Shelby Foote: Winner of the 'Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award' and 'Dos Passos Prize for Literature Award'
One of the most prolific historians on the subject of the Civil War was Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. (1916 - 2005), an American novelist whose non-fiction work is highlighted by his massive 3-volume history entitled The Civil War: A Narrative. He gained further prominence appearing on the PBS series The Civil War by filmmaker Ken Burns. In 2003, he was awarded The Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award by the Tulsa Library Trust, joining the likes of Norman Cousins, John Updike, Saul Bellow, Norman Mailer, Margaret Atwood and Neil Simon. Prior to accepting this prestigious award, the author answered questions posed to him by journalists and reporters at a local press conference. Sensitively narrated by Bill Humphreys, this touching biography recalls the life of Shelby Foote by combining these memorable moments along with fascinating accounts of the Civil War. We learn of his humble beginning in Greenville, Mississippi, of his chance encounter with Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner, of the Battle of Opequon, fought in Winchester, Virginia, of the Battle of Olustee, the largest battle fought in Florida during the Civil War. And to close, we are further moved when he reads from the epilogue of his most definitive book. Co-produced by Chip Taylor, BBTFilms and Myles Jaeschke.
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