James McPherson, a leading Civil War historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, will speak at the West Virginia University Mountainlair Ballrooms at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, as part of the Festival of Ideas lecture series.

McPhersons presentation is the second in the eight-week series which runs through April. This years Festival theme revolves around Abraham Lincoln in recognition of the opening of Lincoln Hall, WVU s new residential college.

Coordinated through WVU Arts and Entertainment, the sessions explore Lincolns history, influence and legacy. Other speakers include novelist, essayist and playwright Gore Vidal and best-selling author, social observer and contributor to public radios This American Life Sarah Vowell.

This years Festival of Ideas lectures illuminate Abraham Lincolnhis history, relevance and legacyfrom many angles,said WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr.

Topics include the power of Lincolns political leadership, the effect of Lincolns depression on his presidency, the historic legacy of emancipation and the possible demise of the Lincoln penny.

The nationally and internationally acclaimed thinkers who will visit our campus over the next two months will share their insights, and inspire thought, reflection and innovation. I encourage all members of the WVU family and the larger community to attend as many of these lectures as possible.

McPherson is the author ofBattle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era,which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1989. The book has since sold more than 600,000 copies. Many historians credit McPherson with facilitating the national resurgence of interest in the Civil War.

The National Endowment for the Humanities commended McPhersons ability to documentthe complexities of war while maintaining the narrative that made it appealing to the American public.

McPherson began studying the Civil War as a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, focusing on abolitionists whose efforts elected Lincoln to office and eventually brought about the social changes that produced the war.

His latest work,For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War,won him the 1998 Lincoln Prize.

McPherson has since written several books on Lincoln and the war including,Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution: We Cannot Escape History,Drawn with the SwordandThe Struggle for Equality.

Another book,This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War,is a compilation of 16 essays that explore several issues about the Civil War, such as why it started, why the South lost, what motivated the men who fought on both sides and how should top leaders of the war be evaluated.

McPherson has been a champion for the preservation of Civil War sites and is a professor emeritus at Princeton University.

Festival presentations are free and open to the public; however, seating is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. More on the Net:http://www.events.wvu.edu/foi/index.shtml