As we mark the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, the celebrated historian Rick Atkinson will explore the people, passions, and battles that ignited and sustained the war. In conversation with Ryan J. Woods, he will also share insight on the process of researching and writing histories, including **The Fate of the Day**, the latest book in his Revolution Trilogy.  

“There is no better writer of narrative history than the Pulitzer Prize–winning Atkinson.” —The New York Times (Editors’ Choice)

Join us to hear from the celebrated American historian Rick Atkinson about his his career writing histories over three decades and his latest book, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780. Atkinson’s previous prize-winning works brought to life our nation during World War II (the Liberation Trilogy) and in other 20th-century conflicts. Now, in this 250th anniversary year, he explores the American Revolution. This second installment in the Revolution Trilogy dramatizes the war’s middle years, during which, in Pennsylvania, George Washington pleads with Congress to deliver the money, men, and materiel; in Paris, Benjamin Franklin woos the French; and, across the English Channel, King George III finds that war waged an ocean away is ruinously expensive. Atkinson shares the details of epic battles fought at Brandywine, Saratoga, Monmouth, and Charleston, and a winter of misery at Valley Forge. Atkinson’s brilliant account of the lethal conflict between the Americans and the British offers deeply researched and spectacularly dramatic history.  Don’t miss hearing from this acclaimed historian featured in Ken Burns' documentary “The American Revolution.”

Rick Atkinson is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seven previous works of history, including The Long Gray Line, the Liberation Trilogy (An Army at Dawn, The Day of Battle, and The Guns at Last Light), and The British Are Coming, the first volume of the Revolution Trilogy. He has won numerous awards, including Pulitzer Prizes for history and journalism. He was awarded American Ancestors’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

Ryan J. Woods is President and CEO of American Ancestors. An educator and historian, he has his dedicated professional life to developing experiences that educate, inspire, and connect people through the exploration of history, heritage, and culture. Ryan has recruited more than 1 billion searchable records to AmericanAncestors.org and, most recently, overseen the launch of the 10 Million Names Project and our new national headquarters and visitor center including the Family Heritage Experience at 97 Newbury Street in Boston. Among many leadership roles, he serves as a commissioner for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.