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Presentations
Upcoming Programs
Ed Gordon will be the presenter at two Palm
Springs Air Museum events:
Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 1:00 PM
"The Desert Fox Meets General Patton"
Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 1:00 PM
"The Rising Sun Sets: The Fall of
Imperial Japan" (1942-1945)
For more information see PS Air Musuem
History Presentations offered by Edward E. Gordon
Presented by an inspiring expert professional speaker, author, researcher and knowledgeable historian who ...
- Researches the past - His extensive historical studies challenge audiences to think about history's lessons for today and for the future
- Delivers powerful yet entertaining messages that engage audiences supported by meticulous research on contents.
 
| (Mouseover link to view Presentation Descriptions) |
Air Power & the Secrets of D-Day"
(Normandy Invasion June 6, 1944)
"Air Power & the Secrets of D-Day"
How did allied air power provide a key element to the success of the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944? Ed Gordon provides the important answers to this question and unlocks many 4 the other mysteries of the greatest battle of World War 11. From his own personal tour of the Normandy beaches and first-person accounts and through the use of maps and graphic photos, Ed Gordon's presentation unlock D-Day secrets that show the critical role air power played in one of the most decisive campaigns of the Second World War. |
"Clash of the Titans: The Russo-German Campaign of World War II"
(1941-1945)
"Clash of the Titans: The German-Russian Campaign of World War 11"
On June 22, 1941, Adolf Hitler unleashed an army of 3 million for a blitzkrieg conquest of the Soviet Union. Over 10 million Germans and Russians would fight for four years over a 1,500 mile front stretching form the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea. Both side deployed countless thousands of planes, tanks, and field guns in a seemingly endless conflagration on a truly epic scale. Learn about the political leaders, generals, soldiers, and common people who were swept up in these titanic events. Consider how the outcome of this campaign shaped the map of Europe for the next 50 years. Only today can we begin to fully understand its fatal legacy for the people of Europe. |
"Secrets of the Battle of Britain"
(1940)
"Secrets of the Battle of Britain (1940)"
How did Britain's great air victory over Germany in 1940 ensure the final outcome of the Second World War? Ed Gordon explores such key questions as why the Germans started bombing London, how the early use of radar influenced British air tactics, and when the turning point for British victory occurred. Gordon's powerful use of first person accounts will unlock how a handful of British, Commonwealth, and other allied pilots scored the first critical defeat of the Nazi war machine. |
"Wings over Germany"
(Allied Bombing Campaign 1939-1945)
"Wings over Germany (1939-1945)"
During World War II, British and American strategic bombing of Germany produced controversial results still argued about today and some of the highest casualty rates of the war. In this program Ed Gordon tells the story of the gallant allied airmen who by laying down their lives helped to shorten the war in Europe. They also participated in testing the breakthrough aviation technology that became the foundation of modem aviation. |
"Empire of the Sun: Japan Triumphant"
(1931-1942)
"Empire of the Sun: Japan Triumphant"
(1931-1942)
From Korea to the shores of Australia, and westward to the central Pacific, Japan’s Rising Sun grew ever larger from the 1930s to mid-1942. This is the story of how a small nation organized for war and swept most of Asia into its "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." Ed Gordon explores how Japan’s civilian government was thwarted by the military’s quest for the domination of Asia and describes how allied neglect of Asia resulted in early crushing defeats. He explains how the seeds of Japan’s defeat were sowed even before the first bombs were dropped on Pearl Harbor. Then by the summer of 1942 Japan’s overextended empire started to implode due to the allied victories at the battles of Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. |
Gettysburg: Three Days that Shook the World
(July 1-3, 1863)
Gettysburg: Three Days that Shook the World
(July 1-3, 1863)
