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Washington Gone Crazy
by YbarraIN THIS SWEEPING, monumental work of American history, journalist Michael J. Ybarra tells the story of Senator Pat McCarran’s extraordinary career for the first time, and he vividly re-creates a passionate era of politics that reshaped America and echoes to this day. Brilliantly researched and energetically written,Washington Gone Crazymakes a significant new contribution to our understanding of the United States in the twentieth century. McCarran was one of the most shrewd and powerful — and vindictive — lawmakers ever to sit in Congress. Joe McCarthy gave his name to the cause of zealous anti-Communism, but it was McCarran, a lifelong Democrat, who actually wrote the laws, held the hearings, and bullied the State and Justice Departments into doing his bidding. McCarran was consumed with looking for Communists in Washington and his obsession almost consumed the country. The son of illiterate Irish immigrants, McCarran was born in 1876 in Nevada, where he grew up to be a sheepherder who taught himself the law around the campfire, becoming a legendary defense attorney and judge. After struggling for years against the local Democratic political machine, McCarran rode Franklin Roosevelt’s landslide into the U. S. Senate in 1932 — and broke ranks with Roosevelt during the New Deal’s first week. But it was President Harry Truman who would become McCarran’s real nemesis. A master of parliamentary procedure, McCarran turned his Senate Judiciary Committee into a virtual government within the government. McCarran worked with J. Edgar Hoover to undermine the Truman Administration before McCarthy even got to Washington. He created the most far-reaching anti-sedition law ever enacted in America (the McCarran Internal Security Act), which filled Ellis Island with immigrants alleged to be subversives and set up concentration camps to hold suspected traitors in the case of a national emergency. McCarran’s Senate Internal Security Subcommittee cowed the State Department into sacrificing the careers of diplomats accused of helping the Communists take over China. McCarran virtually blackmailed more than one attorney general into carrying out his policies. From Capitol Hill to the United Nations, from union halls to Hollywood, McCarran’s wrath broke careers and lives and ultimately, in a self-destructive fit of pique, cost his party control of the Senate. Ybarra’s even-handed narrative shows that McCarran was ultimately half right: There really were Communists in Washington — but it was the hunt for them that did the real damage.
Washington Gone Crazy: Senator Pat McCarran and the Great American Communist Hunt
by Michael J. YbarraStory of events leading up to the McCarthy excesses.
Washington Information Directory 2021-2022
by Cq PressThe Washington Information Directory (WID) is a topically organized reference resource that lists contact information for federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the Washington metro area along with a brief paragraph describing what each organization does related to that topic. In addition, The Washington Information Directory pulls together 55 organization charts for federal agencies, congressional resources related to each chapter topic, hotline and contact information for various specific areas of interest (from Food Safety Resources to internships in Washington), and an extensive list of active congressional caucuses and contact details.
Washington Information Directory 2021-2022
by Cq PressThe Washington Information Directory (WID) is a topically organized reference resource that lists contact information for federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the Washington metro area along with a brief paragraph describing what each organization does related to that topic. In addition, The Washington Information Directory pulls together 55 organization charts for federal agencies, congressional resources related to each chapter topic, hotline and contact information for various specific areas of interest (from Food Safety Resources to internships in Washington), and an extensive list of active congressional caucuses and contact details.
Washington Information Directory 2023-2024
by Cq PressThe Washington Information Directory (WID) is a topically organized reference resource that lists contact information for federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the Washington metro area along with a brief paragraph describing what each organization does related to that topic. In addition, WID pulls together 55 organization charts for federal agencies, congressional resources related to each chapter topic, hotline and contact information for various specific areas of interest (from Food Safety Resources to internships in Washington), and an extensive list of active congressional caucuses and contact details. WID has two appendices, one with thorough information on congresspersons and committees, and the second with governors and embassies.
Washington Information Directory 2023-2024
by Cq PressThe Washington Information Directory (WID) is a topically organized reference resource that lists contact information for federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the Washington metro area along with a brief paragraph describing what each organization does related to that topic. In addition, WID pulls together 55 organization charts for federal agencies, congressional resources related to each chapter topic, hotline and contact information for various specific areas of interest (from Food Safety Resources to internships in Washington), and an extensive list of active congressional caucuses and contact details. WID has two appendices, one with thorough information on congresspersons and committees, and the second with governors and embassies.
