Stephen E. Ambrose facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen E. Ambrose
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Ambrose in August 2001
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| Born | Stephen Edward Ambrose January 10, 1936 Lovington, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | October 13, 2002 (aged 66) Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA, PhD) Louisiana State University (MA) |
| Spouse |
Judith Dorlester
(m. 1957; died 1965)Moira Buckley
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 5 including Hugh Ambrose |
Stephen Edward Ambrose (born January 10, 1936 – died October 13, 2002) was a famous American historian and author. He was best known for writing books about U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. Stephen Ambrose was also a history professor for many years at the University of New Orleans. He wrote many popular books about American history that became bestsellers.
Some of Ambrose's writings faced questions about how he used his sources and if all facts were perfectly accurate. However, many people, including high school teacher William Everdell, praised him for making history interesting and easy to understand for a wide audience.
Contents
Stephen Ambrose's Early Life
Stephen Ambrose was born on January 10, 1936, in Lovington, Illinois. His father was a doctor who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Stephen grew up in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and finished high school there.
He first wanted to study medicine in college at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. But after taking a U.S. history class called "Representative Americans," he changed his mind. His professor, William B. Hesseltine, inspired him to love history and writing. Ambrose played football for the University of Wisconsin for three years.
Education and Degrees
Ambrose earned his first degree (a Bachelor of Arts) in 1957 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He then got a master's degree in history from Louisiana State University in 1958. Later, he returned to the University of Wisconsin–Madison and earned his PhD in 1963.
Stephen Ambrose's Career
Stephen Ambrose was a history professor from 1960 until he retired in 1995. Most of his teaching career was at the University of New Orleans, starting in 1971. He became a highly honored professor there in 1989.
He also taught at other universities like Louisiana State University and Johns Hopkins University. He even taught in Europe, including at University College Dublin.
Founding the Eisenhower Center
In 1989, Ambrose started the Eisenhower Center at the University of New Orleans. This center's goal was to study American national security and how the U.S. used its military in the 20th century.
One of the center's first big projects was collecting stories from World War II veterans. They especially wanted to hear about their experiences on D-Day. By 1994, when Ambrose's book D-Day came out, the center had gathered over 1,200 personal stories. Ambrose himself gave a lot of money to help collect even more stories from these veterans.
His Famous Books
Ambrose started his writing career by focusing on the American Civil War. He wrote biographies about generals like Emory Upton and Henry Halleck.
He later worked on a project to organize and publish the papers of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This work led him to write a book about Eisenhower's role in World War II, called The Supreme Commander (1970). He then wrote a two-volume biography of Eisenhower, which is still considered a very important work on the subject.
Ambrose also wrote a three-volume biography of Richard Nixon. Even though Ambrose didn't always agree with Nixon, his biography was seen as fair and balanced.
World War II Stories
A special moment for Ambrose was meeting veterans from Easy Company in 1988. Their stories inspired him to write Band of Brothers (1992). This book tells the amazing journey of a group of soldiers from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest.
His book D-Day (1994) became his first bestseller. It used many personal stories to show the battle from the viewpoint of individual soldiers. A reviewer said that reading it helps you understand why, despite all the death, life felt so real for the soldiers in that moment.
Citizen Soldiers (1997) was another bestseller, describing battles in Europe from D-Day until the end of the war. It also used many oral histories. His book Undaunted Courage (1996) about the Lewis and Clark Expedition was incredibly popular, staying on the bestseller list for over two years!
His last book, This Vast Land (2003), was a historical novel about the Lewis & Clark expedition written for young readers. It was published after he passed away.
TV, Film, and Other Work
Stephen Ambrose was involved in many TV shows and movies. He was a historical consultant for the famous movie Saving Private Ryan. The actor Tom Hanks said he studied Ambrose's books, D-Day and Band of Brothers, to prepare for his role.
Ambrose was also an executive producer for the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001). This show helped keep interest in World War II alive. He also appeared in many documentaries, including The World at War and Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery by Ken Burns.
He was even named an "Explorer-in-Residence" by the National Geographic Society. Besides his academic and writing work, Ambrose led historical tours to World War II sites in Europe.
National World War II Museum
Ambrose's work with D-Day veterans inspired him to help create the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. He donated a large sum of money to start the fundraising. He dreamed of a museum that would honor the "citizen soldiers" and those who worked on the home front during the war.
In 2003, the museum was officially named "America's National World War II Museum" by Congress. It expanded its focus to cover the entire war. A special fund in Ambrose's name continues to support the museum's educational programs and efforts to collect oral histories.
Awards and Honors
Stephen Ambrose received many awards for his work. In 1998, he was given the National Humanities Medal. He also received the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize for his lifetime achievements in military history.
He won an Emmy Award as one of the producers for the Band of Brothers mini-series. Other honors include the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Theodore Roosevelt Medal for Distinguished Service.
After his death, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu praised him in the Senate for his excellent ability to capture the "greatness of the American spirit in words."
Stephen Ambrose's Personal Life
Stephen Ambrose married Judith Dorlester in 1957, and they had two children. Judith passed away in 1965. In 1967, Ambrose married Moira Buckley, and he adopted her three children. Moira was a big help with his writing and academic projects.
After retiring, he lived in Helena, Montana, and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Stephen Ambrose passed away on October 13, 2002, at the age of 66.
Stephen Ambrose's Legacy
Ambrose donated a large amount of money to the University of Wisconsin to create a special teaching position in honor of his mentor, William B. Hesseltine. This position focuses on teaching American military history. After Ambrose's death, it was renamed the Ambrose-Hesseltine Chair.
The University of New Orleans also created the Ambrose Professor of History title after he passed away. This position is for a military historian.
Each year, the Rutgers University Living History Society gives out the Stephen E. Ambrose Oral History Award. This award honors authors or artists who have made great use of oral history in their work. Past winners include Tom Brokaw and Steven Spielberg.
Criticism and Discussions
Stephen Ambrose's work, especially his later books, faced some discussions and criticism.
Using Sources
In 2002, there were reports that some parts of his book The Wild Blue were very similar to another author's work without proper credit. Ambrose stated that only a few sentences in his many books were from other authors without being clearly marked.
However, some investigations found similar situations in several of his books, going back to his early work. These discussions focused on how he used and credited his sources.
Fact-Checking Concerns
His book Nothing Like It in the World, about the building of the Pacific Railroad, also received criticism. A newspaper article in 2001 listed many "significant errors, misstatements, and made-up quotes" in the book.
Other reviewers also pointed out "annoying slips" like incorrect maps, wrong dates, and geographical errors in the book. These discussions highlighted concerns about the accuracy and research in some of his popular history books.
See also
In Spanish: Stephen Ambrose para niños
