Terry Alford/Wall Street Journal

[L Verge]

I have never felt that Reck gets the credit he deserves either. Everybody raves about Jim Bishop, but Reck took his work several degrees higher to a true historian's level. I also feel the same about George Bryan's Great American Myth. Bryan's work was the staircase on which Bill Hanchett added the railings.

I am also going to make a very personal comment here: Having known each of the mentioned authors (except Eisenschiml) over a period of at least forty years, they were each helped through the work of James O. Hall. Tom Bogar may be the only one who was not able to meet with Mr. Hall in the course of his writing due to the latter's illness and demise. I know those two would have thoroughly enjoyed each other's findings and friendship. Mr. Hall was an expert on the opera, Tom. How's your background in that arena?

I know that the others spent hours, days, weeks, months, and years with Mr. Hall in his home going over his research, which was freely given. It brought tears to my eyes when I saw that Terry had dedicated the book to Mr. Hall and had used a line that I used on the program for the memorial service that we held for JOH at Surratt House -- HISTORIAN, MENTOR, FRIEND.