TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - An author who has written about a key Revolutionary War battle that was later the backdrop for “The Patriot,” starring Mel Gibson, will give a talk at The University of Alabama on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in 30 ten Hoor Hall.

Dr. Lawrence Babits, professor of history at East Carolina University and author of “A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens,” will present “The South in the American Revolution.” Babits’ talk is part of UA’s annual Bankhead Lecture Series.

This year’s series is “Terrorism and Counter Insurgency: Historical Perspective on the American Experience.” Each talk will examine a portion of the historical background that adds perspective to today’s current events.

In 1982, the Bankhead family established the Bankhead Endowment Fund to further the interests of historical research and scholarly activity within the history department in UA’s College of Arts and Sciences. In recent years, the family expanded the original commission to bring visiting lecturers to campus and to further promote the teaching and study of history.

The College of Arts and Sciences is UA’s largest division and the largest public liberal arts college in the state, with approximately 5,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. The College has received national recognition for academic excellence, and A&S students have been selected for many of the nation’s top academic honors, including 15 Rhodes Scholarships, 13 Goldwater Scholarships, seven Truman Scholarships and 11 memberships on USA Today’s Academic All-American teams.