Washington Internships
by Deirdre MartinezFor students interested in a career in politics and public service, Washington Internships is an invaluable guide to landing that crucial first position in America's capital. Deirdre Martinez, a former policy analyst and legislative director, shares practical strategies for each phase of the internship process. She has helped place hundreds of young people in internships of all kinds, and shares not just what to do but when to do it. The book shows how to develop relevant interests, what skills to develop, how to enhance the resume (poli sci course work not required!), and how to ace the interview. Just as important, it shows how to become a valued intern and build the relationships that lead to post-graduation job offers. Washington Internships also provides insider tips on dealing with grunt work, the pitfalls of "crossing the aisle," and how to find summer housing, deal with background checks, and negotiate Washington fashion ("zombie chic").Washington Internships is the only career publication focused on entry-level policy and government work. It covers all branches of government, federal agencies, lobbying firms, advocacy organizations, and think tanks. Whether you're a young activist or a future power broker, this book will help you grab the first rung of the public service career ladder.
Washington Journal: Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon's Downfall
by Elizabeth DrewAn updated edition of the landmark work of political journalism:“Unquestionably the best book yet on Watergate, and conceivably the best we will ever get.” —Greil Marcus, Rolling StoneWashington Journal opens in 1973 and follows the deterioration of Richard Nixon’s presidency in real time. With her unprecedented access to the top figures, Elizabeth Drew’s on-the-scene reporting is even more remarkable in hindsight, as Washington Journal captures the feeling of the period and reports conversations with the key decision-makers as they made up their minds about the most fateful vote they would cast. It also shows us the sense of fear among both close observers and the citizenry, as well as their nervous laughter at the era’s absurdities. Drew understands Richard Nixon as well as this most complex figure can be understood, and she shows how he brought himself down. This edition includes a new afterword revealing the fascinating—and frequently hilarious—story of Nixon’s efforts to regain respectability after he’d been forced from office, and also offers original insights into the meaning of Watergate andNixon. Rich with new information unavailable at the time, the afterword is a major addition to a unique and enduring work of reportage.“Tells the story not as a tidy tale with a clear beginning and inevitable end, but as an experience thick with confusion, rumors, alarm, and half-truths . . . Helpful for trying to understand what it is like to live through a period of great confusion and potentially great import.” —Ezra Klein“An amazing book that more than stands the test of time.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize winner and #1 New York Times-bestselling author of And There Was Light“To understand how the melodrama played out in real time in the capital, there may be no better guide than Washington Journal.” —Frank Rich, New York Magazine
Washington Lawyer
by Allan TopolIn the high-stakes world of Washington politics, hotshot lawyer Andrew Martin is being put to the test. When long-time friend Senator William Jasper calls, it's with explosive newsâand a favor to ask. A sex tryst at Martin's beach house in Anguilla has gone awry and former model Vanessa Boyd is dead. Just how far will Martin go to protect the chief justice nomination he's built his entire career on? Staggered by the sudden death of her twin sister, archeologist Allison Boyd drops everything to fly home to her grieving family. But when she realizes that the pieces to the puzzle simply won't add up, she is determined to discover the truth behind her sister's death. Launching an investigation that will unveil a treasonous plot backed by foreign interests and enabled by blackmail, Allison finds herself up against something bigger and more lethal than she could have ever imagined. With Martin's star associate Paul Maltoni at her side, she uncovers a complex, interconnected web of lies that will expose some of Washington's most influential power players. And she will not rest until she sees them ruined. From the best-selling author of the Craig Page series, The Washington Lawyer is a penetrating glimpse into Capitol Hill's seedy underbelly. High-powered DC lawyer Allan Topol impresses again with this escapade into the intricate underpinnings of Washington's elite, drawing you into a net of questionable morals, deadly intrigues, and treachery from which there is no escape.
The Washington Lawyer: A Political Thriller
by Allan TopolIn the high-stakes world of Washington politics, hotshot lawyer Andrew Martin is being put to the test. When long-time friend Senator William Jasper calls, it's with explosive news-a sex tryst at Martin's beach house in Anguilla has gone awry and former model Vanessa Boyd is dead. Just how far will Martin go to protect the chief justice nomination he's built his entire career on? Archeologist Allison Boyd is determined to discover the truth behind her twin sister's sudden death. Launching an investigation that will reveal staggering secrets, Allison uncovers a complex web of lies that will expose some of Washington's most influential power players. And she will not rest until she sees them ruined. From best-selling author and DC lawyer Allan Topol, The Washington Lawyer is a penetrating glimpse into Capitol Hill's seedy underbelly, the politics of power, and the intricate underpinnings of Washington's elite.
