Brian S. Wills, Ph.D.

Brian Steel Wills is the Director of the Civil War Center and Professor of History at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, after a long tenure at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. He is the author of numerous works relating to the American Civil War, including a new biography - George Henry Thomas: As True As Steel. His other titles include:

A Battle From the Start: The Life of Nathan Bedford Forrest
Reprinted: The Confederacy's Greatest Cavalryman: Nathan Bedford Forrest. This work was chosen as both a History Book Club selection and a Book of the Month Club selection. He also authored, The War in Southeastern Virginia, released in October, 2001, and No Ordinary College: A History of The University of Virginia's College at Wise, (2004), both by the University Press of Virginia. Gone with the Glory: The Civil War in Cinema appeared in 2006 with Rowman and Littlefield. An updated edition of the James I. “Bud” Robertson, Jr., Civil War Sites in Virginia (Virginia, 2011) has appeared just in time for the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.

In 2000, Dr. Wills received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the state of Virginia, one of eleven recipients from all faculty members at public and private institutions across the state. He was named Kenneth Asbury Professor of History and won both the Teaching award and the Research and Publication award from UVA-Wise.

Michael K. Shaffer, M.A. Military History - Civil War

Michael K. Shaffer is the Assistant Director of the Civil War Center at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. He is a Civil War historian, author, and newspaper columnist, who recently authored Washington County, Virginia in the Civil War, which published in February 2012. Prior to joining the Civil War Center, Michael resided in Virginia, where he assisted the Historical Society of Washington County as Civil War historian, treasurer, and board member. He chaired the county's Civil War sesquicentennial committee, and served as the liaison between all counties in the southwestern portion of the Old Dominion, and the Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission in Richmond.

He has delivered various lectures on the Civil War, participated in the Barter Theatre's (State Theatre of Virginia) 360 panel discussions, the American Library Association’s ‘Making Sense of the American Civil War’ series, and remains a member of the Society of Civil War Historians. He belongs to the Civil War Round Table of Atlanta, serves as a board member with the Civil War Round Table of Cobb County, and assists the River Line Historic Area and the Friends of Camp McDonald as a Civil War consultant. Michael holds a BA Honors in Military History as well as a MA Honors in Military History, Civil War Studies, from the American Military University, and remains a member of Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society and the Golden Key International Honour Society.