Edgewater Author Makes History Fun

It would not be hard to imagine Edgewater author Michael Zomber greeting you at his front door wearing an armored helmet from the Japanese Edo period or carrying a Samurai sword depicting a character from one of his many historical novels. The moment you step into his charming waterfront home off the South River, it is clear to see Zomber enjoys life—and life loves him back.

Zomber's latest book, A Son of Kentucky, was published in November 2010 and tells the story of an abolitionist from Kentucky who enlists in the Union Army.

Zomber's interest in history and weaponry goes back to his childhood.

He said he remembers the moment he became interested in guns and other weaponry. A Washington, D.C. native, Zomber was nine-years-old and attending a Cub Scout Jamboree in eastern Pennsylvania when he spotted an 1873 trapdoor Springfield rifle standing in the corner of an old country store.

From that moment, Zomber said he delved into the study of American history. He has collected and traded American firearms and swords for over fifty years.

Civil War novels

Zomber's literary works encompass several historical fiction novels including a trilogy that spans three generations of the Johnson family in Western Kentucky beginning with the Civil War era.

Son of Kentucky, the first part of the triology, is followed by Sweet Betsy That’s Me and finally, Sweet Betsy, which has not been published to date. The novels span a time period from 1850 to 1885.  

Son of Kentucky is about passionate abolitionists Josiah Johnson and his wife, impoverished tobacco farmers in Western Kentucky (the ante-bellum South).  Johnson rides to Ohio and joins the Union Army for nearly two years until he is wounded in battle saving his Colonel’s life.  Upon his return home, Johnson struggles until he breaks down due to the death and senseless carnage he has witnessed.

A historian's past

The son of two Holocaust survivors, Zomber developed an interest in the arms and armor of Europe, the Middle East, and Japan. He is an internationally-recognized authority on Japanese Samurai swords. His vast interest in Japanese art and culture, and his expertise on antique Japanese arms and armor were brought to life in writing, Shogun Iemitsu, an historical fiction based on facts about war and romance in the 17-century Edo period, Tokugawa Japan. 

The novel has a wonderful glossary of Japanese terms and the cast of characters used throughout the book that can be used as reference, making the book easy for the average person to read and understand.

“Anybody that likes a good story will like this book. If you like Japanese history it is a must read,” Zomber said. “There is a sequel to Shogun Iemitsu simply called Shogun Iemitsu II. It will be out this summer.”

 Zomber said that the novel he is most proud of is, “a novel that hasn’t been published yet—because I still need to edit it. It's called the Soul of the Samurai."

Zomber said that the box is rich and complex and follows six young people from different countries.

"The novel will appeal to anybody with an interest in the Internet because it has a great deal to do with artificial reality, which affects each of these characters from different countries," Zomber said.

Art connections

Zomber said that he is also inspired by his grandfather, Robert Eisner, who collected paintings by the Impressionist masters. Like Eisner, Zomber developed an early interest in fine art and is a fervent follower of art sales and auctions.

Fostered by experiences at world-renowned auctions, Zomber penned Park Avenue.

A fictional novel, Park Avenue follows a Van Gogh self-portrait through different lives from Munich in 1939 to Southern California in 2008.

“It has a great deal of authentic detail based on my 40-odd years in the auction world. There is a striking similarity between the novel’s Park Avenue galleries to Sotheby’s, just the names have been changed to protect the innocent,” Zomber said.

On TV too

In the 1990s, Zomber helped produce the groundbreaking A&E television show, The Story of the Gun, which then became a long-running History Channel series, Tales of the Gun. 

In addition, Zomber appears in nearly a dozen episodes as a featured historian including Million Dollar Guns, Guns of the Famous and Dueling Pistols.

Zomber's book, A Son of Kentucky is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and for Kindle and Nook.