Daniel A. Masters is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a BA in Communications. Perhaps best known for his popular blog Dan Masters' Civil War Chronicles, his work focuses on the war in the Western Theater from the perspective of the men in the ranks. He is the author of many articles in various journals and magazines and ten books on the Civil War. His 2017 Sherman's Praetorian Guard won a local history publication award from Bowling Green State University; his most recent work, a collaboration with Larry M. Strayer entitled Echoes of Battle: Annals of Ohio's Soldiers in the Civil War, was released in 2022. Dan is a supply chain manager for a metals manufacturing company. He, his wife Amy, and five of his six children live and work in Perrysburg, Ohio.
""Dan Masters has delivered the definitive account of Stones River. With a formidable array of previously unused accounts gleaned from his extensive research, we finally get a soldier's view of the engagement and a better tactical understanding of one of the most important, yet strangely underappreciated, engagements of the war. Dan's fine account belongs on the shelf of every student of the Western Theater and the war in general.""--William Lee White, Park Ranger, Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park, and author of Bushwhacking on a Grand Scale ""Hell by the Acre thoroughly explains the critical military, political, and social currents that led more than 81,000 soldiers to Murfreesboro and made the Union victory there one of the most important of the Civil War. Dan Masters' narrative blends a tapestry of primary sources with thoughtful analysis. The writing allows readers to experience the carnage alongside the soldiers while understanding how those ground-level accounts play into the movements and struggles of the opposing armies. Hell by the Acre is the most comprehensive and comprehendible study of the Stones River Campaign to date and will be required reading for all members of my team when it hits the shelves.""--Jim Lewis, Supervisory Park Manager, Stones River National Battlefield ""An instant classic. Hell by the Acre is a shining example of what the combination of thorough research and skillful writing can produce. Dan Masters has produced the seminal work on a battle that has never received this level of attention. Hell by the Acre will be the go-to source for the battle of Stones River.""--Thomas Parson, Park Ranger, Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, Shiloh National Military Park