Steve Gansen – Editor

Writing a memoir or autobiography and need help? I have the experience needed to be your editing partner.

Many of my author partners came from military and intelligence leadership backgrounds. They were more used to giving orders than taking them. This experience fostered in me the sensitivity, tact, discretion, and empathy required for a successful collaboration with all types of writers.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

THE WAR I ALWAYS WANTED: THE ILLUSION OF GLORY AND THE REALITY OF WAR

Memoir of a 101st Airborne officer in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was praised by Military Times as “one of the best military books of the decade.”

SELECTED CHAFF: THE WARTIME COLUMNS OF AL MCINTOSH

Published as a companion to Ken Burns’s The War. McIntosh’s columns were read by Tom Hanks in the documentary, and Burns personally autographed copies for the premiere audience.

JIMMY STEWART: BOMBER PILOT

The first book on Stewart’s WWII combat service, with a foreword by Walter Cronkite. It became my publisher’s all-time bestseller and earned the blessing of Stewart’s family.

A SPY’S JOURNEY

A CIA memoir spanning eight presidential administrations, covered by The New York Times and USA Today.

THE CATERPILLAR CENTURY

A licensed corporate history celebrating 100 years of Caterpillar, published as a large-format, photo-rich coffee table book.

101ST AIRBORNE: THE SCREAMING EAGLES IN WORLD WAR II

Mark Bando’s definitive chronicle of one of America’s most storied divisions, blending battlefield history with veterans’ voices.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

THE ACCIDENTAL HERO: A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY, LIBERATION, AND LEGACY

Patrick Dewane’s revival of Colonel Matt Konop’s unfinished WWII memoir, weaving family heritage, battlefield survival, and cultural identity into a celebrated book and one-man play.

MY WAY OR YAHWEH: WHAT IS THE PERSPECTIVE OF YOUR LIFE?

Marty Vanderzanden’s faith-filled guide to spiritual alignment, blending personal testimony, mission work, and practical wisdom inspired by the Holy Spirit.

THE BROKEN WHISTLE: A DEEP STATE RUN AMOK

Pedro Israel Orta’s unflinching whistleblower memoir exposing systemic corruption within U.S. intelligence, demanding both editorial precision and discretion.

SLACKERS AND SAMMY BACKERS: THE TWIN PORTS IN THE GREAT WAR

C. A. Annala’s vivid history of Duluth, Superior, and the Iron Range during WWI, documenting fire, flu, labor unrest, and the tragic lynching of Finnish pacifist Olli Kiukkonen. Proceeds benefit the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center.