John Carver Edwards

Background

John Carver was born on December 8, 1939, in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Son of John Pelham and Elizabeth Carver Edwards.

Education

John Carver Edwards received a Bachelor with honors from Wofford College in 1964. He also studied at the University of Georgia and received a Master of Arts in 1966. Later, he received Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Georgia (1975).

Career

Edwards became interested in the traitorous Best from his years at school. His profile of Best led to his writing another profile, and yet another until he had chronicled the lives of eight expatriate turncoats in Berlin Calling. These short-wave radio propagandists included Jane Anderson, Max Otto Koischwitz, Best, Douglas Chandler, and Donald Day. Trying to understand the broadcasters’ reasons for their actions, Edwards studied letters, transcripts from treason trials, and documents from the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Judging Berlin Calling to be a “fine book,” Robert Herzstein, writing in the Journal of American History, added, “His thorough use of all important archival sources correctly portrays the so-called radio traitors as arrogant but pathetic victims, not of society, but of themselves and their twisted visions of reality.” Edwards’ “fascinating book is a model for historians,” concluded Joseph P. Hobbs in Choice.

Besides, John served as the head of manuscripts division Georgia Department of Archives and History, Atlanta from 1970. During 5 years he was an archivist at University Georgia, Athens, later, special projects archivist and, finally, emeritus. He also is a regular history and biography book reviewer of Library. Journal, New York City, since 1996.

Achievements

• John Carver Edwards is mostly known as the author of such popular books as Patriots In Pinstripe: Men Of The National Security League, Berlin Calling: American Broadcasters in Service to the Third Reich, and Airmen Without Portfolio: United States Mercenaries In Civil War Spain. He was also a successful contributor for 3 well-known essays to Encyclopedia Of World War I, two one hour radio broadcasts Berlin Calling, National Public Radio, Flyers Of Fortune, articles to professional publications.
  
  

Works

More photos

• book

  • Berlin Calling: American Broadcasters in Service to the Third Reich
  • Airmen Without Portfolio: U.S. Mercenaries in Civil War Spain
  • Orville's Aviators: Outstanding Alumni of the Wright Flying School

Membership

John Carver is a member of Academy of Certified Archivists, Society of American Archivists, Authors Guild, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Alpha Theta, Pi Gamma Mu, Delta Tau Kappa.

Interests

• military modeling, reading, walking, baseball, fishing.

Connections

John Carver married Lorraine Spann, a public relations director, in 1972. The two divorced in September 1992. He married Judith Brina Task on January 29, 2002. His children are Leigh Carver, John Spann, Liam Morgan Quinlan, Kelly Harris Quinlan.

Father:

John Pelham

Mother:

Elizabeth Carver Edwards

Spouse:

Judith Brina Task

child:

Leigh Carver Edwards

child:

John Spann Edwards

child:

Liam Morgan Quinlan Edwards

child:

Kelly Harris Quinlan Edwards

ex-spouse:

Lorraine Spann

References

• Contemporary Authors, Vol. 181