Author Ric Murphy will be a guest speaker and will discuss the Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia at the National Genealogical Society’s 2021 Annual Conference …for more information.
Nathaniel Cline for USA Today interviews Ric Murphy on Black families using DNA, genealogy to fill in historical gaps left by slavery inspired by the 400th anniversary of the 1619 African landing, more Black people are researching their roots and tracing their ancestry …for more information.
Ric Murphy talked about his book Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia, which profiles the “20 and odd” Africans who arrived in the Jamestown colony in 1619. This group included Murphy’s own ancestors. The Virginia Museum of History and Culture hosted this event provided the video …for more information.
According to opinion writer Annie Tobey of Boomer Magazine, “the longer I live and learn – delving into new books and museum exhibits and exploring research that digs deeper into the realities of the past – the more my worldview shifts. Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia, by Ric Murphy, provides such eye-opening facts to add context to Virginia history and to current issues.” She shares that “historians realize that although history is set in stone, the way it is understood and interpreted can be fluid. By examining and interpreting primary sources with the benefit of distance, researchers have turned over stones to reveal new perspectives.”
She wrote “Murphy looks at the first Africans to arrive in Virginia, including where they came from, how they got here, and their status (free or slave) upon arrival. He provides needed historical context in examining the whites who are part of the story, from captors to colonists to Europeans conflicting with colonists. He provides a new understanding into many aspects of what readers may consider a history they already knew …for more info.
Jerry F. Couch of the CLINCH VALLEY TIMES gave the Arrival of The First Africans in Virginia a FIVE STAR RATING. Jerry said “Ric Murphy’s new book, Arrival of The First Africans in Virginia are both a pleasure to read and to review.
Mr. Couch explained that “before turning to Page 1, check your preconceived notions at the door. Generally speaking, our view of chattel slavery in America is greatly oversimplified. Among other things, author Murphy explores the complex interrelationships of sixteenth and seventeenth century European politics, European economy, the history and culture of Africa, piracy on the high seas, and the role of the Catholic Church in all of it.”
He continued y saying “like the true researcher he is, Murphy does not content himself with relying on accepted and long-held views of his subject. He reexamines EVERYTHING – much like removing the contents of an ancient trunk and bringing them into the light for the first time in centuries” …for more info.
On the November Nov. 3 edition of “Reading, Writing and Ralph,” The Zebra’s literary critic Ralph Peluso interviewed Ric Murphy about his just released book “Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia” …for more information.
As featured in the Hampton Daily Press, Ric Murphy to lead national scholars in a Community Educational Forum on the 400th Commemoration of the First Documented Africans in English North America in Hampton, Virginia the birthplace of African American history …read more.
Military Review, The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army posted an online review Ric Murphy’s new book: Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN: First African American to Command an Aircraft Carrier. According to the Military Review, the book presents not only an engaging overview of a dedicated serviceman, retired Rear Adm. Lawrence “Larry” Chambers, but also his times and the chaos associated with Operation Frequent Wind during the Vietnam era. During Operation Frequent Wind, Chambers was not only the first African American to command an aircraft carrier, the USS Midway, but he also made the controversial decision to scuttle millions of dollars’ worth of military equipment to clear a landing deck for a civilian aircraft. Ric Murphy outlines key events in Chambers’ early life without excessive sentimentality and with a real emphasis on their effect on the man. This book is authoritative due to Murphy’s sincere investigation of the family with first-hand quotes and accounts from many eyewitnesses to events. For more information on Lt. Col. John T. Miller, U.S. Army, Retired, Fort Belvoir, Army University Press, Military Review, The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army’s review.
Ric Murphy’s award winning book, Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN: First African American to Command an Aircraft Carrier, was honored by the 2018 Independent Author Network Awards Committee as the FINALIST in two categories: Non-Fiction- History and in the category for Fiction and Non-Fiction War/ Military. For authors and publishers the Independent Author Network is one the largest networks for independent authors in the nation.
Ric Murphy’s award winning book, Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN: First African American to Command an Aircraft Carrier was honored by the 2018 Pinnacle Book Awards as the winner in the Biography category.