A nationally recognized authority on the history and cultural significance of American barbecue traditions, Doug Worgul has been interviewed and/or cited in numerous national and regional newspapers and magazines on the subject, and has also appeared on two History Channel programs. He is the author of The Grand Barbecue: A Celebration of the History, Places, Personalities and Techniques of Kansas City Barbecue (Kansas City Star Books, 2001) as well as Thin Blue Smoke, an epic American redemption tale about love and loss, hope and despair, God and whiskey, barbecue and the blues.