport,” wrote Paul Walsh from Star Tribune.

On March 8, 1990, an intoxicated three-man crew, including Flight Engineer Joseph Balzer, flew a Northwest Airlines Boeing 727 with 91 passengers aboard from Fargo, North Dakota to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Joe Balzer had always dreamed of flying. He pursued his goal with a vigorous passion and earned his pilot licenses, piling up hours of flight time with a wide variety of planes and jets with one overarching goal: to one day fly for a major airline. But Joe had a problem. He was an alcoholic and refused to admit to himself that he had a problem. 

“I compromised my own personal value system,” said Joe Balzer, “Alcohol got the best of me again, and it was going to ruin my career. I didn’t realize I was an alcoholic; I didn’t want to be one of ‘those’ people.”

Joe Balzer’s book, Flying Drunk, is a journey of the human spirit, from childhood to hell, and back again. “We need to get help for pilots who are tempted to drink, because when we do, we have the highest success rate,” said Balzer.

Balzer and the recent American Eagle incident are not the only pilot intoxications to ever make headlines. Hollywood has also taken a stab at the issue with Denzel Washington’s new movie Flight about an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals signs of intoxication.

About the Author

Joe Balzer is currently a pilot for American Airlines with more than 15,000 hours of flight experience. He has a Master's Degree in Aerospace Education and is also an inspirational speaker, traveling around the country speaking to pilots and other groups on the dangers of alcohol and other addictions, bringing his audience to laughter and tears with his powerful message of hope. Joe lives in Tennessee. Flying Drunk is his first book.

For more information, visit the book's page.