Washington Merry-Go-Round: The Drew Pearson Diaries, 1960-1969
by Drew Pearson Peter Hannaford Richard Norton SmithFor most of three decades, Drew Pearson was the most well-known journalist in the United States. In his daily newspaper column—the most widely syndicated in the nation—and on radio and television broadcasts, he chronicled the political and public policy news of the nation. At the same time, he worked his way into the inner circles of policy makers in the White House and Congress, lobbying for issues he believed would promote better government and world peace. Pearson, however, still found time to record his thoughts and observations in his personal diary. Published here for the first time, Washington Merry-Go-Round presents Pearson’s private impressions of life inside the Beltway from 1960 to 1969, revealing how he held the confidence of presidents—especially Lyndon B. Johnson—congressional leaders, media moguls, political insiders, and dozens of otherwise unknown sources of information. His direct interactions with the DC glitterati, including Bobby Kennedy and Douglas MacArthur, are featured throughout his diary, drawing the reader into the compelling political intrigues of 1960s Washington and providing the mysterious backstory on the famous and the notorious of the era.
The Washington Post Pulitzers: Commentary, Kathleen Parker
by Kathleen ParkerRecipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Kathleen Parker, former staff writer for the Orlando Sentinel and author of SAVE THE MALES: WHY MEN MATTER, WHY WOMEN SHOULD CARE, informs and astounds readers with her Pulitzer Prize-winning columns for The Washington Post. No subject too charged or controversial; Parker tackles topics as incendiary as abortion, as charged as race, as current as President Obama, as deceptively whimsical as Twitter. Shaped by wisdom, originality, and good, old-fashioned reporting, Kathleen Parker never fails to leave her readers entertained and enlightened.
The Washington Post Pulitzers: National Reporting, Carol Leonnig
by Carol LeonnigThe Secret Service has one of the most important jobs in the United States. In this Pulitzer Prize winning investigation, Carol Leonnig’s exposes the dereliction of duty that has put the President—and the nation—at risk. In September of 2014, a man leapt the White House fence, ran across the lawn, and got into the mansion, where he was only later tackled by an off-duty agent who happened by. In 2011, the Secret Service mishandled the aftermath when a shooter took aim at the White House itself, sewing confusion within the division and amongst the First Family. The mission of the Secret Service is to keep our leaders safe. In this respect, the Secret Service has had a string of failures bordering on near-catastrophe. Carol Leonnig got beyond the stonewalling of the Secret Service, notoriously tight-lipped about its procedures, and its shortcomings, to write a meticulously researched, utterly devastating expose into one of the most vital police forces in America. She has chronicled security lapses, mishandled resources, failures from the leadership on down, and reported on the men and women who protect the President. This Pulitzer Prize winning work offers an unprecedented window into the flaws of an agency that once seemed picture-perfect. Many agents and officers spoke to Leonnig at the risk of their livelihoods. The impact of her groundbreaking work cannot be underestimated: the President, present and future, will be safer.
Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War
by Andrew J. BacevichThe bestselling author of The Limits of Power critically examines the Washington consensus on national security and why it must change. For the last half century, as administrations have come and gone, the fundamental assumptions about America's military policy have remained unchanged: American security requires the United States (and us alone) to maintain a permanent armed presence around the globe, to prepare our forces for military operations in far-flung regions, and to be ready to intervene anywhere at any time. In the Obama era, just as in the Bush years, these beliefs remain unquestioned gospel. In a vivid, incisive analysis, Andrew J. Bacevich succinctly presents the origins of this consensus, forged at a moment when American power was at its height. He exposes the preconceptions, biases, and habits that underlie our pervasive faith in military might, especially the notion that overwhelming superiority will oblige others to accommodate America's needs and desires; whether for cheap oil, cheap credit, or cheap consumer goods. And he challenges the usefulness of our militarism as it has become both unaffordable and increasingly dangerous. Though our politicians deny it, American global might is faltering. This is the moment, Bacevich argues, to reconsider the principles which shape American policy in the world; to acknowledge that fixing Afghanistan should not take precedence over fixing Detroit. Replacing this Washington consensus is crucial to America's future, and may yet offer the key to the country's salvation.
