The Sergeant

“If a novelist had written the life of Nicholas Said, she would have been criticized for creating a character who defies reality. For the astonishing details, read Dean Calbreath’s biography, The Sergeant. In addition to being a breathtaking travelogue, The Sergeant is evidence that accidents of history have tremendous consequences for individuals. More important, it is a wonderful illustration of the curiosity and ingenuity of the human spirit, and proof of the inadequacy of assumptions and stereotypes.” – Martha Anne Toll, The Washington Post
“[An] excellent portrait detailing the life and times of an erudite linguist and world traveler. Calbreath does remarkable work stitching this biography together from disparate sources, including Said’s own memoirs, and filling in gray spots with well-reasoned inferences about Said’s unusual life. A fascinating look at the fight against slavery and white supremacy from the point of view of a native African and a man of exceptional abilities and experiences.” – Booklist
“The astonishing life of Mohammed Ali ben Said is recounted in this sparkling biography. Calbreath fills in the gaps in Said’s story with digressions about the Ottoman slave trade, tensions between Black and white soldiers in the Union Army, Reconstruction-era politics, and more. The result is a fascinating bit of forgotten history.”
– Publishers Weekly
“No Civil War soldier hailed from more distant shores than Nicholas Said. In later years, he listed his place of residence as “traveler,” and that was an understatement. In this elegantly written biography, Dean Calbreath offers a compelling and fascinating account of a man who was born in the Bornu Empire, lived in a dozen nations and as many states, and rose to the rank of sergeant in the fabled Massachusetts Fifty-fifth Infantry. An enthralling story, brilliantly told.”

– Douglas R. Egerton, Lincoln Prize-winning author of Thunder at the Gates: The Black Civil War Regiments That Redeemed America
“The Sergeant tells the astonishing but true story of Nicholas Said, an historical figure no novelist would dare dream up. Dean Calbreath takes us along Said’s epic journey from Africa, to Turkey, to Russia, and to the United States, where Said served in the Union Army and became a schoolteacher in the Reconstruction South. Calbreath gives invaluable and unique insight into how Said experienced slavery, discrimination, freedom, and war across the globe, making the book essential reading.” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University

Dean Calbreath was part of the Polk- and Pulitzer-winning team that uncovered the biggest individual bribery scandal in Congressional history. With fellow journalists Marcus Stern and Jerry Kammer, they co-wrote The Wrong Stuff: The Extraordinary Saga of Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the Most Corrupt Congressman Ever Caught (Public Affairs). Calbreath has earned numerous awards over the past three decades for investigative, historical, and international reporting. Calbreath is also an experienced public speaker, from delivering lectures at leading colleges and universities to appearances on television, radio talk shows, and podcasts.

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