Thom Hatch

Mayflower descendant Thom Hatch is a popular, award-winning American author who specializes in the history of the Plains Indian Wars and the American Civil War. It has been written that his narratives are as spirited as a cavalry charge and his creative nonfiction reads with all the drama and richness of a novel.Fact|date=March 2008

A graduate of North Olmsted High School, located in North Olmsted, Ohio, Hatch served the United States Marine Corps in a Vietnam combat unit for 13 months before becoming a reporter for the Erie, Pennsylvania "Times-News" and a disc jockey and newsman for WJET-AM radio during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He settled in Colorado in 1974 where, in addition to writing books, he has made his living as a creative freelancer in the advertising and business communities, as well as teaching and contributing articles to national publications. He has served as primary consultant and appeared on screen as an expert commentator for the History Channel, and he is regularly invited to speak at colleges, seminars, and civic organizations. Hatch's "Black Kettle: The Cheyenne Chief Who Sought Peace But Found War" (John Wiley & Sons, 2004) was the winner of the prestigious 2005 Spur Award from the Western Writers of America as the best biography of the year.

Hatch, now a resident of Colorado for more than 30 years, lives with his wife, Lynn, and daughter, Cimarron, in rural Ellicott.

Works

*"Black Kettle: the Cheyenne Chief Who Sought Peace But Found War" (John Wiley & Sons, 2004)
**This biography is an unforgettable portrait of one of the most fascinating and heroic figures in the history of the American West. The true story traces the life of Black Kettle from the days of his youth, when he proved his courage and leadership skills in battle against enemy tribes, through his elevation to chief -- and the realization that, for the good of his people, he must become a statesman rather than a warrior. This Native American icon survived the tragic Sand Creek Massacre, only to lose his life four years later during the controversial battle at the Washita River.
**"Black Kettle" received the 2005 Spur Award from the Western Writers of America as the best biography of the year. Established in 1953, the Spur Award is one of the oldest and most prestigious awards in American literature, given annually to those works whose inspiration, image, and literary excellence best represents the reality and spirit of the American West. Winners of WWA Spur Awards in previous years include: Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove), Michael Blake (Dances With Wolves), Tony Hillerman (Skinwalker), Stephen Ambrose (Undaunted Courage), as well as notable Western writers and historians Louis L’Amour, Robert M. Utley, and Paul Andrew Hutton.

*"The Blue, the Gray, and the Red: Indian Campaigns of the Civil War" (Stackpole, 2003).
**This controversial work was the first book to fill a void in Civil War and Plains Indian history by presenting those bloody conflicts fought by Union and Confederate soldiers and local militias against Native American tribes in the desolate, untamed territories west of the Mississippi River, 1861-1865. While the country (and later historians) were focused on the war raging in the East, these noteworthy -- and often notorious -- engagements were relatively ignored, but each one directly led to decades of unrest and conflict on the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountain West, and the American Southwest. Publishers Weekly wrote that “The author has added to this clear and even-handed account a scholarly apparatus that adds considerably to its value;” American Studies Resources Center: “well-documented, straightforward, and accessibly written;” The Civil War called it “superbly presented, much-appreciated and strongly recommended;” and The English Westerners’ Society: “an invaluable resource.”

*"The Custer Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to the Life of George Armstrong Custer and the Plains Indian Wars" (Stackpole, 2002) This 200,000-word compendium of information, with 80 photographs and 22 maps, assists the casual reader or the serious researcher in better appreciating and placing in perspective the military campaigns; the vast number of colorful characters; the significant social, political, cultural, and historical events; recommended reading; and other relevant facts, while debunking legends and myths, associated with the conflicts between the United States Army and Native American tribes that occurred on the Great Plains from the late 1700s to the late 1800s. The Library Journal: “This book does exactly what its title claims...a reliable and impartial guide...highly recommended;” the Amarillo Globe-News called it “compelling reading;” and the Topeka Capital-Journal wrote: "(The author) can teach all readers a thing or two or, more likely a lot."

*"Clashes of Cavalry: The Civil War Careers of George Armstrong Custer and Jeb Stuart" (Stackpole, 2001).
**This is the story of two remarkable men, both natural-born cavalry leaders of great courage, whose Civil War legacies were destined to be connected. This book takes an innovative approach by following the Blue and the Gray cavalries through the eyes of Custer on the North and Stuart on the South, and examining the role of each in their various battles, many of which were waged against each other. A highlight of Clashes of Cavalry is the author’s meticulously researched, detailed account of the skirmish between these two legendary generals during the Battle of Gettysburg that heretofore had been overlooked by historians and is now thought to have changed the course of that battle and perhaps even the entire war. The History Book Club featured this book with full-page inserts in a variety of national publications. Booklist called it “well-written, engrossing, and accurate,” and Southern Partisan wrote: “it's good history and good reading.”

*"The Alamo and the Texas Revolution" (McFarland, December, 1999, November, 2007).
**This comprehensive volume provides thorough coverage of the people, places, events, and issues spanning the pre-revolution period and the settlement of Texas by Americans to the forming of the Republic in 1836. A dramatic day-by-day account details the famous 13-day siege of the Alamo, and the climactic battle is chronicled moment by moment. Biographies of every Alamo defender is included, as well as those individuals, whether famous or obscure, who had a major impact on events. American and Mexican sources have been used to assure a well-rounded picture of this often-misunderstood event. Maps and an extensive bibliography complement the text. This book sold out in hardbound, and was released in soft cover. It was called by Choice “the classic reference source on the subject,” and by ARBA 2000 as “a first-rate book...accurate, readable, and comprehensive.”

*"Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn" (McFarland, 1997, 2000).
**Every aspect of the controversial Battle of the Little Bighorn, including the theoretical analysis by the author of what has become the accepted version of the battle by most historians, is covered in this handy volume, as well as other major events of the Plains Indian Wars. Custer and the people around him and his Native American counterparts are profiled, as are related military campaigns, battles, historical events, equipment, terminology, Plains Indian customs and culture, artists and artwork, movies, and other subjects associated with the battle and that period in history. This book sold out in hardbound and was reprinted in soft cover. American History called it “definitive, compelling;” Outside Magazine suggested reading this book before visiting the battlefield site, and called its content “Comprehensive;” and Janes Defence Weekly wrote: “Fascinating...highly recommended.”

Books by Thom Hatch

* "Black Kettle : The Cheyenne Chief Who Sought Peace But Found War". ISBN 0-471-44592-4.
* "The Blue, the Gray, & the Red: Indian Campaigns of the Civil War". ISBN 0-8117-0016-X.
* "The Custer Companion". ISBN 0-8117-0477-7.
* "Clashes of Cavalry: The Civil War Careers of George Armstrong Custer and Jeb Stuart". ISBN 0-8117-0356-8.
* "Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn". ISBN 0-7864-0154-0.
* "Encyclopedia of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution". ISBN 0-7864-0593-7.

References

* Reed, Bill. [http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1309412&secid=17 "Local author lassos Spur Award for his biography of Black Kettle"] , Colorado Springs Gazette (July 31, 2005)
* [http://www.isledegrande.com/islanders2003.htm "Grand Islanders in the News 2003"] , Grand Island News