Leo Hirrel received his Masters and Doctorate in U.S. History from the University of Virginia. His special areas of interest included colonial America and the history of the United States during the early republic. His dissertation "The Ideology of Antebellum Reform Within the New School Calvinist Community" dealt with the religious foundations of antebellum reform within this particular portion of the Presbyterian and Congregational Communities. The dissertation formed the basis of his book Children of Wrath: New School Calvinism and Antebellum Reform. Dr. Hirrel also holds a Masters of Library Science from The Catholic University of America. He also has extensive military experience as an Army Reserve officer, which has led to a second area of interest in military history. Presently he is the command historian for U.S. Joint Forces Command, which is the unified command responsible for ensure smooth integration of the services in military operations. (Views expressed in this interview are his own and do not reflect any Department of Defense policy.)
Test Prep Network's Scott Mercer interviewed Dr. Hirrel regarding his book Children of Wrath: New School Calvinism and Antebellum Reform .