Edward H. Bonekemper

Edward Henry Bonekemper III (1942-2017) was a military historian, teacher, and writer. He wrote frequently about slavery, the American Civil War, and Union and Confederate generals. He was a frequent speaker at Civil War Roundtables as well as at the Smithsonian Institution.

Early life

Born in Hatfield, Pennsylvania in 1942, Edward H. Bonekemper III was a son of Edward H. Bonekemper II and Marie Bonekemper (née Adams). He married Susan Bonekemper (née Weidemoyer) in 1964.

Education In 1964, Bonekemper graduated cum laude from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in American history. While attending Muhlenberg, he was given two awards based on his educational performance (Best Thesis and Best American History CPA). He later earned his master's degree in American history at Old Dominion University, and completed his Juris Doctor at Yale Law School.

From 1998 onward, Bonekemper published non-fiction books about the Civil War.

Between 2010 and 2016, he was the book review editor of Civil War News.

Death At the time of his death in 2017, Bonekemper resided in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He had been married to Susan Weidemoyer Bonekemper for 53 years.

Awards Throughout his career, Bonekemper earned numerous awards. These include: U.S. Government Distinguished Career Service Award (2003) Secretary of Transportation's Silver Medal (1989) Coast Guard Commendation and Achievement Medals (1974, 1979) Federal Bar Association's Younger Federal Lawyer Award (1973) Federal Bar Association's Transportation Attorney of the Year Award (1993) Muhlenberg College Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award (2009)

Publications Books How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War (1998) . McClellan and Failure: A Study of Civil War Fear, Incompetence and Worse (2007) . Ulysses S. Grant: A Victor, Not a Butcher: The Military Genius of the Man Who Won the Civil War (2010) . Grant and Lee: Victorious American and Vanquished Virginian (2012) . Lincoln and Grant: The Westerners Who Won the Civil War (2012) . The Myth of the Lost Cause: Why the South Fought the Civil War and Why the North Won (2015) . The 10 Biggest Civil War Blunders (2017) .