He is author of four books on Abraham Lincoln and eight other histories on topics relating to the American Civil War.
Waugh resides in North Texas with his wife, Kathleen Dianne Lively, a social work administrator.
He was a media specialist on the staff of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller from 1973 to 1976 and press secretary to Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico from 1983 to 1988.
His contributions to periodicals include articles in Civil War History, American Heritage, Civil War Times Illustrated, Columbiad, The Washington Post Book World, The New York Times., The New Republic, The Nation, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Boston Globe, and The Boston Herald American.
He has been a consultant to organizations including the National Archives and Records Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Atlantic Richfield Company, the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and West Virginia Public Radio.