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Saint Patrick’s Battalion
We have heard of the Revolutionary War. We have heard of the Civil War. There was another war fought between 1846 and 1848. The Mexican-American War. With a deep interest in this war, New York Times bestselling author, James Alexander Thom, began to research it. He then took out his notepad and pen, (yes, he first writes his books in long hand) and developed a story revolving around this war and how it involved the Irish Catholic Americans and the Mexicans who fought. Saint Patrick’s Battalion is this story.
Proud and doomed, these rogue Irish gunners fought against those who they once fought side-by-side in order to defend Catholic Mexico against the U.S. Army that was attacking them. They would either hang as turncoats, win the battle, or die trying.
The Mexicans held them as saviors- brave and heroic. Their former comrades viewed them as contemptable traitors.
In Saint Patrick’s Battalion, you will view the war through the eyes of young Paddy Quinn, a camp boy who journaled his experiences of sometimes horrendous army life. This page-turning story reveals the cruel choices men must make during a time of war as Thom shines the light on a side of the Mexican-American War that is often overlooked.
Praise for the hardcover edition of Saint Patrick’s Battalion
“A hell of a book…a world-class writer.” – Kurt Vonnegut
“That awful war (the Mexican War) has never been described so well in fiction or nonfiction.” – Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States
“Thom constructs a gripping novel that questions our concepts of war, duty, loyalty, and national identity and draws intriguing parallels to our current conflict in Iraq.” – Irish American News
“Thom has taken this forgotten incident from an almost forgotten war and turned it into a stirring tale that does everything that smart historical fiction ought to do: illuminating the past while throwing new light on the present.” – Publishers Weekly; starred review
“Thom delivers an artfully crafted meditation on war, nationalism and courage in desperate circumstances.” – The Indianapolis STAR
“The two young narrators are vivid and unforgettable, and the war narrative fast-paced. Illumination and compelling, Saint Patrick’s Battalion presents a stirring and provocative look at American Manifest Destiny…Highly recommended.” – Historical Novels Review
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Happy Reading ~ Ginger Bock
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More Curiosity = More Creativity
Creative Minds
A Regular Column by Anthony D. Fredericks
More Curiosity = More Creativity
As children we are innately curious. Our thinking is unfettered and our horizons are limitless. We are willing to explore our world without boundaries, without restraints. But, as we mature, our upbringing, our education, and our workplaces force us to become logical, pragmatic, factual, and…well, considerably less curious. Knowing the answers, rather than asking the questions, becomes the priority. Know lots of “stuff” and you can get good grades, get a good job, and have a good life.
Unfortunately, we have never been taught how to take advantage of our curiosity instincts. True, we were curious as kids, but we grow increasingly less so as we progress through our lives. Imbued with that “curiosity gene,” we are seldom given instruction as to how to take advantage of its powers for lifelong growth and profit. It is one of those traits we often appreciate in youngsters, but seldom embrace in our own lives.
It was Albert Einstein who famously said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” He also went on to say, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” For Einstein, curiosity was the engine that drove his creativity. Curiosity is the catalyst for questioning and questioning is what propels us to seek out the unfamiliar and the unknown. Curiosity is the fuel necessary for creativity to prosper and succeed. For, without questions, knowledge becomes stagnant and immovable. It does not move forward, nor does it have sufficient power to poke and peek and prod what may lie just below the surface or just slightly out of reach.
One research study in 2017 tested the link between curiosity and creative problem-solving. What the researchers discovered, not surprisingly, was that general curiosity had a significant impact on the quality and originality of creative performance outcomes, even after accounting for differences in personality among the participants. The implication was that constant questioning (active curiosity) creates a constant state of mental activity that moves us beyond a tendency for us to rely on what we already know. In other words, we often assume that our knowledge about a work-related topic is above average and we are, therefore, not incentivized to move beyond that “box.” Questions, on the other hand, stimulate us to look beyond, to look in new places, and to look past “comfortable” knowledge. In short, the more curious we are, the more creative we can become.
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Dr. Anthony D. Fredericks is an award-winning author of more than 170 books, including From Fizzle to Sizzle: The Hidden Forces Crushing Your Creativity and How You Can Overcome Them as well as 
five other Blue River Press titles (e.g. Ace Your Teacher Interview). He also pens a regular blog for Psychology Today.com (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/ contributors/anthony-d-fredericks-edd)