Send us a textIn this episode you’ll hear a fascinating but largely unknown story from the Civil War about slaves who actually were enlisted to become spies for the Union side. You’ll learn about this in an interview with author Robert Hilliard, who published an intensively researched book last year - titled - In Freedom’s Shadow. Robert’s book - has had the distinction of TWO book awards: The Firebird Book Award for African American Fiction and the PenCraft 2024 Spring Best Book Award for Historical Fiction. Note that this episode, recorded last December, was delayed since I was working on my book which will be out next Spring, details to be found below. Robert Hilliard has written on sports, history, and the outdoors. He started his professional career as a marine biologist - in fact, his first paid publication was in Florida Oceanographic Magazine. After moving back home to western Pennsylvania, Rob worked as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and wrote for other outlets such as Upland Almanac, Pennsylvania Wildlife, and Pittsburgh History Magazine. His first book, A Season on the Allegheny, was published in 2012, and went to the “Top 10” in two Amazon categories. His historical espionage thriller: In Freedom's Shadow, is based on the true story of slave John Scobell, who escaped to the North during the Civil War, only to return to the Confederacy as a clandestine Union spy. In Freedom's Shadow was published in November 2023 and became a #1 Bestseller in multiple Amazon categories in its first week of publication.In Freedom's Shadow at AmazonRobert Hilliard's Website - roberthilliardwrites.godaddysites.com and LinkKathleen's new book: The Miniature Painter Revealed: Amalia Kussner’s Gilded Age Pursuit of Fame and Fortune at AmazonWebsite: https://peoplehiddeninhistory.comDirect linkWebsite with all Podcast Episodes/All PlatformsContact PageLinks to Twitter(X) and Instagram -or- Connect with @phihpod.