The Golden Book of The Civil War played a huge role in fostering my interest in the Civil War. The colored "bird's eye" maps of iconic battle fueled my imagination as a young boy.

Some of my earliest memories are of heavily illustrated books. The Golden Book or American Heritage book of the American Civil War was one checked out several times during my years in grade school. It was packed with photographs and art from the era. What especially stood out were the color David Greenspan “bird’s eye” view maps of the most iconic battles of the war. These maps fueled my imagination as a child. Hours had to have been spent not only studying but trying to replicate those maps using Airfix or Marx toy soldiers. Another standout was the Pictorial History of the American Indian. Like the Civil War book it was full of photographs and illustrations of native peoples both east and west. The highlight of this book were several black and white photographs of dioramas that depicted native life. Maybe it was here that the seeds of interest in modeling and sculpting were sown. I thought that one day, when I grow up I’ll be able to make similar scenes. It appears I’m still waiting.

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