The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington invites you to join us for our monthly Ford Evening Book Talk, which features authors and historians discussing their latest books about George Washington and our nation’s Founding era. Lectures are free and open to the public, and books will be available for purchase.

Mount Vernon has enjoyed a very special relationship with the Ford Motor Company dating back more than 90 years. We are grateful for their generous support and we applaud their abiding respect for American heritage.



Upcoming Events

Ford Evening Book Talk: The Great New York Fire of 1776

George Washington Presidential Library

Hear from Benjamin L. Carp, author of The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution. This exciting new book tells the untold story of who set the mysterious fire that burned down much of New York City shortly after the British took the city during the Revolutionary War. Carp takes readers on thorough investigation of the dramatic and catastrophic event, as well as its consequences for the city’s people and the Revolutionary cause.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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Ford Evening Book Talk: Beauty and the Brain

George Washington Presidential Library

Hear from Rachel E. Walker, author of Beauty and the Brain: The Science of Human Nature in Early America. 

This fascinating new book examines the history of phrenology and physiognomy, proposing a bold new way of understanding the connection between science, politics, and popular culture in early America. Walker provides an important history of how people tried to read facial features as a mark of character for both conservative and radical purposes.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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Ford Evening Book Talk: Alexandra Petri's US History

Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium

Hear from Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri, author of Alexandra Petri’s US History. 

This witty, absurdist satire of the last 500 years is the fake textbook you never knew you needed! This side-splitting work of historical humor shows why Petri has been hailed as a “genius,” a “national treasure,” and “one of the funniest writers alive.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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