Showing results by author "Robert M. Poole" in All Categories

More than just a fascinating account of how Arlington came into being at the end of the Civil War, On Hallowed Ground also tells the story of America as reflected in her greatest national cemetery. The history of the land on which the cemetery is built is as varied as our nation's, evolving from its earliest days as Robert E. Lee's ancestral home to a Union headquarters, a haven for freedmen, and finally a burial ground.

While On Hallowed Ground chronicled the history of the cemetery, Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery is the powerful contemporary biography of a five-acre plot where many of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan have been laid to rest alongside service members from earlier wars.

Author and Smithsonian contributing editor Robert M. Poole explains how the history of Arlington National Cemetery encapsulates American History. He also shares some historical anecdotes that did not find their way into On Hallowed Ground, and introduces the exclusive bonus material included only in the audio edition.