Mark Allen Baker

Life and career

His fascination with history, and historical artifacts, began as a child-as a result of a sixth grade school project-and grew from a simple celebrity autograph to major historical collections. "We collect celebrity autographs to preserve a moment, and to remind us of the human spirit that succeeds despite adversity," he explained to Daily Celebrations.

Baker, a graduate from Fayetteville-Manlius High School, attended the State University of New York at Oswego. During his undergraduate work he was active in the central New York music scene promoting or assisting with over fifty shows including: Aerosmith, Boston, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Billy Joel, Kiss, John Mayall, Queen, Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen. His post graduate work centered on digital imaging for his employer, the General Electric Corporation - Genigraphics Division(Microsoft PowerPoint). When General Electric sold their Genigraphics (computer-graphics) division to a group of venture capitalists, Baker stayed with the new corporation. There he held a variety of positions including Trainer, Program Manager, Art Director, Marketing Research Manager and Executive Assistant to the CEO. ^[3]

Baker has also been the co-owner of numerous businesses-while employed by the Genigraphics Corporation- including "Bleachers" of Liverpool, New York - an 8,000 sq ft (740 m²). sports bar and museum. Opened in 1990, the restaurant hosted many famous and diverse events from a reception for "Stars on Ice" featuring Scott Hamilton and Debbie Thomas to a Monday Night radio show hosted by Mike Tirico. Tirico hosted his first show from WAER radio in Syracuse, NY, the radio station where he started this sports broadcasting career, on the campus of Syracuse University. During the NFL football season it was broadcast live from Bleachers prior to Monday Night Football.

Baker decided to leave the Genigraphics Corporation shortly after their acquisition by Pansophic Systems, Incorporated, a Lisle, Illinois software firm.

Writing career

While employed by the Genigraphics Corporation, Baker began writing and illustrating technical articles, trade periodicals and books. This led to columns in other fields and even his first book. His diverse interests is perhaps best exemplified by the individuals who have contributed Introductions to his numerous books including: Joe Sewell (Baseball Hall of Fame, Lou Gehrig's roommate), Max Patkin (Cleveland Indians coach, Clown Prince of Baseball, actor "Bull Durham"), and Kermit "Shine" Forbes (Ernest Hemingway's boxing sparring partner ). Additional contributors have also included: Charles Gehringer (Baseball Hall of Fame), A. Bartlett Giamatti (Baseball), Bobby Doerr (Baseball Hall of Fame), Jeff Gordon (Racing), Paul Newman (Actor, Racing), Mario Andretti (Racing) and Andrew Wyeth (Art).

The author's numerous radio appearances have included: Bridgeport, CT (WICC), New York, NY (WFAN), Santa Rosa, CA (KXXY), Syracuse, NY (WSEN, WHEN), and Tampa, FL (WNBA). As a television guest he has been seen on Metro TV, New York, NY and numerous local channels. Following his 1997 book, Goldmine's Price Guide to Rock & Roll Memorabilia^[11], he appeared as a co-host on the VH-1 series Rock Collectors. As a speaker, Baker has attended many events including the Hemingway Days Festival & Writers Conference in Key West, Florida.

From 2007 until 2010 Baker was Editor for "The Pen & Quill,"^[14] a journal for historical manuscripts.

Gaining recognition

Since 2010, Baker has turned his interest to regional history with the release of four titles:

The award nominated Title Town, USA, Boxing in Upstate New York, published by The History Press examines the rich history of Boxing in central New York. ^[15] It is the first book to truly establish this region as the epicenter of pugilism. The book's foreword was written by Edward P. Brophy, Executive Director of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

In October 2010, the author released Basketball History in Syracuse, Hoops Roots, also published by The History Press. The book is an introduction to professional basketball in Syracuse and includes teams like (Vic Hanson's) All-Americans, the Syracuse Reds and the Syracuse Nationals (1946–1963). Contributions to the work include over a dozen former NBA players, along with members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In "Spies of Revolutionary Connecticut: From Benedict Arnold to Nathan Hale", Baker's first book of 2014, he introduces readers to the role the state played in intelligence gathering during the American Revolution. From coded messages and invisible ink, to early submarines with the first exploding torpedoes, the book incorporates chapters on: Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, Edward Bancroft, David Bushnell, Enoch Crosby, Silas Deane, Nathan Hale, Thomas Knowlton, Ezra Lee and even The Culper Ring. Lesser-known spies are also included, such as Dr. Samuel Adams, James Aitken, Daniel Bissell, John Clark, William Heron, Solomon Jones, Nehemiah Marks, and Noah Phelps. With this release, Baker tops the 6,000 published book page plateau.

