When father and son filmmakers Sean and Jim Conant meet the public in Springfield, Illinois during the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln’s funeral train next month, they will introduce their new book of essays on the Gettysburg Address and talk about their upcoming film.

Looking over their shoulder, figuratively at least, will be Maine historian and well-known Gettysburg author Tom Desjardin. Desjardin was among the first people the Conants interviewed on camera for the film during their three year odyssey to make the definitive documentary about the great oration.

When they decided to produce a companion book of essays written by some of the nation’s leading historians including two Pulitzer Prize winners, they asked Desjardin to write the final chapter to bring together the various ideas of the book and help explain the many meanings of the address over the last century and a half. The book is available now from online booksellers.

Desjardin, a native of Lewiston-Auburn, spent six years in Gettysburg in the 1990s after completing his Ph.D. in U.S. History at the University of Maine. He has appeared in numerous television documentaries and was the historical advisor to actor Jeff Daniels in his role as Joshua Chamberlain in the movies “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.”

He has written five books on Maine history with a focus on Gettysburg and the Civil War, two of which were nominated for the prestigious Lincoln Prize. He now serves as Maine’s Acting Commissioner of Education.

The New Hampshire based filmmakers plan to premiere the film at Gettysburg this summer.

“The Gettysburg Address” is a documentary film celebrating this most famous speech in American history. From interviews with the country's leading historians, Lincoln scholars, Ivy League professors, powerful politicians, businessmen, conservationists, and celebrities to discussions with inspired visitors at Lincoln shrines across America, “The Gettysburg Address” dissects Lincoln's ability to eloquently define the American ideal.

The book, published by Oxford University Press, has been written by some of the nation’s most prominent historians, including Pulitzer Prize winning authors James McPherson and Harold Holzer. It was 272 words and took just two minutes to give, but the Gettysburg Address is revered as one of the greatest orations of all time.

What gives this speech its enduring significance? This collection of essays, from some of the best-known scholars in the field, answers that question. Placing the Address in complete historical and cultural context and approaching it from a number of fresh perspectives, the volume first identifies how Lincoln was influenced by great thinkers on his own path toward literary and oratory genius.

For more information on the film, visit www.gettysburgaddressfilm.com and www.risingpicturecompany.com.