Shelby Foote, R.I.P.

Noted Civil War historian Shelby Foote has died.

If you ever watched an episode of Ken Burn's documentary, The Civil War, then you probably saw Shelby Foote.

Actually a novelist, Foote was asked to write a single-volume history of the Civil War. Twenty years later, he produced a three-volume work that is generally considered to be the best single-author history of America's greatest trial. And Mr. Foote had enough of a sense of humor to admit it had taken five times as long to write as it did to fight the war - "but there were thousands of them and only one of me," he explained.

Thanks for that, Mr. Foote. Rest in peace.