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Stories of the sea, the blues and misogyny among history author topics

August 27, 2022

Stories of the deep blue sea, one of the greatest blues artists ever known, and thousands of years of prejudice against powerful and persevering women are among the topics authors will discuss Saturday, Sept. 24, during the Sixth Annual History Book Festival in Lewes.

In “Off With Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power,” author Eleanor Herman applies her signature wit and humor to explore a serious subject: the attitudes and behaviors applied from the ancient world to the present day against powerful women.

The book traces how those practices, which Herman calls the Misogynist’s Handbook, have been wielded against ambitious women – from Cleopatra and Anne Boleyn to Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. The book concludes by looking forward, examining ways to rip up the Misogynist’s Handbook once and for all.

Herman, who discussed her book “The Royal Art of Poison” during the festival in 2018, is The New York Times bestselling author of “Sex with Kings” and “Sex with the Queen,” among others. A sought-after speaker and commentator for radio and television, she has hosted “Lost Worlds” for The History Channel, “The Madness of Henry VIII” for the National Geographic Channel, and two seasons of “America: Fact vs. Fiction” for The American Heroes Channel. She earned a degree in journalism from Towson University.

Music fans will enjoy “King of The Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King,” author Daniel de Visé’s exhaustive exploration of the life and career of a musician whom Eric Clapton called the most important artist the blues has ever produced.

Based in part on interviews with family, band members, and others who knew and worked with Riley “Blues Boy” King, de Visé traces King’s evolution from a sharecropper’s son in Mississippi to a trailblazing artist who performed more than 15,000 concerts in 90 countries over nearly 60 years. The author also reveals the many ways record companies took advantage of artists, especially those of color.

De Visé is a writer and journalist who has worked at The Washington Post, the Miami Herald, and others. He shared a 2001 team Pulitzer Prize in journalism, and has been honored for investigative reporting that led to the release of two wrongly convicted men from life terms in prison. His other books include “I Forgot To Remember” (with Su Meck), “Andy & Don” and “The Comeback.” He is graduate of Wesleyan and Northwestern universities.

“Captain Hale’s Covenant: The Saga of an American Merchant Prince” is a fictional story of high drama on the lawless high seas and, at times, the equally lawless terra firma. Author Thomas E. Crocker relates how family patriarch Capt. Adam Hale and his sons became blockade runners during the Revolutionary War, building a fortune from trade with France, England, Portugal and Jamaica. But Hale also experiences personal and moral turmoil as he strives to achieve a meaningful commitment to civic duty and to his new country, all the while wrestling with questions about slavery and faith.

Crocker is a graduate of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and Columbia University Law School. He was a partner in a large national law firm where he co-headed the international trade and regulatory practice. Crocker’s books include “Empire’s Eagles: The Fate of the Napoleonic Elite in America” and “Braddock’s March: How the Man Sent to Seize a Continent Changed American History,” which received the 2011 Distinguished Book Award from both the New York and District of Columbia Societies of Colonial Wars.

Fishing’s role in the history of Lewes is documented in “Where Menhaden Was King: The Lewes Fishing Industry, 1883-1966.” Author Thomas Elton Brown documents how the support of town officials and the sweat of Black seamen and factory workers made Lewes the nation’s No. 1 fishing port in the 1950s, with landings of more than 200 million pounds of fish annually. As the fish businesses hired locals to provision the ships and mess halls, and to furnish skilled labor for the repair and maintenance of the physical factory complex, the industry’s impact rippled through the Lewes economy.

Brown had a 30-year career at the National Archives, the last 13 as manager of Archival Services for the Center for Electronic Records. He has authored 20 academic articles and presented over 50 papers at professional conferences. He served on the Delaware Heritage Commission and volunteered as a docent, processing archivist, researcher and trustee for the Lewes Historical Society. Brown received his master’s and doctorate degrees in history from Oklahoma State.

The 2022 History Book Festival begins Friday, Sept. 23, with a keynote presentation by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Buzz Bissinger and concludes Sunday, Sept. 25, with a closing address by Ada Ferrer, winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in History. Tickets for the keynote and closing presentations must be purchased in advance at bit.ly/hbf22-tickets

All events except for the keynote and closing speakers are free; seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The History Book Festival is the only event of its kind in the United States devoted solely to historical nonfiction and fiction. 

Books may be purchased after each presentation, when authors will be available to sign them. Biblion in Lewes and Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach will have books available for purchase ahead of the festival. History Book Festival titles also may be borrowed through the Delaware Public Libraries system as they are published.

Presenting sponsors of the festival are Delaware Humanities and The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices  PenFed Realty. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Distilling Company is the funding partner for the keynote address; Joe and Debbie Schell are funding partners for the closing presentation.

To learn more, go to historybookfestival.org.