Noted historian Hugh Ambrose has served as vice president of The National WWII Museum, a consultant for HBO's The Pacific miniseries, (which was based upon his book of the same name), and worked alongside Steven Spielberg as executive producer of the documentary Price for Peace.

A senior military historian at the Australian War Memorial, Steven was recently awarded a grant from the Japan Foundation to translate extracts from the Senshi Sosho (War history series), the official account of the Japanese experience of the Second World War.

Starting out as a disc jockey for the American Armed Forces Network in Germany, Nick Clooney spent much of his career as a journalist and news anchor, and later gained prominence working as a host and researcher for AMC, where he introduced classic films.

Edward J. Drea is the recipient of the Society for Military History's Samuel Eliot Morison Award for lifetime achievement and author of several books on the war in the Pacific, including MacArthur's ULTRA: Codebreaking and the War against Japan.

Esteemed writer Richard B. Frank is the author of Guadalcanal, MacArthur, and Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire, which has been called one of the six best books in English about World War II.

With four titles now in print, Bruce is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the most respected authors on the war in the Pacific and is the featured historian in documentaries produced by The History Channel, FOX News Channel, PBS and the Pritzker Military Library.

The author of Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal and two other critically acclaimed books on WWII naval history, James D. Hornfischer has appeared on The History Channel, FOX News Channel's War Stories with Oliver North and C-SPAN's BookTV.

Richard Greer volunteered for the Marine Corps on December 8, 1941, and served with distinction in the Battle of Guadalcanal, later rising to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant; more recently, he was a consultant for both the HBO miniseries, The Pacific, and the companion book of the same title by Hugh Ambrose.

The Honorable Takeo Iguchi is a Professor Emeritus at Shobi Gakuen University and author of the book, Demystifying Pearl Harbor, published by International House of Japan.

Karl James has worked as a historian at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra since 2006, where he has undertaken extensive research into Australia's involvement in the Second World War and served as exhibition curator for the refurbishment of the Second World War galleries.

John B. Lundstrom is Curator Emeritus of History at the Milwaukee Public Museum and the author of five books, including Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway & Guadalcanal and The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway.

Donald L. Miller, John Henry MacCracken Professor of History at Lafayette College, is the author of eight books, among them The Story of World War II and D-Days in the Pacific. He is also the screenwriter and historical consultant for The History Channel's Emmy-winning series WWII in HD.

A retired colonel of the Marine Corps Reserve, Dr. Millett is a specialist in the history of American military policy and currently directs the Eisenhower Center for American Studies, founded by historian Stephen Ambrose at the University of New Orleans.

UNC Law professor Eric Muller's book Free to Die for their Country: The Story of the Japanese American Draft Resisters of World War II was highly acclaimed; American Inquisition: The Hunt for Japanese American Disloyalty in World War II, was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2007.

The founder of the web's foremost site on the Japanese Imperial Navy, Parshall has written for the U.S. Naval War College Review, Naval Institute Proceedings, and World War II magazine, and has contributed to several books on the Japanese navy.

After serving in the U.S. Navy and working as speechwriter for Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, Persico turned his attention to historical writing, penning books like Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial and Roosevelt's Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage.

Gregory Urwin is a Professor of History at Temple University and the author of such books as Facing Fearful Odds: The Siege of Wake Island, which he followed up with Victory in Defeat: The Wake Island Defenders in Captivity.

An internationally recognized authority on Nazi Germany and the origins and course of World War II, Dr. Weinberg is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the author or editor of numerous books and articles on twentieth-century European and world history.

The Astor Crowne Plaza

739 Canal Street at Bourbon • New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

The Astor Crowne Plaza, located at the Gateway to the French Quarter where Canal Street meets Bourbon Street, is one of the most popular New Orleans hotels. The excitement of the French Quarter awaits you right outside the door of the Astor, unmatched among Bourbon Street hotels. Whether you are looking for world-renowned dining or the intoxicating sounds of New Orleans’ jazz or blues, you are in the heart of it all. Few New Orleans Hotels offer easier access to nearby attractions like Harrah’s Casino, the Aquarium of the Americas, Jackson Square, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Riverwalk Marketplace, the New Orleans Arena and the Superdome.

This 693-room, AAA 4-Diamond, Bourbon Street hotel is the “place to meet” for business or pleasure. The Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans hosts over 32,000 square feet of elegant meeting and function space — perfect for a board meeting of twelve or a social gathering of over 700 guests. A top choice among New Orleans hotels with superior guest rooms, the Astor Crowne Plaza’s guest accommodations offer an array of amenities such as in-room safes, two dual-line phones with voice mail, high‐speed internet access, blow dryers, iron and ironing board, CD players, coffee/tea makers, as well as Crowne Plaza’s Sleep Advantage bedding with sleep amenities. The hotel’s services include a 24-hour business center, fitness room, outdoor pool and terrace, executive level accommodations and a concierge to assist you with your plans for the day or evening.

The hotel is home to Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House Restaurant and Seafood Bar. Enjoy true Southern cuisine and fresh seafood selections — for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The staff at the Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans is truly versed in Southern Hospitality and ready to not just meet your expectations — but to exceed them. Mix a little pleasure into your next business trip or if your agenda is for pleasure only, let the good times roll at Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans, one of the finest Bourbon Street hotels!