History Comes to Life at the Boston Book Festival

History buffs, rejoice! Whether your interest is in Boston's origins or in events more recent or farther afield, October 15's Boston Book Festival is jam-packed with sessions you'll love.

One of our marquee events this year is our panel on the Civil War (2:15pm, BBEC Hancock). We're observing the sesquicentennial of the War Between the States this year, and what better way to do that than by bringing together four of the biggest names in Civil War research and scholarship, on a panel moderated by Pulitzer Prize winner Annette Gordon-Reed? Adam Goodheart dissects the moment just before war broke out in 1861: The Civil War Awakening, and Tony Horwitz examines the raid that sparked a conflagration in Midnight Rising. Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust and author of This Republic of Suffering will talk about the Civil War and the culture of death, and Charles Bracelen Flood, author of Grant's Final Victory, will look at the legacy of the great general.

Our True Story panel (2:30pm, BBEC Quincy) will take a tour through the centuries, from Emma Rothschild's exploration of the eighteenth century through the fortunes of one family in The Inner Life of Empires to Michael Willrich's consideration of the civil rights implications of early twentieth century smallpox vaccination in Pox and Mitchell Zuckoff's nearly unbelievable account of a World War II rescue mission in Lost in Shangri-La. Hosted by WBUR's Robin Young, this conversation showcases the versatility of nonfiction—and the rich variety of history.

Finally, if you'd like to prove your knowledge of history—especially as it relates to our hometown—stop by Trinity Church at 11am! New York Times best-selling author, Kenneth C. Davis will test festival attendees about Boston history. Davis will select quiz contestants from the audience for this interactive event to vie for prizes, Jeopardy®-style! Winners will receive free copies of Davis’s audios and books, as well as a $25 gift certificate to Brookline Booksmith!

Want a warm-up? Here goes! The first five people to answer the question below correctly (by e-mailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) will receive a copy of Kenneth C. Davis Don’t Know Much About® History on audio!

Question: What famous Boston brewer was a leader of the Patriot cause?

(UPDATE: Congratulations to Lauren, Yvonne, Karen, Sarah, and Catrina--they got the right answer [Sam Adams!] to our trivia question!)