The Brilliance of Charles Whittlesey: Geologist, Surveyor, Military Engineer, Civil War Strategist

An essential biography of one of Ohio's most influential—but overlooked—historical figuresThe Brilliance of Charles Whittlesey offers the first full-length biography of one of the most outstanding and influential Americans of the 19th century, Charles Whittlesey (1808–1886). Whittlesey advanced numerous fields, including geology, exploration, history, archaeology, and military strategy. However, until now, much of Whittlesey's work has been treated as a mere footnote of American history and largely neglected by historians. Stanley M. Totten's recovery of Whittlesey's life and work relies on Whittlesey's own insights and private papers, which provide a unique window into his many talents and interests as well as the hardships he endured. This exhaustive volume uncovers—perhaps most significantly—Whittlesey's important geological discoveries. Notably, Totten describes how Whittlesey accurately determined the amount by which oceans lowered during the height of the Ice Age. His geological maps of Native American earthworks were informational and enhanced our understanding of these ancient structures, although, as Totten persuasively argues, other geologists have undeservedly been given credit for Whittlesey's work. Totten also highlights Whittlesey's contributions during the Civil War and his work as a preservationist of historic materials on both the national and local levels. Drawing extensively from papers housed in the Western Reserve Historical Society, The Brilliance of Charles Whittlesey is an overdue, exhaustive biography that will undoubtedly serve as an important foundational text for future scholarship into each of these areas.

About the Author :
Stanley M. Totten graduated from the College of Wooster and attended the University of Illinois, where he received his PhD in geology. He taught geology at Hanover College for 40 years and is currently the curator of the Hanover College Museum of Natural History.

Review :
"Colonel Charles Whittlesey (1808-1886) was one of those few remarkable 'men for all seasons' of the 19th century whose contributions spanned the realms of natural science, military engineering, archaeology, and history, but for whom proper recognition is lacking. Stanley M. Totten's new book resolves this deficiency. ….the book is a valuable and detailed documentation of Charles Whittlesey's life's work, the significance of his many contributions, and particularly the development of scientific thinking in the mid-1800s."—Ohio Journal of Science Stanley Totten's readable and fact-packed book from original sources is an excellent tribute to a man who previously has barely surfaced in the history of the Midwest, despite his enormous contributions to our area and nation. Finally…Whittlesey has received the biographical treatment he deserves. —Smile Politely.com "Finally, we have a biography of Col. Charles Whittlesey, an adventurous pioneering geologist, a soldier, an engineer (both military and civil), an archaeologist, and a historian. You will find it a fascinating journey into the life of a major figure who is finally getting the attention he deserves."—Joe Hannibal, Cleveland Museum of Natural History "Charles Whittlesey was a transformational figure in 19th-century Ohio whose story has never been fully told—that is, until now. Stanley Totten's book, The Brilliance of Charles Whittlesey, is the first in-depth study of Whittlesey's life and career and is, in itself, a landmark publication. Absent Whittlesey, regional history would have evolved differently— and absent Stanley Totten's work, we would not be able to grasp the impact Whittlesey had during a long, productive, and event-filled lifetime."—John J. Grabowski, coauthor of Cleveland's Cultural Gardens: A Landscape of Diversity