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

Bonus Ford Evening Book Talk: General David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts

George Washington Presidential Library

Hear from General David Petraeus and acclaimed British biographer Andrew Roberts, authors of Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine. 

Two leading authorities—an acclaimed historian and the outstanding battlefield commander and strategist of our time—collaborate on a landmark examination of war since 1945. Conflict is both a sweeping history of the evolution of warfare up to Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine, and a penetrating analysis of what we must learn from the past—and anticipate in the future—in order to navigate an increasingly perilous world.

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

REGISTER

We are completely full for in-person attendance, but welcome you to participate virtually.

VirtualBuy the Book

Learn More

Ford Evening Book Talk: First Family

George Washington Presidential Library

Hear from award-winning historian Cassandra A. Good, author of First Family: George Washington's Heirs and the Making of America. 

Dr. Good shows how the outspoken stepgrandchildren of George Washington played an overlooked but important role in the development of American society and politics from the Revolution to the Civil War.

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

REGISTER

In Person VirtualBuy the Book

Learn More

Ford Evening Book Talk: Mason-Dixon

Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium

Hear from award-winning historian Edward G. Gray, author of Mason-Dixon: Crucible of the Nation. 

Dr. Gray provides the first comprehensive history of the Mason-Dixon Line―a dramatic story of imperial rivalry and settler-colonial violence, the bonds of slavery and the fight for freedom.

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

REGISTER

In PersonVirtualBuy the Book

Learn More

Ford Evening Book Talk: Sailing Upwind

Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium

Hear from retired U. S. Navy admiral and chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board Sandy Winnefeld, author of Sailing Upwind: Leadership and Risk from TopGun to the Situation Room. 

Admiral Winnefeld offers useful reflections regarding how he accepted and managed risk along the way, as well as a concise description of the qualities one must develop to become a successful leader.

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

REGISTER

In PersonVirtual

Learn More
Login
Buy Tickets Activities Calendar Shop Restaurant Give Membership
Estate Hours

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

iconDirections & Parking
buy tickets online & save