John Sledge
Jean Laffite’s Mobile
A reformed pirate struggles to make a respectable business deal in early 1800s Mobile.
A Mobile Classic Turns 70
“Remember Mobile” — a romantic, affectionate look at our past in prose and drawings — is a book still worth remembering.
The Pinecone War of 1815
Thousands of them splashed ashore on the Gulf side of Dauphin Island on February 6, 1815, resplendent in red coats, laced...
These Rugged Days: Alabama in the Civil War
The war became much more immediate on Dec. 9 , when what were likely Alabama’s first shots in anger rumbled over...
The Shipwrecks of Mobile Bay
From the upper Delta to the lower Bay and adjacent Gulf waters, shipwrecks crowd our shores. It’s little wonder, since people have...
Pirate Attack!
On September 9, 1710, ...
The Pirate Navigator
On the cusp of the 18th century, great changes were underway in the Gulf of Mexico. Spain’s almost two-centuries-long grip on the region...
The True Story of the ‘Rachel’
Historian John S. Sledge shares the remarkable tale of the antique ship that graces the shores of Fort Morgan.
Schoolyard Rivalry
It’s easily the most intense college football rivalry in the country — Auburn vs. Alabama. And if you live in the Heart of Dixie,...
The Battle of Mobile Bay Revisited
Every Old Mobile family worth its salt will claim a blockade runner somewhere in the family tree. Heaven knows plenty of daring men attempted to run...