Shelby Foote was born in November 17, it was interesting to find out that he was a “relative unknown” according to Wikipedia. No matter what circle of influence he had before the series, he certainly made a big impact on me. Of course there were other illuminaries that were featured on the series, some more engaging than others, but Foote’s wonderful southern drawl and the particularly descriptive narratives were vivid enough to bring the characters alive. Foote passed away on June 27, 2005.