I always had an interest in understanding history from a first-person account rather than from the formalized textbook perspective. The latter often summarizes the event into a neat paragraph or two but omits the human element entirely. I then find myself reading referential dates and times, tallies of deaths and injuries and, of course, what was the most important to owners and insurers- the attendant financial costs.
Personally what I find most compelling are the accounts of participants and eyewitnesses who lend their multi-faceted perspectives and insights. Often I find the “real” story to be buried and much more complex, revealing the true heroes and villains that have been overlooked or purposely omitted. Frequently this occurs when the initial newspaper reports have run their course over several days, weeks or months and the event gives way to the next big story.
However, it is not until the dust has settled that the facts fully reveal themselves. This occurs with the more detached and objective perspectives realized after the initial exposure. The facts are often borne out in lengthy official investigations, testimony, letters, detailed interviews or insurance claims. And these documents can also have shortcomings, for they may add irrelevant details or view the event from a financial perspective rather than a human one. They are often produced long after the event where they fall outside the public’s consciousness. What is left is an incomplete and inaccurate characterization of the actual event.
I hold a law degree and an MBA and serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the largest law school in the United States. But outside work, I enjoy writing about history and science in my free time. I am an avid reader, biker, runner, collector of old letters and love all things mechanical. To date I have published 13 books, all non-fiction, mainly about 19th-century shipwrecks. The latest was published in London by Lodestar Books.
I am and among my many volunteer activities, I also serve as the president of the Maryland Writers Association-Montgomery County chapter.
If you want to see more about my books and short stories, please visit me at ThomasGClark.net
One of my early books- Let Glasgow Flourish– can be found on Amazon.
And thanks for listening to my podcasts and sharing my interests.