Derek W. Beck

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About Derek W. Beck
Derek W. Beck has always had a passion for military history, which inspired him to begin his career in the U.S. Air Force. He has served on Active Duty as a science officer and a space operations officer. In 2005, he earned a Master of Science degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he also fell in love with Boston’s revolutionary past. To more fully pursue writing, he later transitioned to the Air Force Reserves, though he still remains quite active, presently holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and is the recipient of numerous medals and awards for his achievements, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. When not working on future history books, Derek is a frequent contributor to the online Journal of the American Revolution. You can follow or connect with him through his website at www.derekbeck.com.
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Blog postIf you didn’t have a chance to see me on book tour in June, or I didn’t come to your neck of the woods, now you can watch me on C‑SPAN3 on cable television!
First airing is tonight, with three additional airings scheduled so far:
Aug 06, 2016 | 10:50pm EDT | C‑SPAN 3 Aug 07, 2016 | 4:50pm EDT | C‑SPAN 3 Aug 08, 2016 | 2:50am EDT | C‑SPAN 3 Aug 13, 2016 | 8:35am EDT | C‑SPAN 3 For future airings, check C‑SPAN’s website here.
If you cannot watch it live or DVR it, i6 years ago Read more -
Blog postHISTORIC POST: See Media Page Here’s the Book Tour for June-July 2016:
6/12 @ 1030a CDT: Printer’s Row Lit Fest, Chicago, IL 6/14 @ 7p EDT: Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA 6/15 @ 7p EDT: Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord, MA 6/20 @ 630p EDT: Old South Meeting House, Boston, MA 6/21 @ 6p EDT: Boston Athenaeum, Boston, MA 6/22 @ 6p EDT: Charlestown Historical Society, Boston, MA 6/23 @ 630p EDT: Fraunces Tavern Museum, New York, NY 6/24 @ noon EDT: U.S. Military Academy6 years ago Read more -
Blog postGUESS WHAT? There is a second book! The War Before Independence: 1775–1776. (Make it successful and there may be others too!) And, you can now pre-order the hard cover edition of the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble! It continues the story where the first book (Igniting the American Revolution: 1773–1775) left off, but it is also a standalone book so you need not read the first to enjoy the second.
‘The War Before Independence: 1775–1776’
Continuing where my6 years ago Read more -
Blog postI am humbled that my first book has received such high praise. The latest comes from Don N. Hagist, author of British Soldiers, American War and an editor of Journal of the American Revolution, and is published in full there. One highlight:
“It is in the clear, engaging telling of a complex story that Igniting the American Revolution by Derek W. Beck stands out… It is precise while being straightforward to read, shows the passion of the participants without taking7 years ago Read more -
Blog postGUESS WHAT? My book cover is done! And, you can now pre-order the hard cover edition of the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble!
‘Igniting the American Revolution: 1773–1775’ book cover
If you are looking for ebook versions, that will be available for pre-order soon. As for an audio book edition, that is still being determined. But feel free to contact the publisher to let them know you’d like to see/hear this book in audio if you want it.
In the meantime, please shar7 years ago Read more -
Blog postI am honored to be one of 36 authors to have an article included in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Revolution’s (JAR) annual published print volume. This is a collection of the best journal articles from 2014, bound for the first time and printed in a special collector’s edition, and is due out in May 2015. While you can buy it at any major book store, consider PRE-ORDERING it today from Amazon.
My article is on the first naval skirmish of the American Revolution.
 7 years ago Read more -
Blog postGreetings all, I’m going to be posting here a little more regularly now. Why? Because “1775” is getting published!
The Chicago-based Sourcebooks will be publishing my humble book, with a tentative availability date of Fall 2015. Sourcebooks has quite a few American Revolutionary War books under their belt, and the book is in good hands.
The new title for the book, likely the final, official title: “Igniting the American Revolution: 1773–1775”.
More to come soon, i7 years ago Read more -
Blog postHi all, sorry it’s been a while. Many things going on in my life have kept me away from this, I’m afraid. But expect more updates regularly beginning very soon, including a website revamp.
In the meantime, in case you missed ’em, here are my latest journal entries at Journal of the American Revolution, in celebration of the anniversary of the start of the Revolution back on April 19:
Timeline of Paul Revere’s Ride
Dissecting the Timeline of Paul Revere’s Ride — As a scient8 years ago Read more -
Blog postExample British Sloop of War
This week, I had my first article posted over at Journal of the American Revolution, discussing what is perhaps the very first naval skirmish of the American Revolution. It begins:
In mid May 1775, just weeks after the bloody Battle of April Nineteenth had sparked the start of the American Revolution, the perhaps first naval skirmish of the Revolution was waged… the first naval skirmishes where undertaken by independent American revolutionary parti9 years ago Read more -
Blog postI’ve been working on my 1775 manuscript for several years now, the last two focused on getting my completed manuscript published. So, as noted in my previously post, when I first learned of the similarly titled 1775: A Good Year for a Revolution by Kevin Phillips, released in late 2012, my heart skipped a beat. My literary agents then instructed me to review the book so I could make the case that my own 1775 was still worthy of publication. This exercise was not to convince my agents. It was9 years ago Read more
Titles By Derek W. Beck
"For those who like their history rich in vivid details, Derek Beck has served up a delicious brew in this book....This may soon become everyone's favorite." —Thomas Fleming, author of Liberty! The American Revolution
A sweeping, provocative new look at the pivotal years leading up to the American Revolution
The Revolutionary War did not begin with the Declaration of Independence, but several years earlier in 1773. In this gripping history, Derek W. Beck reveals the full story of the war before American independence—from both sides.
Spanning the years 1773-1775 and drawing on new material from meticulous research and previously unpublished documents, letters, and diaries, Igniting the American Revolution sweeps readers from the rumblings that led to the Boston Tea Party to the halls of Parliament—where Ben Franklin was almost run out of England for pleading on behalf of the colonies—to that fateful Expedition to Concord which resulted in the shot heard round the world. With exquisite detail and keen insight, Beck brings revolutionary America to life in all its enthusiastic and fiery patriotic fervor, painting a nuanced portrait of the perspectives, ambitions, people, and events on both the British and the American sides that eventually would lead to the convention in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
Captivating, provocative and inspiring, Igniting the American Revolution is the definitive history of these landmark years in our nation's history, whose events irrevocably altered the future not only of the United States and England, but the whole world.
" Integrating compelling personalities with grand strategies, political maneuverings on both sides of the Atlantic, and vividly related incidents, Igniting the American Revolution pulls the reader into a world rending the British Empire asunder." – Samuel A. Forman, author of the biography Dr. Joseph Warren
The United States was creeping ever closer to independence. The shot heard round the world still echoed in the ears of Parliament as impassioned revolutionaries took up arms for and against King and country. In this captivating blend of careful research and rich narrative, Derek W. Beck continues his exploration into the period preceding the Declaration of Independence, just days into the new Revolutionary War.
The War Before Independence transports readers into the violent years of 1775 and 1776, with the infamous Battle of Bunker Hill a turning point in the Revolution and the snowy, wind-swept march to the frozen ground at the Battle of Quebec, ending with the exciting conclusion of the Boston Campaign. Meticulous research and new material drawn from letters, diaries, and investigative research throws open the doors not only to familiar figures and faces, but also little-known triumphs and tribulations of America's greatest military leaders, including George Washington.
Wonderfully detailed and stunningly layered, The War Before Independence brings America's early upheaval to a ferocious boil on both sides of the battlefield, and vividly captures the spirit of a fight that continues to inspire brave hearts today.