Paul Joseph Travers

Author, Historian, Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker

Born, raised and educated in Baltimore, Maryland, Paul Joseph Travers received a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland in English and an M.A. degree from Pepperdine University in Business Management. He served in the United States Marine Corps as an amphibious armor officer and later worked for the Maryland Park Service as a park ranger/historian.

As a truant schoolboy from the playground of St. Stanislaus, he often explored the rough and tumble Fell's Point waterfront where his love affair with the Patapsco River began. As a park ranger, he wrote The Patapsco: Baltimore's River of History, a definitive chronology which proudly proclaims "mile for mile more history than any river in America." While growing up, he always turned an attentive ear to the war stories of his father. No "tall tales" about false heroics, these vignettes about the everyday life of an infantryman fostered a deep respect for America's unsung patriots. As the son of a Pearl Harbor survivor, he later paid homage to his father and other survivors in his oral history Eyewitness to Infamy, a compelling narrative which captures the spectrum of events and emotions before, during and after the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. When the Beatles invaded America in the mid 1960's, he embarked on a drumming career which continues today as drummer-in-residence for his church. His love of regional history and interest in drumming folklore resulted in the young adult novel The Flight of the Shadow Drummer. This epic adventure which highlights some of the most memorable people and places in American history has become a modern classic for history buffs and readers of all ages.

Paul currently resides with his family in Parkton, Maryland. His hobbies include the 3 R's, (w)riting, running and rudimenting (drumming). In addition to writing, he also lectures on American history and conducts writing workshops for young writers.