Samuel W. Mitcham Jr.

Dr. Samuel W. Mitcham Jr. is an American military historian and author whose expertise encompasses World War II and the American Civil War. Mitcham specializes in the German war effort during World War II and the Confederate war effort during the American Civil War. He earned a doctorate in geography from the University of Tennessee, and his academic and military background informs his perspective on military history and strategy.

Before his scholarly career, Mitcham served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, remained active in the reserves, graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and is qualified through the rank of major general. This military experience contributes to the depth of his historical writing. As a retired professor, he taught geography and military history at Henderson State University, Georgia Southern University, and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He also served as a visiting professor at the United States Military Academy and was recognized multiple times by student organizations at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Mitcham is the author of more than 40 books on military history, including orders of battle, operational studies, and prosopography, with a focus on the careers of Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS figures as well as Confederate leaders. Several of his books have been selections for History and Military History Book Clubs. Notable works on World War II include "Desert Fox: The Storied Military Career of Erwin Rommel," which examines Rommel's military career, battles in North Africa, and his relationship with Hitler and the Nazi Party. In "Defenders of Fortress Europe: The Untold Story of the German Officers during the Allied Invasion," Mitcham draws on previously unreleased personnel files to analyze the German command during the Allied invasion.

On the American Civil War, Mitcham has written titles such as "Bust Hell Wide Open: The Life of Nathan Bedford Forrest," "Vicksburg," "Voices from the Confederacy," and "It Wasn't About Slavery: Exposing the Great Lie of the Civil War." He serves as Heritage Operations Historian for the Sons of Confederate Veterans and is on the faculty of the Stephen Dill Lee Institute. His work on the "Encyclopedia of Confederate Generals" documents the lives and contributions of every Confederate general.

Mitcham's works have been translated into multiple languages, including German, Polish, Chinese, and Russian. In addition to his books, he has written numerous articles and appeared on the History Channel, CBS, National Public Radio, and British Broadcasting Network, contributing to the field of military history and public understanding of World War II and the American Civil War.