John Ferling

***** UPDATED! ***** No event in American history was more pivotal-or more furiously contested-than Congress's decision to declare independence in July 1776. Even months after American blood had been shed at Lexington and Concord, many colonists remained loyal to Britain. John Adams, a leader of the ... (more)revolutionary effort, said bringing the fractious colonies together was like getting "thirteen clocks to strike at once." Other books have been written about the Declaration, but no author has traced the political journey from protest to Revolution with the narrative scope and flair of John Ferling. Independence takes readers from the cobblestones of Philadelphia into the halls of Parliament, where many sympathized with the Americans and furious debate erupted over how to deal with the rebellion. Independence is not only the story of how freedom was won, but how an empire was lost. At this remarkable moment in history, high-stakes politics was intertwined with a profound debate about democracy, governance, and justice. John Ferling, drawing on a lifetime of scholarship, brings this passionate struggle to life as no other historian could. Independence will be hailed as the finest work yet from the author Michael Beschloss calls "a national resource."

John Ferling, one of the most prominent scholars of early American history, joins us to discuss his magnificent new book, ”Independence: The Struggle to Set America Free.” it is a perceptive and knowledgeable chronicle of events that led to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. His lively, informative ... (more)book overturns the commonly held belief that the road to independence was inevitable, showing instead that it followed a complicated course that even many of the Founding Fathers could not have anticipated. Ferling has spoken here to large crowds before with his books ”The Ascent of George Washington,” ”A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic” and ”Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence.” We’ll have copies of his new book for sale and signing at this event.

John Ferling, the award-winning historian, returns with his perceptive new look at a familiar figure, The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon. Hailed as a man who put country above politics and who served only for the best interest of his country, Washington is ... (more)shown by Ferling to be a great man in spite of his deep personal ambition and the decisions he made based on political considerations. This is Ferling's seventh book about our Founding Fathers including A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic and Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800. Monday, June 8, 7:15 p.m., Decatur Library Auditorium.

Banner Lecture The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon by John Ferling Virginia Historical Society (428 North Boulevard, Richmond) Thursday, May 28, 2009 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Free with VHS admission ($5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 students, free under 18, free ... (more)members) John Ferling has drawn on his unsurpassed knowledge of the Revolutionary War era to provide a fresh and provocative new portrait of the greatest of the Founders in The Ascent of George Washington. Dr. Ferling is the author of an earlier biography of George Washington and numerous books on the American Revolution.

Title: Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800Author: John Ferling