Washington State Politics and Government (Politics and Governments of the American States)
by T.M. SellIn the twenty-first century, as many candidates actively campaign against the very government they seek to serve in, and as many people appear to believe their government irreparably broken, T. M. Sell argues that in Washington State, the system works better than most realize. In Washington State Politics and Government Sell explains how the many parts of government function and introduces readers to a diverse array of individuals who work in government, including how they got there and what it is they&’re trying to do. Sell covers the three branches of state government, plus county, city, special purpose district, and tribal governments. He explains the state budgets and taxes; the functions of major and better-known state agencies; how policy is made; the political landscape of Washington; and parties, voting, and elections. Sell discusses economic development, including the importance of high-tech industry, aviation, Amazon.com, and more traditional parts of the state economy, such as timber and agriculture. He also provides a contemporary look at Washington&’s elected officials, constitution, judiciary, media, demographics, and political culture and landscape. With this volume, any Washington citizen, student of politics, or specialist in government can gain insight into the state&’s current political system.
The Washington Stratagem
by Adam LeborIn this new international thriller from the author of The Geneva Option, UN covert negotiator Yael Azoulay is drawn into a web of betrayal and intrigue that leads from deep within America's military-industrial complex to the Middle East and beyond.Yael Azoulay went rogue in Geneva and nearly lost her life; although her physical wounds are healed, she will never be able to forget what happened. Now back in New York, when the secretary-general asks her to meet with the CEO of the Prometheus Group, a lobbying and asset management firm with extensive links to the Pentagon and dubious business interests in the volatile Middle East, she cannot refuse his request.Working under Prometheus's radar, Yael uncovers a chilling conspiracy with ties to Iran . . . and to a shocking source from her past. The end game is nothing less than a devastating--and very lucrative--new war in the Middle East. But the closer she comes to the truth, the more Yael begins to expose herself, revealing a life riddled with secrets. As she confronts the ghosts of her past, the few certainties of her life begin to crumble around her, laying bare a terrifying truth: that she has enormously powerful enemies who neither forgive, nor forget.
The Washington War: FDR's Inner Circle and the Politics of Power That Won World War II
by James LaceyA Team of Rivals for World War II—the inside story of how FDR and the towering personalities around him waged war in the corridors of Washington, D.C., to secure ultimate victory on the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific. The Washington War is the story of how the Second World War was fought and won in the capital’s halls of power—and how the United States, which in December 1941 had a nominal army and a decimated naval fleet, was able in only thirty months to fling huge forces onto the European continent and shortly thereafter shatter Imperial Japan’s Pacific strongholds. Three quarters of a century after the overwhelming defeat of the totalitarian Axis forces, the terrifying, razor-thin calculus on which so many critical decisions turned has been forgotten—but had any of these debates gone the other way, the outcome of the war could have been far different: The army in August 1941, about to be disbanded, saved by a single vote. Production plans that would have delayed adequate war matériel for years after Pearl Harbor, circumvented by one uncompromising man’s courage and drive. The delicate ballet that precluded a separate peace between Stalin and Hitler. The almost-adopted strategy to stage D-Day at a fatally different time and place. It was all a breathtakingly close-run thing, again and again. Renowned historian James Lacey takes readers behind the scenes in the cabinet rooms, the Pentagon, the Oval Office, and Hyde Park, and at the pivotal conferences—Campobello Island, Casablanca, Tehran—as these disputes raged. Here are colorful portraits of the great figures—and forgotten geniuses—of the day: New Dealers versus industrialists, political power brokers versus the generals, Churchill and the British high command versus the U.S. chiefs of staff, innovators versus entrenched bureaucrats . . . with the master manipulator, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at the center, setting his brawling patriots one against the other and promoting and capitalizing on the furious turf wars. Based on years of research and extensive, previously untapped archival resources, The Washington War is the first integrated, comprehensive chronicle of how all these elements—and towering personalities—clashed and ultimately coalesced at each vital turning point, the definitive account of Washington at real war and the titanic political and bureaucratic infighting that miraculously led to final victory.
