William (Liam) Michels is a writer and artist based in Gettysburg Pennsylvania where he has lived for over 30 years.
When he is not writing,or working in his studio, you will find him walking the battlefield and historic town for research and inspiration.
Check out his work below. If you want to order books, prints or other items imprinted with his images, there are links to Amazon and Fine Arts America.
ARTWORK
Edgar Allan Poe
WRITING
(Click book cover for Amazon page.)
NON-FICTION
Devil's den
A description of the struggle for Devil's Den, during the Battle of Gettysburg. The unique features of this landscape, and its lore, make it one of the most visited parts of the battlefield.
HARD-LUCK REBELS
How the lives of two Confederates were altered by the events of war. John Barry, a young officer in the Eighteenth North Carolina, carried the burden of responsibility for the death of Stonewall Jackson. Chaplain William Owen of the Seventeenth Mississippi, was in the evangelical forefront of the religious revivals in the Army of Northern Virginia. The author has researched their lives to see if their actions provide insight into how they coped with the tragedy of war.
Beneath the Wings of Angels: Religious Revivals in the Army of Northern Virginia
Analysis of dynamics of religious revivals in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War.
JOSHUA LAWRENCE CHAMBERLAIN:A BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND BATTLES
A short biography of General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, known as a hero of Gettysburg. His star has risen as a result of the Ted Turner movie about Gettysburg. For those who desire an overview of his life without getting into the weeds of a lengthy treatment--this book is for you.
RETURN OF THE VANQUISHED: LONGSTREET AT GETTYSBURG AND THE REUNION OF 1888
General James Longstreet has long been a figure of controversy for his role in the Battle of Gettysburg. As Glenn Tucker so aptly phrased it, was he a scapegoat or culprit? Much has been written from both viewpoints, over the years, to either condemn or exonerate him from blame. In 1888, on the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the battle, the spotlight was on him. Here he would meet face to face with his one time antagonist, General Daniel Sickles. What would Longstreet have to say? Here is the scene as the reporters of the day covered it--as well as many details of this all but forgotten event.
FICTION
The Torch At The Temple
Being an account of the intrigues, hazardous adventures, and travels that befell the notorious assassin of our late beloved President; his fate having remained an enigma until dispelled by his own hand. This is an account of the Lincoln assassination as described in John Wilkes Booth's diary. The diary is fictitious however it incorporates many factual events and people. The story pulls together many known facts about Booth's activities into a web of conspiracy. So follow Booth on a course that history says never happened but that conspiracy theorists might readily agree was possible.
The Gargoyle Murders and Other Short Stories
There is trouble afoot; leading television evangelical ministers are disappearing! Scotland Yard is baffled, dark forces seem to be at work, can help come from a leading expert on supernatural phenomena? Get ready for a mad romp through 1980's London when the skeptical Inspector Finch joins the hunt for a gargoyle, and gets an education about time travel, spaceship aliens, and the Philosopher's Stone along the way.
TRAVEL/LITERATURE
Travels to London and Dublin: Or A Journal of the Mind
The author's impressions of London, Dublin, and Ireland during the summer of 1987. These are interior mindscapes and musings about his travels, with special emphasis on chasing the ghosts of Ireland's literary heritage, especially Brendan Behan. Included are original poems and photographs by the author.
Gettysburg is well known as a battlefield of the Civil War. Yet there are places on the field that are less visited. Culp’s Hill and Barlow’s Knoll are among these. As a long-time resident and former park ranger, I have walked these fields many times. If only terrain could talk. These are my contemplations and musings of the features, participants, incidents, and land marks of this fabled ground.
