Phil Lauricella's credits include over 15 years experience in the field of Historical Interpretation and over 10 years of formal school classroom and assembly presentations at some of the Chicago Area's finest Elementary, Middle and High Schools. Stage and Screen credits include consultant work with both the Chicago Emmy Award-winning children's program The Magic Door Theater production of The Hannukka Soldier and the Chicago Joseph Jefferson Award-winning stage production of Leander Stillwell by Stage Left Productions. He has also appeared as Senator Preston Brooks in local stage productions of Civil War Diaries: Letters from the Civil War. In December of 1997, he appeared in the A&E Network production of Betrayed: Custer at Little Big Horn, a Kurtis Production in association with A&E and The New Explorers. In 1999, he was a featured historian on the History Channel's Quantrill.

In December of 2000, He was the featured physician in a Distance Learning Center telecast to Chicago Area schools from the Chicago Historical Society entitled: "Civil War Surgical and Medical Techniques" and assisted in interpreting Civil War History at the Society, and in 2002, presented "Leander Stillwell" at the DLC at the Society.

Mr. Lauricella is also the owner of Don't Know Much About History - a Civil War bookstore, gallery and toy soldier shop in Geneva, Illinois.

For more information or to schedule one of Mr. Lauricealla's programs, 
please send a request to [email protected] .

The American Civil War

Medicine of the Civil War
This program gives insight into practices of the era and allows student participation during simulated operations and their procedures. Actual instruments of the period are displayed and used in the presentation. Given in the "first person" by a doctor of the period who worked with the troops, this will give fresh look into the conditions of the practice of medicine in the 1860's and one of the "non-military" aspects of the War. 

Leander Stillwell of the 61st Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Hear the story of Leander Stillwell as he journeys through the Civil War. This first person presentation details the life of a common as he took up arms to defend the way of life in which he believed. Participants are able to learn the items of the common soldier from his uniform and equipment to the personal effects he carried with him. They will hear of the good times in camp and of the death and sufferings of his "pards".

Suggested Reading
Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott
"Wash, dress, feed, warm and nurse them for the next three months, I dare say. Eighty beds are ready, and we were getting impatient for the men to come. Now you will begin to see hospital life in earnest, for you won't probably find time to sit down all day, and may think yourself fortunate if you get to bed by midnight. Come to me in the ball-room when you are ready; the worst cases are always carried there, and I shall need your help."
*Ebook * click the link for a free copy

World War II

     The combat medic was one of the unsung heroes of World War II. He lived with the front line infantrymen and was the first to answer a call for help. He gave first aid to his wounded comrades and helped them out of the line of enemy fire. More often than not, he faced the enemy unarmed and was the foundation of the medical system with hundreds of thousands of surgeons, nurses, scientists, and enlisted medics.  Mr. Lauricella brings to life the experiences of some of the aid men on the line in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany during the Second World War.  Actual Uniforms and equipment accent the performance to another "non-combat" aspect of war.