Bissland earned a bachelor's degree in history from Cornell University, a master's in American history from the University of Massachusetts, and a PhD in mass communication from the University of Iowa after course work there and at Brown University that included some course work in history. He taught at Bowling Green State University for twenty years before retiring to devote himself to writing. He is the author, co-author, or editor of several books, including Bountiful Ohio: Good Food and Stories from Where the Heartland Begins and Long River Winding: Life, Love, and Death Along the Connecticut.