A sleepy village in southeast Pennsylvania for three days became the crossroad of the nation. In this decisive engagement of the American Civil War, 200,000 men met in battle and 50,000 were killed or wounded. Learn how a confident Robert E. Lee surrounded by Longstreet, Pickett, and his other generals made fateful decisions that lead to a stunning defeat. Discover how General George Gordon Meade, promoted as Commander of the Army of the Potomac on the road to Gettysburg, was able to reverse a string of Northern losses through the quick thinking of his officers and a little luck. Ed Gordon reviews the decisive events of this battle, but also details how ordinary men gave "their last full measure of devotion" to preserve the Union. |
"From Fur Trappers to Trains: The Opening of the America West"
(1804-1890)
"From Fur Trappers to Trains: The Opening of the America West"
When Lewis and Clark led their expedition of exploration to the Pacific, the land was far from empty. They encounted many great Indian nations on the plains and in the mountians. Yet, their journey began an inexorable chain of events that lead to the closing of the American frontier by 1890. Ed Gordon shows how the fur trade, government surveys, the overland trade, and wagon trains of pioneers forged pathways often followed by the railroads. Once the golden spike celebrating the completion of the transcontinental railroad was driven, the barriers to the settlement of the American West were breached and the Native American way of life was undermined. This is a vast story with many colorful personalities who changed the character and destiny of the United States to our own time. |
"Literacy & the Development of America"
(1620-2006)
"Literacy and the Development of America (1620-2006)"
Literacy is more important for every person than ever before. How have we as a people addressed this fundamental skill over the past and into the present? This program explores the literacy struggles of many Americans in the past including immigrants, women, Native Americans, African Americans and others. The definition of literacy continues to evolve and is changing into a focus on higher levels of reading, writing, and math fluency for the high tech environment of today's global society. The United States is falling behind many other developed nations in the fluency levels of its students. This program highlights what lessons from the past are still applicable today. |
| "Aristotle Was Alexander's Tutor: Centuries of Tutoring"
"Aristotle Was Alexander's Tutor: Centuries of Tutoring"
For most people "going to school" is synonymous with "education." In "Centuries of Tutoring," historian Ed Gordon explains why this has not always been the case. He explores important milestones in the history of tutoring from the ancient Greeks to its importance in the education of European monarchs, such as Elizabeth I of England, and its subsequent spread to the nobility and middle classes. Dr. Gordon especially highlights the role of tutoring in colonial and frontier America and how it contributed to the birth of the American public school and the child-centered education movement of the 20th century. He also explores how teachers and tutors can collaborate today to better individualize education in the 21st century. |
Additional Programs:
(Click on link to view these presentation pages)
- Presentations on workforce development & the future of jobs
- Presentations on contemporary education and tutoring |
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TESTIMONIALS:
"Motivational, Dynamic, Inspiring, Informative"Superlatives like these are typical responses to an Edward Gordon presentation. General audiences, students, academics, and business people at the Palm Springs Air Museum, Northern Illinois University, Lewis University, San Diego State University, Prescott College, and Ravinia Green Country Club and at meetings of the Churchillians of the Desert, History of Education Society, Midwest History of Education Society, and the Education Industry Association are among many thousands of individuals who have learned from his programs on historical topics. |
| "Your outstanding programs are exciting, informative, and extremely well received by our visitors." |
- Sharon Maguire, President/Museum Director
Palm Springs Air Museum |
| "Your presentation was well prepared, well delivered and stimulating. What else could we ask for?" |
- Jan Varnume
Phi Delta Kappa Chapter
University of Main |
| "In these thoughtful presentations, Dr. Gordon has demonstrated that he is both a professional historian and professional speaker who is expert at informing and entertaining diverse audiences. I can wholeheartedly recommend him as a lecturer." |
- David Ramsay, President
The Churchillians of the Desert |
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Click here to arrange for a presentation Contact Us
Edward E. Gordon History Presentations
Imperial Consulting Corporation
220 East Walton Place, #8E · Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312.664.5196
For more information, contact us at imperialcorp@juno.com
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