Author Stephen Ambrose- Writing Style and Criticisms - Research Paper Example

The world cherishes his memories for the legacies he made in establishing the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans and as the founder of the National D-Day Museum, during the year 2000. Rather than spending time in libraries for his research, sifting through the pages of books, his style is to visit the historical places he writes about. His writing mainly contains the saga of war, narrating the stories of ordinary soldiers, which provides the present generation a clear understanding about the history of the times in the past.

Career: The well renowned American historian, Stephen Edward Ambrose, was not introduced to the history department since the days of his childhood. Most people turn out to find their true passion only later in their lives. Ambrose realized his passion for history only when he attended his “first college-level class in American history” (Ambrose par. 1). His father worked as a town doctor before joining the navy during the Second World War. Inspired and encouraged by his father’s heroism, Ambrose wanted to be a doctor just like him.

Therefore, he enrolled in the University of Wisconsin as a pre-med student. But the history class awakened the dormant passion inside him and brought a complete change in his life and goals. He was keen on retelling the tales of American heroes who had so courageously fought for their country. After getting a doctorate in history, he started his teaching career in the University of New Orleans. He has been the author of around thirty books and has also edited a few books. He remained a teacher for thirty years and believed that “teaching and writing were two sides of the same coin” (Ambrose).

In 1962, he made a breakthrough with his second book “Halleck, Lincoln’s Chief of Staff” which caught the attention of Dwight Eisenhower. The former president sanctioned Ambrose to his official biographer. He founded the National WWII Museum, which “reflected his deep regard” for the soldiers and “workers on the Home Front” for their valiant act of enduring anguish till they emerged victorious (Ambrose). Along with this, he was also the founder of Eisenhower Center in New Orleans.

Academic Positions: Throughout his thirty years of teaching, Ambrose has taught at various institutions other than University of New Orleans, which includes Louisiana State University, Johns Hopkins University, U.C Berkeley, Rutgers University and a few European schools as well. Ambrose was the Boyd professor of history in the University of New Orleans and after he retired from this position, he became Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center. He also contributed a lot being an “editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board” (Ambrose).

Much as Ambrose was an author and a teacher, he was also a captivating speaker. He could speak to the audience in ways that kept them awe-inspiring notes. His knowledge of the past gave him an insight into the future, which he shared with everyone during