Joseph M. Beilein (Jr.)'s Books

A Man by Any Other Name

William Clarke Quantrill and the Search for American Manhood

By: Joseph M. Beilein Jr.

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A Man by Any Other Name

William Clarke Quantrill and the Search for American Manhood

By: Joseph M. Beilein Jr.

Few men of the Civil War era were as complicated or infamous as William Clarke Quantrill. Most who know him recognize him as the architect of the Confederate raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in August 1863 that led to the murder of 180 mostly unarmed men and boys. Before that, though, Quantrill led a transient life, shifting from one masculine form to another. He played the role of fastidious schoolmaster, rough frontiersman, and even confidence man, developing certain notions and skills on his way to becoming a proslavery bushwhacker. Quantrill remains impossible to categorize, a man whose motivations have been difficult to pin down. Using new documents and old documents examined in new ways, A Man by Any Other Name paints the most authentic portrait of Quantrill yet rendered. The detailed study of this man not only explores a one-of-a-kind enigmatic figure but also allows us entry into many representative experiences of the Civil War generation. This picture brings to life a unique vision of antebellum life in the territories and a fresh view of guerrilla warfare on the border. Of even greater consequence, seeing Quantrill in this way allows us to examine the perceived essence of American manhood in the mid-nineteenth century.

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Page Count

386

Publisher

University of Georgia Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0820364533

ISBN 13

9780820364537

William Gregg's Civil War

The Battle to Shape the History of Guerrilla Warfare

By: William H. Gregg,Joseph M. Beilein (Jr.)

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William Gregg's Civil War

The Battle to Shape the History of Guerrilla Warfare

By: William H. Gregg,Joseph M. Beilein (Jr.)

This book features the memoir of William H. Gregg. Gregg served as William Clarke Quantrill's de facto adjutant from December of 1861 until the spring of 1864, making him one of the closest people to the guerrilla chief. Whether it was the origins of Quantrill's band, the early warfare along the border, the planning and execution of the raid on Lawrence, Kansas, the Battle of Baxter Springs, or the dissolution of the company in early 1864, Gregg was there as a participant and observer. The book also includes correspondence between Gregg and William E. Connelley, a historian. Connelley, who was born and raised in Kentucky to a family of Unionists, was deeply affected by the war and was a staunch Unionist and Republican. Even as much of the country was focusing on reunification, Connelley refused to forgive the South and felt little if any empathy for his southern peers. Connelley's relationship with Gregg was complicated at best. At worst, it was exploitive. At times their bond appeared reciprocal, but taken as a whole, Connelley seems to have manipulated an old, weak, and naïve Gregg, offering to help Gregg publish his memoir in exchange for Gregg's assistance in feeding Connelley inside information for a biography of Quantrill.

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Page Count

138

Publisher

University of Georgia Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0820355798

ISBN 13

9780820355795

Vision and Resilience

A Story of Remarkable Growth and Transformation at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

By: Joseph M. Beilein Jr.

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Vision and Resilience

A Story of Remarkable Growth and Transformation at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

By: Joseph M. Beilein Jr.

Vision and Resilience recounts the remarkable turnaround of a satellite campus that became one of the brightest spots in the Penn State University system: Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Covering the period from 1980 to 2010, this story serves as a blueprint for administrators who aspire to grow their institutions in challenging times. Joseph M. Beilein Jr. writes about how, at a time when tensions were high between faculty and the administration, students and the administration, students and the police, and even among the students themselves, The Behrend College saw an unprecedented increase in enrollment, endowments, land acquisition, building, and curricular opportunities. He describes how administrators John Lilley and Jack Burke worked with local leaders, faculty, and other officials to transform The Behrend College into a research institution—and how they worked with faculty, coaches, and even students to convince young people that Behrend was, in fact, a destination campus. All of these efforts resulted in a college that bucked trends in higher education, demography, and economics to become the leading college in northwestern Pennsylvania. Fascinating and instructive, Vision and Resilience tells an encouraging story of college success against the odds. It will be of interest to university administrators, faculty, and anyone with a personal connection to the Penn State campus farthest from University Park.

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