You hear his commentaries every Tuesday morning. Now read his new book of historical commentaries in a rich collection of regional history. "History Matters" by Gary D. Joiner is a special thank-you gift. A signed, first edition copy is yours for a $150 pledge. An unsigned copy is at the $50 pledge level. Donate Now!
"Gary Joiner's Red River Radio commentaries translate into print exceedingly well. Better still, one can go back over material on the printed page if one wishes. Either way, Gary easily convinces us that History Matters."
-- Archie P. McDonald, Ph.D., Stephen F. Austin State University
"A marvelously eclectic compilation of radio segments from a fascinating historical mind. "History Matters" is among my favorite guilty pleasures. Not a week goes by that I do not hear on Red River Radio, Gary Joiner's expert commentary or I go and find the latest installment online to whet my appetite for great insight into the past. Now in a printed format, this book will help me re-live those moments, share them with others, and inspire all with a love for history. This is learning at its best and today more than ever History Matters!"
-- Henry O. Robertson, Ph.D., Louisiana College
Gary Joiner visited his first battlefield at age 4, setting the stage for his love of history. It was reinforced when, in the seventh grade on a school field trip to Vicksburg National Battlefield he heard the park's historian, the great Ed Bearss, relate the story of the battle. "I wasn't sure what a historian did, but I knew I wanted to do what he did," he has said. These experiences were reinforced by a love of learning nurtured by his parents and grandparents in a small Southern town in North Louisiana where story-telling was part of daily life. They molded his mind and created a foundation for his career as a history professor. His early academic interests of Roman and ancient history evolved into World War II and aviation history and, eventually back to Civil War history, his first love. Telling stories about history, which he terms "the great soap opera of life," is part of who he is.
Educated at Louisiana Tech University and St. Martin's College Lancaster University, in the United Kingdom, he today holds the Mary Anne and Leonard Selber Professorship of History at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He is also the director of the Red River Regional studies Center at the university.
Joiner has authored or edited numerous books, articles and technical reports, and has been a consultant on history to ABC, the Associated Press, A&E Network, CSPAN, the Discovery Channel, HGTV, History Channel, MSNBC, and MTV, among others. An ardent fan of public radio, he serves on the advisory board for the Red RiverRadio Network where "History Matters" is broadcast on Tuesday mornings at 7:35. He is a popular speaker for local, regional and national organizations where he shares his passion for history and his research into the U.S. Civil War.
He lives in Shreveport with his wife, Marilyn.
