“When historians record the most influential South Carolinians of the late 20th to early 21st century, they may turn not to politicians or the purveyors of popular culture but to one of their own, a courtly bespectacled professor with a wry and wicked sense of humor.”
SOUTH CAROLINA: A HISTORY
The authoritative source for the Palmetto State's dramatic history
In the first comprehensive history of South Carolina published in nearly fifty years, Walter Edgar presents a sweeping chronicle of a state with an illustrious, sometimes infamous, past. He describes in very human terms 475 years of recorded history in the Palmetto State, including the experiences of all South Carolinians—those with roots in Africa and in Europe as well as Native Americans; male and female; rich and poor. In an eminently readable presentation, Edgar uses letters, diaries, and other writings to let voices from the past take part in telling the state's fascinating story.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Edited by Walter Edgar
The definitive sourcebook for clear, concise information on all things South Carolina
The South Carolina Encyclopedia is a comprehensive single-volume reference for just about anything anyone would want to know about the Palmetto State's rich cultures and storied heritage, from prehistory to the present day. The encyclopedia is the result of a six-year collaboration between the Humanities Council SC, the Institute for Southern Studies at the University of South Carolina, and the University of South Carolina Press. Under the editorial direction of distinguished historian Walter Edgar, five hundred ninety-eight contributors have come together to write more than one million words depicting the representative people, places, and things that define South Carolina.
Partisans and Redcoats: The Southern Conflict That Turned the Tide of the American Revolution
This is the dramatic story of the conflict in South Carolina that was one of the most pivotal contributions to the American Revolution.
In a stunning work of forgotten history, acclaimed historian Walter Edgar takes the American Revolution far beyond Lexington and Concord to re-create the pivotal months in a nations' savage struggle for freedom. Gripping, fascinating, and meticulously researched, Edgar's masterful history captures the heat, the fury, and the intense human drama of the ruthless South Carolina campaign. It is a story of military brilliance and devastating blunders -- and the courage of an impossibly outnumbered force of demoralized patriots who suffered terribly at the hands of a merciless enemy, yet slowly gained confidence through a series of small triumphs that convinced them their war could be won.
Alive with incident and color, Partisans and Redcoats presents unforgettable portraits of real-life heroes and villains, Britons and Americans alike, as it chronicles two remarkable years in the fiery birth of a nation. It is the story of an enemy invasion of the Carolina backcountry that sparked nothing less than the first American civil war-when neighbor battled neighbor, Tory fought Rebel, and families were sundered from within. -- Gregory McNamee
Lectures & talks
Walter is available for lectures, talks and book signings on any number of historical subjects. Ask about Walter's availability for your event.
“He has curiosity about anything, and he makes the audience feel a part of the conversation. And when it’s someone with Walter’s credentials, that’s something.”