The Washingtons
by Flora FraserA full-scale portrait of the marriage of the father and mother of our country--and of the struggle for independence that he led The Washingtons' long union begins in colonial Virginia in 1759, when George Washington woos and weds Martha Dandridge Parke Custis, a pretty, charming, and very rich young widow. The calm early years of their marriage as plantation owners at Mount Vernon and as parents to Martha's two children, Jacky and Patsy--both of whom present difficult challenges--yield to harsher times. Washington has been prominent among Virginians in opposing British government measures, and at the outbreak of fighting in 1775 he is elected commander-in-chief of the Continental army. The war sees Martha resolutely supporting her husband, sharing in the hardships at Valley Forge and other wretched winter headquarters. Essential to George's personal well-being, she is known as "Lady Washington"--a redoubtable and vastly admired figure in her own right.Flora Fraser provides us with a brilliant account of the public Washington and of the war he waged, and gives us, as well, the domestic Washingtons, whether at Mount Vernon before and during the war or in New York and Philadelphia during his presidency. Even in wartime, Martha manages to scour Philadelphia to find a doll for her newest granddaughter and keeps careful control of her Virginia inheritance. George grapples with a formidable enemy, without proper troops and often without basic supplies--his soldiers frequently lack rations, blankets, even shoes--while always fearful for his wife's welfare and safety, given the constant worry that the British might descend on Mount Vernon. Even so, a true Virginian, he manages to dance for more than three hours with Alexander Hamilton's pretty young wife at a makeshift ball.With victory and the arrival of peace in 1783, the Washingtons hope to remain at home, a hope dashed when, in 1789, George is elected our first president and Martha becomes a faultless first First Lady. During the presidency, they together negotiate the many pitfalls of establishing republican entertainment--the weekly "Congress dinner," levées, and drawing rooms--before, finally free of official responsibilities after Washington's second term, they are at last able to retreat to their beloved Mount Vernon.This is a remarkable story of a remarkable pair as well as a gripping narrative of the birth of a nation--a major, and vastly appealing, contribution to the literature of our founding fathers . . . and founding mother.From the Hardcover edition.
Washington's Circle
by David S. Heidler Jeanne T. HeidlerHistory enthusiasts and admirers of Team of Rivals will rejoice in this magisterial account of the extraordinary Americans who served the nation's first chief executive: Together, they created the presidency for a country disgusted by crowns and the people who would wear them. In 1789, as George Washington became the first president of the United States, the world was all but certain that the American experiment in liberty and representative government would founder. More than a few Americans feared that the world was right. In Washington's Circle, we see how Washington and his trusted advisers, close friends, and devoted family defied the doomsayers to lay the foundation for an enduring constitutional republic. This is a fresh look at an aloof man whose service in the Revolutionary War had already earned him the acclaim of fellow citizens. Washington was easy to revere, if difficult to know. David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler reveal Washington's character through his relationship with his inner circle, showing how this unlikely group created the office of the presidency. Here is a story of cooperation, confrontation, triumph, and disappointment, as the president, Congress, and the courts sorted out the limits of executive power, quarreled over funding the government, coped with domestic strife, and faced a world at war while trying to keep their country at peace. Even more, it is a story of remarkable people striving for extraordinary achievements. Many of these characters are familiar as historic icons, but in these pages they act and speak as living individuals: the often irked and frequently irksome John Adams, in the vice presidency; the mercurial Alexander Hamilton, leading the Treasury Department; the brilliant, deceptively cunning Thomas Jefferson, as secretary of state; James Madison, who was Washington's advocate--and his eyes and ears--in Congress; and Washington's old friend and former brother-in-arms Henry Knox, at the administration's beleaguered War Department. Their stories mingle with those of Edmund Randolph, John Jay, Gouverneur Morris, and the others who stood with a self-educated Virginia farmer to forge the presidency into an institution protective of its privileges but respectful of congressional prerogatives. Written with energy, wit, and an eye for vivid detail, Washington's Circle is the fascinating account of the people who met the most formidable challenges of the government's earliest hours with pluck, ability, and enviable resourcefulness. When the world said they would fail, they rolled up their sleeves. This is their story.
