Andrew Carroll

When Andrew Carroll’s home burned down and he lost all of his possessions, it was the loss of his personal letters that he found the most devastating.

Inspired by the irreplaceable loss of his most valued treasures, Carroll founded The Legacy Project. This national, all-volunteer effort that encourages Americans to seek out and preserve wartime correspondence as testament to the power of the written word as historical narrative. The Legacy Project has received over 75,000 letters from every war in this nation’s history, including e-mails from Afghanistan and Iraq. As Director, Carroll volunteers his time and works tirelessly, helping generations better understand war and the sacrifices made by those who serve.

As editor of three New York Times bestsellers, including War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars, Carroll continues to pursue the preservation of the written word with missionary zeal. In keeping with The Legacy Project, War Letters is a lasting tribute to those who have fought for this country, and a celebration of the enduring power and lyricism of personal letters. The inspiration for the critically acclaimed PBS documentary, War Letters, the book serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of war. His new book, Behind the Lines, expands to include letters by not only American troops, but soldiers and civilians from other countries as well.

Featured on NPR, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, Nightline, and Oprah, Carroll has taken his desire to preserve the extraordinary correspondence from America’s wars and placed it right in the forefront of the nation’s wartime dialogue.