1. Does Tom ever give talks or lead battlefield tours?

Absolutely. His academic speaking includes delivering a paper at conference held at Princeton University, and he recently participated in a panel discussion at the week-long conference sponsored by the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College. He's appeared on a number of radio and TV shows, and he often does book signings. He has taught the Civil War at University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. In a less academic vein, Tom has spoken to high school students about the Vietnam War and his experience as a soldier. He has taken groups to Gettysburg and frequently visits other battlefields, particularly those in the general DC area.

If you are interested in having Tom speak to your group or lead a battlefield tour, please contact Tom through this website or by email at tomcarhart@aol.com.


2. What is Tom working on now?

Tom is finishing a book about the history of the Judge Advocate General Corps for the U.S. Army and is doing research in various areas that he's exploring for his next commercial book.


3. What were some of the primary source materials Tom used in writing Lost Triumph?

Tom used many and varied sources -- both primary and secondary -- in writing Lost Triumph. Some of the primary sources he used include the official Civil War records and after action reports, the Bachelder papers, letters and memoirs, and the Hotchkiss maps. The material was found in various archives around the country including those at West Point and Gettysburg among others. He examined textbooks and other personal military books that were used by Lee, including Antoine Henri Jomeni's Precis de l'Art de la Guerre (Art of War) published in 1838. This book, in the original French, was central to Lee's understanding of military tactics and strategy. Tom read and used the original French version that would have been used by Lee.


4. How good is Tom's French?

Tom is entirely fluent in French. In fact, he has written articles for a French historical journal and has appeared in a debate on French television. He first learned French when his father, a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force, was stationed in Fontainebleau, France for three years during the 1950's. Tom and his siblings attended the local French school rather than the American school, so they were forced to learn French very quickly. As an adult, Tom lived in Brussels, Belgium, where he worked at the Archibald law firm – and had the opportunity to make many visits to Waterloo. He enjoys reading diaries and memoirs from the Napoleonic period in French as well as French military texts, like Jomeni's book mentioned above.


5. What is Tom's military experience, and what are his academic credentials?

For a full answer to this, please click the "bio" link above. Briefly, after graduating from West Point, Tom joined the 101st Airborne Division serving as an infantry platoon leader and as an advisor to South Vietnamese forces in Vietnam. He also participated in the CIA-run Phoenix Program during his time in Vietnam. Later, Tom worked as a civilian in various departments in the Army including Policy Analysis and Evaluation, Strategic Defense Command, and – of course – the Office of Military History.

Tom's academic background ranges from his undergraduate training and studies at The United States Military Academy at West Point, to a law degree from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. in American and military history from Princeton University. He also studied economics at the Rand Graduate School while working at the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, CA. Please see Tom's bio and resume for more detailed information including a list of books and papers he's written.

If there are other questions you'd like to ask, please contact Tom using the form available through this website or through the following email address: tomcarhart@aol.com.