In addition to being a leader in the field of public history, Dr. Groce is a published scholar and authority on the Civil War and U.S. military history. His first book, Mountain Rebels: East Tennessee Confederates and the Civil War, was based on his doctoral dissertation and published by the University of Tennessee Press in 1999. In 2005 he co-edited with Stephen V. Ash Nineteenth Century America: Essays in Honor of Paul H. Bergeron, also published by UT Press. He has written over 100 articles, essays and book reviews for publications ranging from the New York Times to the Journal of Southern History. Dr. Groce lectures to a wide variety of audiences, including college students, university faculty, K-12 teachers, and the general public. He has made television appearances on the BBC, the Discovery Channel, C-SPAN, the History Channel, Georgia Public Television, and various internet classroom productions.

Dr. Groce was born in Virginia and grew up there and in Tennessee. He holds three degrees in history, including a PhD from the University of Tennessee. He is avid outdoorsman who enjoys hiking, hunting, and tramping old battlefields.