In this richly detailed, compelling historical biography, Robert Vanderzee brings to life the adventures, courage, and determination of his great-grandfather, Edmund Richard Pitman Shurly (1829-1909), who was a part of an extraordinary generation during an extraordinary time.

Joining the Union army after Lincoln's first call, Shurly served with the twenty-sixth New York Volunteers Infantry Regiment, which fought Stonewall Jackson's cannons in numerous battles, including the second battle of Bull Run, Front Royal, Antietam, and Fredericksburg.

After serving his country in the Civil War, Shurly experienced a gigantic Confederate Secret Service conspiracy to free prisoners in Chicago and embarrass Lincoln before his reelection, and he experienced terrifying and bloody gunfights with Sioux Indians along the Bozeman Trail in Wyoming and Montana. On several occasions Shurly was injured, but he summoned the strength to recover and continue service as the country expanded westward.

In an odd twist of fate, Shurly was also a victim of the Great Chicago Fire, which engulfed the city and his home and business shortly after he returned from his adventures out west.

Meticulously researched and documented, this engaging volume pays tribute to an unsung hero of Civil War and Indian War history.

In "Burt Russell Shurly; A Man of Conviction, A Life in Medicine and Education, 1871-1950," Robert Vanderzee continues the story of the Shurly family, focusing on a physician and educator who, with the help of his mentor, chose medicine over the military life his father had planned for him.

Vanderzee, the oldest grandson of Burt Shurly, relies on his extensive research into family archives, records, and scrapbooks to share memories of a man who married into the wealthy Palms family of Detroit, excelled in his career, and personally saved his alma mater from bankruptcy. Vanderzee chronicles Shurly's life and career, which included serving as a medical officer during the Spanish- American War, commanding a medical unit in France during World War I, and later leading the fight against diphtheria, typhoid, and tuberculosis while establishing the controversial Shurly Hospital.

Interweaving local history, family letters, newspaper articles, and personal anecdotes, Vanderzee provides an intriguing glimpse into the life of a remarkable man who was gifted with intellect, enormous personal energy, and a keen sense of humor-and used those attributes to earn success for himself, his family, and his community during an fascinating period in Detroit history.

In "Burt Russell Shurly; A Man of Conviction, A Life in Medicine and Education, 1871-1950," Robert Vanderzee continues the story of the Shurly family, focusing on a physician and educator who, with the help of his mentor, chose medicine over the military life his father had planned for him.

Vanderzee, the oldest grandson of Burt Shurly, relies on his extensive research into family archives, records, and scrapbooks to share memories of a man who married into the wealthy Palms family of Detroit, excelled in his career, and personally saved his alma mater from bankruptcy. Vanderzee chronicles Shurly's life and career, which included serving as a medical officer during the Spanish- American War, commanding a medical unit in France during World War I, and later leading the fight against diphtheria, typhoid, and tuberculosis while establishing the controversial Shurly Hospital.

Interweaving local history, family letters, newspaper articles, and personal anecdotes, Vanderzee provides an intriguing glimpse into the life of a remarkable man who was gifted with intellect, enormous personal energy, and a keen sense of humor-and used those attributes to earn success for himself, his family, and his community during an fascinating period in Detroit history.

Approaching the universe and the fate of the human race in an extraordinarily unique way, The Visitor's Report stands apart as a terrific addition to any reader's collection. Written for anyone with even a slight interest in world events, science, or UFOs, this provocative book uses the concepts of string theory, intelligent design, and extraterrestrials to examine humanity's future and to answer the question, "why do bad things happen to good people?" With its intriguing concepts and contemplative nature, this mesmerizing book will keep readers thinking long after the cover has closed. The Visitor's Report will make readers everywhere think seriously about reality, especially civilization with its faults and flaws, and will leave them wondering where it is headed. Urging readers to think about evil in our world and why it's with us, Vanderzee asks whether anything can really be done about it. Starting with the tentative beginnings of the human race, its flowering into civilized society, its termination, and finally creation of its replacement, and why the process happens, this thought-provoking book will leave a lasting impact in readers' lives as they ponder the future of human existence. Inspired by an inherent curiosity about the world we live in, author Robert Vanderzee approached his subject with a mechanical project engineer's eye. Viewing our magnificent universe as a project, Vanderzee began to search for the answers to life's many unanswered questions unencumbered by religion or conventional thinking, and armed with nothing more than simple curiosity and pure logic. The result is The Visitor's Report, one that provides an intriguing look at the oldest of subjects, and takes an innovative new approach to the intimate details of life, humanity, and religion.

In this richly detailed, compelling historical biography, Robert Vanderzee brings to life the adventures, courage, and determination of his great-grandfather, Edmund Richard Pitman Shurly (1829-1909), who was a part of an extraordinary generation during an extraordinary time.

Joining the Union army after Lincoln's first call, Shurly served with the twenty-sixth New York Volunteers Infantry Regiment, which fought Stonewall Jackson's cannons in numerous battles, including the second battle of Bull Run, Front Royal, Antietam, and Fredericksburg.

After serving his country in the Civil War, Shurly experienced a gigantic Confederate Secret Service conspiracy to free prisoners in Chicago and embarrass Lincoln before his reelection, and he experienced terrifying and bloody gunfights with Sioux Indians along the Bozeman Trail in Wyoming and Montana. On several occasions Shurly was injured, but he summoned the strength to recover and continue service as the country expanded westward.

In an odd twist of fate, Shurly was also a victim of the Great Chicago Fire, which engulfed the city and his home and business shortly after he returned from his adventures out west.

Meticulously researched and documented, this engaging volume pays tribute to an unsung hero of Civil War and Indian War history.