James Kenneth (Ken) Brandau was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1949 and raised on the city’s Southside. The area was once the town of Manchester. Vestiges of the Old South remained. In 1960, a picture of General Lee hung at the front of his fifth grade class, and students often stood to sing Dixie!

Grandparents from families scarred by the Civil War related stories of horse and buggy days including remembrances of the famous Henry Beattie trial. Sifting truth from biased traditions founded a unique perspective on history.

Chief interests during his withdrawn adolescence were television, military history, model airplanes, chemistry sets and dangerous, homemade rockets (a common mischief during the Space Race). Faith in Jesus Christ provided the strength and means to overcome severe stuttering, adiposity and a troubled home life.

Brandau graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from Old Dominion University in 1971and is a senior chemist for Northrop Grumman Corporation. His career focuses on marine polymer applications and failure analysis. Experience ranges from the U.S.S. Monitor preservation project to the space shuttle program.

Broad historical interests include genealogy, reenactments, primitive technologies, site surveys and Biblical studies. Research carried him to three continents. Aging bans him from past pleasures of running and backpacking, but he still enjoys cycling.

Ken served twenty years in Royal Rangers (boys ministry) including nineteen years on sectional staff. He and his wife Sharon are active in their church and support a number of Christian ministries. They have a grown son Zachary.