Looking for Arsenal Publications II, Virginia

[scottfromgeorgia]

 Folks, I am trying to find out what happened to Arsenal Publications II, Mechanicsville, Va.

They published some ACW reference books in the 1990s, but seem to be out of business. Anyone know anything about them?

[Woodenhead]

You're joking, right?
Pete George was going to publish some additional artillery related books after he re-did the Dickey/George book in 1993. I was supposed to do a lot of the heavy lifting. It was a great idea but life got in the way. Enclosed are a couple of photos of that bygone era. They show Pete and I taking photos for Lee's Thunderbolts in Tom Dickey's shell museum after he had passed away. The other has Pete relic hunting under the sidewalks of Fredericksburg. All circa 1988.

[scottfromgeorgia]

I wasn't, but just talked to Pete, and he confirmed it was his company.

[scottfromgeorgia]

By the way, who is Woodenhead?

[Woodenhead]

Mike O'Donnell, I believe. I used to drive to the Marietta Show (1980s - early 90s) with Pete and we often shared a table. I recall examining your many recent finds at the GMI site and other places, and photographing some items. I produced and own the Mullinax CS Buckles book and authored the big orange buckle book. Also several canteen books and one insignia book with Duncan Campbell. Last book was Gettysburg Battlefield Relics. Along with former partner Steve Sylvia, I published the original Dickey/George book and did the photography for Pete's improved version in 1993. I published Chuck Jones' fuze book. Lee's Thunderbolts was my idea as a way to combine my photography skills with Pete's knowledge and make a 'killer' book focusing on the field artillery projectiles of the Army of Northern VA. Tom Dickey blessed the concept and selected the first shells for us to include. It has been a long and winding road!

Woodenhead

[scottfromgeorgia]

I know you, Mike! I just never called you Woodenhead before.

[Woodenhead]

It was a nickname given to me by my college fraternity brothers. Apparently, it suited my hard-headed Irish personality. It caught on to the degree that many of them don't know who Mike O'Donnell is. Even after decades, if I call one of them I say "Its Woodenhead" and they know right away who I am. The name has fallen in to disuse since then but I resurrected it for this blog site.
W.H.

[pipedreamer65]

Great pics!  Gotta love the 1980's though...  I was a teenager then.... ugh!