"Connecticut Families of the Revolution, American Forebears from Burr to Wolcott", Baker's second book of 2014, takes readers inside of the homes of the state's most patriotic families. The work features the relatives of: Oliver Ellsworth, Nathan Hale, David Humphreys, Samuel Huntington, William Samuel Johnson, Samuel Holden Parsons, Samuel Peters, Sarah Pierce, Israel Putnam, Tapping Reeve, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Tallmadge, Jonathan Trumbull, Noah Webster, Oliver Wolcott, and David Wooster. Women, such as Eunice Burr, Lucretia Shaw, Mary Silliman, and Elizabeth Hull are also featured for their valuable contribution to the American Revolution.

Currently a contributing writer to numerous periodicals, including Goldmine magazine, Baker has focused much of his recent attention on music. This, along with his passion for regional history-the author has also spoken at many historical sites including the Nathan Hale Scoolhouse in New London, Connecticut and even given the 2015 Keynote Address at the annual meeting of the Norwich Historical Society inside the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, Connecticut-has occupied a bulk of his recent time. On May 16, 2015, Baker was awarded a certificate of appreciation "For Outstanding Preservation and Promotion of American History" by the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution. The organization Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in United States' independence.

Biographies

Turning his focus toward biography in 2016, Baker released, Battling Nelson, The Durable Dane. It is the author's eighteenth book and his first biography for McFarland & Company. The incredible story of Oscar Battling Matthew Nelson is a "rags, to riches, to rags" tale. As the toughest and most durable professional boxer ever to enter a ring, Battling Nelson held the World Lightweight Championship from 1908 until 1910. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992, Battling Nelson is often recalled for his boxing trilogy with Joe Gans which is still considered one of the greatest in sports history. Garnering significant interest, the author will neither confirm nor deny cinematic attention in the work. With the release of this book, Baker holds the distinction of being the only person to serve the International Boxing Hall of Fame as an author, historian, chairperson, sponsor, volunteer and biographer.

The author's nineteenth book, The Fighting Times of Abe Attell, will be published in the fall of 2017. Known for his record-setting, six year consecutive reign as World Featherweight Champion from 1906-1912, Abraham Washington Attell (1883-1970) was among the cleverest, most scientific professional boxers ever to enter the ring. Attell's success inspired his brothers Caesar and Monte to take up the sport—Abe and Monte both held simultaneous world titles for a time. This first ever biography covers Attell's life and career. Growing up poor and Jewish in a predominantly Irish neighborhood, he faced his share of adversity and anti-Semitism in and out of the ring. He was charged for alleged involvement in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. The charges were dropped but Attell was branded by association for the remainder of his life. During the third week in January 2017, The Fighting Times of Abe Attell hit #1 on Amazon’s List of Hot New Releases in Boxer Biographies.

Baker’s twentieth book is Connecticut in World War II. The work, consisting of over 200 black & white images, continues the author’s proud commitment to regional history. With the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan on December 7, 1941, and the United States’ entry into World War II, our nation turned to Connecticut―as it did during World War I―for munitions, clothing, and other goods. And Connecticut answered the call: Manchester Mills increased silk production, Waterbury brass producers altered their manufacturing lines, and Bridgeport’s Remington Arms―which had produced 50 percent of the US Army’s small arms cartridges in World War I―increased its mass production capabilities. By the time Electric Boat, Hamilton Propellers, Pratt & Whitney, and many other Connecticut companies tallied up their production back in 1945, it amounted to over $8 billion in war contracts.

The author has recently confirmed that his twenty-first book will be published in 2019.

Personal life

Mark Allen Baker lives in Hartford, Connecticut area. He has three children : Aaron (b. 1985), Elizabeth (b. 1986) and Rebecca (b. 1990).

Biography

Photography

National and Regional History

Reference and Popular Culture