When I was in school, history was one of my favorite subjects; I always got "A"s in history. However, I did not consider myself to be a “history buff”. I never read history books other than what was required for school. That changed in 1988. I remember watching a TV special called "The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald”. There was a real prosecutor and a real criminal defense attorney. Evidence and testimony were presented to determine whether Oswald was guilty of JFK’s assassination. The TV jury found Oswald guilty; both attorneys said after the trial they believed Oswald was guilty.

I was completely transfixed and fascinated with this televised trial. This is what turned me into a history buff. I started reading books about the JFK assassination, including the one-volume summary of the Warren Commission Report. I read books that claimed that Oswald was part of a conspiracy, that Oswald acted alone, and that Oswald was an innocent “patsy”. I don’t know what happened on November 22, 1963, in Dallas (my birthplace, although in 1963, I was not yet born); all I know is that this event, and the pursuit of knowledge regarding it, ignited my interest in American history. I also began reading books about other American history subjects, specifically presidential biographies. I enjoy reading about the journey of how a person becomes president; each journey is unique. I have read many books over the years about nearly all American presidents.

This collection of short stories contains some of the most interesting historical events that I have read about. These are stories that I tell friends and family. One or two of these chapters may not necessarily seem interesting at first, but they are presented to be connected to a story in a later chapter. (As an example, JFK and Robert Lincoln are both buried in Arlington National Cemetery; the significance of this fact will become apparent later.)

Ironically, there is not a chapter about the JFK assassination; this is because I doubt it will ever be known with 100 percent certainty what really happened. I have written three fictional screenplays, but this is my first attempt at writing nonfiction. I write about what I love. The chapters are presented in chronological order. I hope you enjoy these accounts and snapshots of our American history.