Washington's Crossing
by David Hackett FischerSix months after the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution was all but lost. A powerful British force had routed the Americans at New York, occupied three colonies, and advanced within sight of Philadelphia.<P><P> Yet, as David Hackett Fischer recounts in this riveting history, George Washington--and many other Americans--refused to let the Revolution die. On Christmas night, as a howling nor'easter struck the Delaware Valley, he led his men across the river and attacked the exhausted Hessian garrison at Trenton, killing or capturing nearly a thousand men. A second battle of Trenton followed within days. The Americans held off a counterattack by Lord Cornwallis's best troops, then were almost trapped by the British force. Under cover of night, Washington's men stole behind the enemy and struck them again, defeating a brigade at Princeton. The British were badly shaken. In twelve weeks of winter fighting, their army suffered severe damage, their hold on New Jersey was broken, and their strategy was ruined.<P> Fischer's richly textured narrative reveals the crucial role of contingency in these events. We see how the campaign unfolded in a sequence of difficult choices by many actors, from generals to civilians, on both sides. While British and German forces remained rigid and hierarchical, Americans evolved an open and flexible system that was fundamental to their success. The startling success of Washington and his compatriots not only saved the faltering American Revolution, but helped to give it new meaning.<P> Pulitzer Prize Winner
Washington's Dark Secret: The Real Truth about Terrorism and Islamic Extremism
by John MaszkaAs a scholar of terrorism, John Maszka has examined how politics, the media, and the War on Terror play off one another. His most startling claim is that the War on Terror is a war for natural resources—and that terrorism has little to do with it. Once the military became mechanized, oil quickly became the most sought-after commodity on the planet, and the race for energy was eventually framed as a matter of national security. Ironically, Maszka argues, the true threats to national security are the massive oil conglomerates themselves. Maszka delves into the repercussions of a government that capitalizes on an us versus them mentality, such as the demonizing of an entire religion, sensationalizing “radical” violent attacks, and loosely applying the word “terrorism.” Because the United States’ current approach to terrorism has led to the politicization and abuse of the term, Maszka suggests a need for a standardized definition of terrorism. Currently, too many acts of violence can be labeled terrorism, resulting in state and nonstate actors labeling their enemies as “terrorists,” yet claiming their own acts of violence as legitimate and retributive. Maszka argues that much of the violence labeled as terrorism today is not terrorism at all. In an ambitious attempt to connect seemingly unrelated events in politics and the media, Maszka offers an unflinching portrayal of the hypocrisy underlying our foreign policy.
Washington's End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle
by Jonathan HornPopular historian and former White House speechwriter Jonathan Horn &“provides a captivating and enlightening look at George Washington&’s post-presidential life and the politically divided country that was part of his legacy&” (New York Journal of Books).Beginning where most biographies of George Washington leave off, Washington&’s End opens with the first president exiting office after eight years and entering what would become the most bewildering stage of his life. Embittered by partisan criticism and eager to return to his farm, Washington assumed a role for which there was no precedent at a time when the kings across the ocean yielded their crowns only upon losing their heads. In a different sense, Washington would lose his head, too. In this riveting read, bestselling author Jonathan Horn reveals that the quest to surrender power proved more difficult than Washington imagined and brought his life to an end he never expected. The statesman who had staked his legacy on withdrawing from public life would feud with his successors and find himself drawn back into military command. The patriarch who had dedicated his life to uniting his country would leave his name to a new capital city destined to become synonymous with political divisions. A &“movable feast of a book&” (Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author of 1944), immaculately researched, and powerfully told through the eyes not only of Washington but also of his family members, friends, and foes, Washington&’s End is &“an outstanding biographical work on one of America&’s most prominent leaders (Library Journal).
Washington's Farewell: The Founding Father's Warning to Future Generations
by John Avlon“A vivid portrait…A thoughtful consideration of Washington’s wisdom that couldn’t be timelier.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) George Washington’s Farewell Address was a prophetic letter from a “parting friend” to his fellow citizens about the forces he feared could destroy our democracy: hyper-partisanship, excessive debt, and foreign wars.Once celebrated as civic scripture, more widely reprinted than the Declaration of Independence, the Farewell Address is now almost forgotten. Its message remains starkly relevant. In Washington’s Farewell, John Avlon offers a stunning portrait of our first president and his battle to save America from self-destruction. At the end of his second term, Washington surprised Americans by publishing his Farewell message in a newspaper. The President called for unity among “citizens by birth or choice,” advocated moderation, defended religious pluralism, proposed a foreign policy of independence (not isolation), and proposed that education is essential to democracy. He established the precedent for the peaceful transfer of power. Washington’s urgent message was adopted by Jefferson after years of opposition and quoted by Lincoln in defense of the Union. Woodrow Wilson invoked it for nation-building; Eisenhower for Cold War; Reagan for religion. Now the Farewell Address may inspire a new generation to re-center our politics and reunite our nation through the lessons rooted in Washington’s experience. As John Avlon describes the perilous state of the new nation that Washington was preparing to leave as its leader, with enduring wisdom, he reveals him to be the indispensable Founding Father.