Hillsdale College Professor Tom Conner Releases New Book
Historian’s work details the overlooked history of the American Battle Monuments Commission
Hillsdale, Mich. – Hillsdale College is proud to announce the release of new book War and Remembrance: The Story of the American Battle Monuments Commission from Hillsdale’s William P. Harris Chair in Military History Thomas H. Conner. The book, to be released October 5, examines the nearly 100-year history of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and its work to memorialize the American heroes who died defending freedom around the world.
“To tell a story well is a difficult thing,” said Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College. “By telling this story well, Tom inspires his readers to remember and honor those who have fought and died in the defense of liberty. I hope every citizen reads it.”
Created in 1923, the ABMC now honors the remains of more than 100,000 American soldiers in cemeteries and memorials on historical battlefronts across the globe. The work of this organization is mostly unrecognized by the American public though millions each year visit monuments created by the ABMC’s efforts. As the first comprehensive study of the ABMC, Conner’s War and Remembrance brings this hidden corner of American history to light in compelling detail, utilizing primary and secondary sources in addition to his first-hand experience with ABMC sites around the world.
“As an ordinary citizen, I sense that it is too easy for us to forget the sacrifices of our soldiers and military personnel—from past generations, and in the present,” Conner said. “The work of the ABMC is an indispensable service to the memory of those who have borne the battle and a powerful reminder of the cost of freedom for current and future generations. I wrote this book not just as an historian, but as an American who has the highest respect for the tireless efforts made to perpetuate and honor the legacy of our countrymen who have served and, in their tens of thousands, given their lives in the defense of freedom around the world.”
Conner is the William P. Harris Chair in Military History and professor of history at Hillsdale College, where he began his teaching career in 1983. He has previously served the College in various administrative positions as dean of administration, history department chair, dean of the faculty and dean of Academic Division III. He was named one of Princeton Review’s “Best 300 Professors” in 2012 and has been awarded Hillsdale’s Professor of the Year award four times.
Conner completed his undergraduate degree in history at Elizabethtown College before going on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees in the political and diplomatic history of Modern Europe from the University of North Carolina. He has traveled extensively to battlefields across Europe and led many student groups on educational excursions to these landmark sites of American bravery.
Conner will be giving a talk on his book at Hillsdale’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, October 9. For more information or to order War and Remembrance: The Story of the American Battle Monuments Commission, click here War and Remembrance.