The publishing company that became Stackpole Books has its origins with the Evening Telegraph in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which was founded in the early 19th century.

It published textbooks for the military services, including Army Officer’s Guide, which is still in print in an updated edition by Stackpole Books.

Stackpole Sons published books starting in 1936[3] on a variety of subjects, including fiction by Damon Runyon and John Fante[4] and autobiographies by Benny Goodman[5] and Huey Long.

During World War II, Military Services Publishing Company produced small, inexpensive paperback reprints of fiction titles for soldiers.

About twice the size of Armed Services Editions (ASEs), these books were still small enough to carry easily in military uniform cargo pockets.

E. J. Stackpole Jr. himself was an esteemed author of American Civil War history; his popular titles for the house are They Met at Gettysburg, The Fredericksburg Campaign, Chancellorsville, and Sheridan in the Shenandoah.