John Michael “Mike” Priest has been 
studying the Civil War since he was in grade school when his parents took him and his brother to Gettysburg every weekend. A specialist in small unit tactics, referred to by Ed Bearss as the “Ernie Pyle of the Civil War soldier”, he has authored or edited about 12 books on the Civil War.
- Antietam: The Soldier’s Battle
- Before Antietam: The Battle of South Mountain
- A two volume set on the Battle of the Wilderness: Nowhere to Run and Victory Without Triumph
- Into the Fight: Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg (He can also be seen on the Discovery Channel with Unsolved History: Pickett’s Charge, which is based in part on this book).
- Soon to be released: “Stand to It and Give Them Hell,: The Second Day at Gettysburg from Cemetery Ridge to Little Round Top”
A retired school teacher, he loves hiking Antietam and South Mountain. His favorite sites on the Antietam Battlefield include Fox’s Gap at South Mountain and the walking trails for the Bloody Lane, West Woods and The Final Attack Trail at Burnside Bridge.
Contact The Antietam Museum Bookstore at 301-432-5180 or toll free 866-461-5180 to arrange tours of Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry or contact Mike at priesjoh@verizon.net.
