John E. Ferling (born 1940) is a

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

at the

University of West Georgia The University of West Georgia is a public university in Carrollton, Georgia, United States. The university offers a satellite campus in Newnan, Georgia, Newnan, Georgia, select classes at its Douglasville Center, and off-campus Museum Studies c ...

. As a leading historian in the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

and founding era, he has appeared in television documentaries on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

, the

History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...

'' Book TV'', and the Learning Channel.

Biography

John Ferling was born in 1940 in

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in West Virginia, most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Kanawha County, West Virginia, Kanawha County and ...

. Ferling grew up in

Texas City, Texas Texas City is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States, on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay. Texas City is a deepwater port on Texas's Gulf Coast, as well as a petroleum-refining and petrochemical-manufacturing center. The popu ...

. Ferling attended

Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University (Sam Houston, SHSU or Sam) is a public research university in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 1879, it is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools wes ...

, and later received a master's degree in history from

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

. He earned his Ph.D. in history from

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...

in 1971. John Ferling taught for 39 years, mostly at the

. Ferling retired from teaching to spend more time writing.

Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

* Fraunces Tavern Book Award *Outstanding Retired Faculty

Publications

*''Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence'' *''The Loyalist Mind: Joseph Galloway and the American Revolution'' * *''A Wilderness of Miseries: War and Warriors in Early America'' *''The First of Men: A Life of George Washington'' *''Struggle for a Continent: The Wars of Early America'' *''John Adams: A Life'' *''Setting the World Ablaze: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and the American Revolution'' *''A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic'' *''Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800'' *''The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon'' *''Independence: The Struggle to Set America Free'' (published June 21, 2011) *''Jefferson and Hamilton: "The Rivalry That Forged A Nation"''* * * * *

References

External links

*
''In Depth'' interview with Ferling, July 5, 2009Ferling discusses ''Almost a Miracle''
on September 27, 2007 at the

Pritzker Military Museum & Library The Pritzker Military Museum & Library (formerly Pritzker Military Library) is a non-profit museum and research library for the study of military history located in a state-of-the art facility in Kenosha, WI. The institution was founded in 2003, ...

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferling, John E. 21st-century American historians American male non-fiction writers Living people University of West Georgia faculty Historians of the American Revolution 1940 births Baylor University alumni Sam Houston State University alumni West Virginia University alumni 21st-century American male writers