Peter Burchard (March 1, 1921 – July 3, 2004) was an

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, free-lance designer, and

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

. He wrote the book '' One Gallant Rush'' (1965), about Colonel

Robert Gould Shaw Robert Gould Shaw (October 10, 1837 – July 18, 1863) was an American officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Born into a prominent Boston Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist family, he accepted command of the firs ...

and the

54th Massachusetts Regiment The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry ...

, the first African-American unit in the Union Army. It was adapted for the 1989 film '' Glory,'' which won numerous awards.

World War II

Burchard served on

convoys A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

in the North Atlantic during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. During this time, his drawings were published by '' Yank'' magazine.

Books

Burchard primarily wrote children's books about

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

abolitionism Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The Britis ...

, and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He wrote 26 books and illustrated over 100. His book '' One Gallant Rush: Robert Gould Shaw and His Brave Black Regiment'', was the basis for the Oscar-winning 1989 film '' Glory''. His works include:

Adult

*''One Gallant Rush: Robert Gould Shaw and His Brave Black Regiment'' (1965/reprint 1990)

Juvenile

*''Balloons: From Paper Bags to Skyhooks'' *''Jed'' *''North by Night'' *''Stranded'' *''Bimby'' *''Chito'' *''Pioneers of Flight'' *''Rat Hell'' *''Frederick Douglass'' *''Lincoln and Slavery'' *''Digger''

Honors

Burchard became a

Guggenheim Fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

in 1966.

References

External links

* * 1921 births 2004 deaths Historians of the American Civil War American children's writers American military personnel of World War II {{US-child-writer-stub