Tom Chaffin was born and grew up in Atlanta and spent his early professional years in journalism, living in, among other places, Savannah, New York City, San Francisco, and Paris. Chaffin (M.A. American Studies, New York University, Ph. D. History, Emory University) has taught U.S. history and writing at various universities, and his articles, reviews and essays have appeared in various magazines and publications. He was a frequent contributor to the New York Times‘ acclaimed “Disunion” series on the American Civil War. In 2012, he was a Fulbright fellow in Ireland. The focus of our conversation is Chaffin’s book Pathfinder: John Charles Frémont and the Course of American Empire. Please enjoy our conversation.