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Castle and the Cross: A New Historical Fiction Series in Progress
A first look at the world, themes, and research behind my medieval France project. There are certain periods in history that feel both distant and uncomfortably familiar. Medieval France is one of them. It is a world of stone walls and muddy roads, saints and soldiers, oaths and betrayals, where power is personal and survival is political. It is also a world where ordinary lives are shaped—often abruptly—by forces they cannot control. Castle and the Cross is my upcoming histo
Jan 73 min read
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Video Interviews and Podcasts
These podcast episodes feature historian and author Ellen Hampton in conversation about her groundbreaking work on resistance, courage, and overlooked voices of World War II. In one episode, Hampton discusses Doctors at War, revealing how French physicians secretly fought the Nazi occupation through medical networks, intelligence gathering, and resistance efforts both inside and outside concentration camps. In another, she explores Women of Valor, sharing the remarkable story
Feb 101 min read
Articles
A curated collection of historical articles by Ellen Hampton, exploring French and American experiences in war and memory—from World War I medical breakthroughs to World War II heroes, resistance, remembrance, and the enduring ties between France and the United States. Each piece highlights personal stories and overlooked moments that shaped history. This French General Never Lost a Battle—So Naturally He Liberated Paris France Pays Tribute to WWII Resistance Fighter Henri Ho
Feb 101 min read
Exhibition: Bearing the Torch
Bearing the Torch: the American Hospital of Paris in the First World War, a traveling exhibition of panels, examines the hospital’s remarkable role running a 600-bed military hospital in a school building in Neuilly. Before the U.S. entry into the war in 1917, thousands of Americans came to France to serve a cause they called humanity. Some were doctors and nurses, many others were college students who volunteered as ambulance drivers and social workers. They brought clothes
Feb 101 min read
Documentary: The American in Paris
Directed by Antony Easton and produced by Passion Pictures, The American in Paris takes a comprehensive look at the role of The American Hospital of Paris during WWI. The 57-minute documentary brings to life the volunteers who dedicated their time—and for some, their lives—to helping France in the desperate years of trench warfare. Using archive footage and photographs, as well as interviews with historians and hospital officials, the film has toured France and the United Sta
Feb 101 min read
Revolutionary Audio Tours of Paris
With VoiceMap.me , we have created three walking tours of Paris based on revolutionary themes. The first, Benjamin Franklin’s Paris: a guide to the revolutionary’s life in the city, is here in English and ici en français. On this free 45-minute walking tour, you’ll be guided through late-1700s Paris as if by Franklin himself, and hear about the City of Light that he came to know and love. You’ll also see the many monuments dotted around the 16th arrondissement that commemorat
Feb 101 min read
The American Revolution in Paris
As a Rochambeau Chapter DAR project, we have identified 47 sites linked to the American Revolution in Paris, from the residence of John Paul Jones to the statue of Benjamin Franklin, and put them on an interactive map for easy consultation. Follow the link and click on the pin for a photo and brief identification of each site.
Feb 101 min read
Castle and the Cross: A New Historical Fiction Series in Progress
A first look at the world, themes, and research behind my medieval France project. There are certain periods in history that feel both distant and uncomfortably familiar. Medieval France is one of them. It is a world of stone walls and muddy roads, saints and soldiers, oaths and betrayals, where power is personal and survival is political. It is also a world where ordinary lives are shaped—often abruptly—by forces they cannot control. Castle and the Cross is my upcoming histo
Jan 73 min read
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