Military master

Bellwood man makes literary name for himself with books on Civil War

By Jimmy Mincin
For some people, a fascination with the past makes for a busy future.

Writing about everything from military leaders to muskets and medals of honor, local author Robert Broadwater has turned a passion for history into an avocation. In the last 20 years, he’s written more than 20 books and more than 100 magazine articles dealing with the Civil War and the American Revolution. And he’s still going strong.

Working as the assistant general manager at Perkins Restaurant, Altoona, the 49-year-old from Bellwood has never had a problem balancing a day job with his literary endeavors.

“Doing the writing isn’t work — it’s my escape,” he said. “If things get stressful and you get beside yourself, the writing is a place you can run away to — it’s a release valve.”

Growing up in the ’60s, Broadwater immersed himself in TV series like “F-Troop” and “The Rat Patrol.” Intrigued by the shows’ depictions of war, he became increasingly interested in military history. But it was his family’s trip to Gettysburg at age 6 that sealed his fate. From that point on, he would be a history aficionado.

“Gettysburg just sparked my interest,” he said. “I shifted back in forth between wars. But after high school, I pretty much focused on the Civil War. Everybody’s good at something. I was always good at history — and the only way to show that is to write.”

While studying at Penn State Altoona in the late 1970s, Broadwater’s English professor encouraged him to pursue writing as a major. Though he didn’t heed that advice, his interest in documenting history continued. His first book, “The Bronze and the Granite,” was released in 1983 by Altoona-based Daisy Publishing. Since then, he’s written for five national publishers including White Mane Publishing and Mercer University Press. From 1997 to 2005, he wrote a monthly column for a military memorabilia magazine called Military Trader, in which he answered Civil War-related questions from all over the world.

In the beginning, no one wanted to read his books, but he stayed determined and refused to quit.

‘‘If you want to be a writer, you can just never stop writing,’’ he said. ‘‘The contract with White Mane and all those magazine articles were a result of giving it one more try. It’s a real difficult process — you have to do a lot of work that you won’t get recompense for, with the idea in mind that it’ll pay off in the end.’’

Building up a portfolio and getting as much as you can in print are two ways to achieve that end, he said.

His books include black and white photos, maps and artist-rendered depictions of each title’s respective subject matter. Broadwater obtains his photo illustrations from the Military History Institute of the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle.

Gary Sunderland was just starting his tenure as a Civil War re-enactor when he met Broadwater. A mutual love of history forged a friendship that has lasted for 15 years.

“I’m very dedicated to his books,” said Sunderland, 41, Altoona. “Whenever he writes, he does a lot of in-depth research. He knows who was there, where and when. His books could be for the person who has a slight interest in the Civil War, and for buffs in general.

“He focuses on the Civil War, but he could also tell you about World War I, World War II and Revolutionary War generals,” he said. “We’ve studied a lot of military history together through the ages.”

To date, Broadwater’s books are available in all 50 of the United States, 12 foreign countries and more than 1,500 libraries worldwide. In 2004, Gettysburg College nominated his book ‘‘Battle of Despair: Bentonville and the North Carolina Campaign’’ for the ‘‘Best Book Dealing with Southern History’’ award. His name is listed in the Gale Thompson Book of Outstanding Authors and the Cambridge Blue Book for Outstanding International Professionals.

Like Sunderland, Mary Brunner owns every book Broadwater has written, and most of his magazine articles, to boot. As president of the Civil War Veterans, Bellwood, she appreciates his Civil War knowledge and painstaking attention to historical details.

“His brain doesn’t forget anything,” said Sunderland, 80, of Tipton. “Anytime I have a question, I call him and he gives me the answer right off the bat. His memory is just incomparable. I don’t know how he does it. I’ll tell ya, I wouldn’t wanna try it.”

Aside from spending time with his 24-year-old daughter Kelly and his three grandchildren, history is Broadwater’s greatest passion. He hopes to one day make writing his livelihood.

“I’ve always heard people say that there’s nothing like doing what you love for a living,” he said. “I’d like to try that out someday.”

Broadwater’s books can purchased online at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks and The Bookstore. They range in price from $6 to $55. For more information, go to www. bookfinder.com.

Mirror Staff Writer Jimmy Mincin is at 946-7460.