BOOK AUTHOR | MAGAZINE WRITER | TRAVELER
ANDREW LAWLER
BOOK AUTHOR | MAGAZINE WRITER | TRAVELER
ANDREW LAWLER
New from Andrew Lawler
Just in time for the 250th anniversary of American independence, A Perfect Frenzy provides a fresh way to see the Revolution. This fast-paced drama, featuring famous patriots like Washington and Jefferson as well as a host of lesser-known figures, follows the impossible choices, brave acts, and ruthless deeds that shaped the nation’s founding.
New from Andrew Lawler
Just in time for the 250th anniversary of American independence, A Perfect Frenzy provides a fresh way to see the Revolution. This fast-paced drama, featuring famous patriots like Washington and Jefferson as well as a host of lesser-known figures, follows the impossible choices, brave acts, and ruthless deeds that shaped the nation’s founding.
Andrew Lawler
Andrew Lawler is the author of four books: A Perfect Frenzy, Under Jerusalem, The Secret Token, and Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? He also has written more than a thousand newspaper and magazine articles, and his byline has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and Smithsonian. A contributing writer for Science and a contributing editor for Archaeology, he is the recipient of several awards for writing and reporting.
Andrew Lawler
Andrew Lawler is the author of four books: A Perfect Frenzy, Under Jerusalem, The Secret Token, and Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? He also has written more than a thousand newspaper and magazine articles, and his byline has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and Smithsonian. A contributing writer for Science and a contributing editor for Archaeology, he is the recipient of several awards for writing and reporting.
BOOKS
A Perfect Frenzy
A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis That Spurred the American Revolution
As the American Revolution broke out in New England in the spring of 1775, dramatic events unfolded far to the south that proved every bit as decisive as the battles of Lexington and Concord in uniting the colonies against Britain. Virginia, the largest, wealthiest, and most populous province in British North America, was governed by Lord Dunmore, a pugnacious Scottish earl. Outgunned and outmanned, he allied with the colony’s enslaved Africans, who made up two of every five Virginians and were eager to gain their freedom. Dunmore emancipated those who would fight for King George III and sent them into battle against their patriot owners as part of the first corps of Black soldiers in American history. The crisis that gripped Virginia in 1775 and 1776 has long been relegated to the background by historians, in part because it is the story of two liberty-seeking groups of Americans fighting against one another. This book shows how the upheaval in Virginia shaped the course of the Revolution–and sheds light on the issues or race, gun control, immigration, and the split between city and country that continue to divide the nation.
A Perfect Frenzy
A Royal Governor, His Black Allies and the Crisis That Spurred the American Revolution
As the American Revolution broke out in New England in the spring of 1775, dramatic events unfolded far to the south that proved every bit as decisive as the battles of Lexington and Concord in uniting the colonies against Britain. Virginia, the largest, wealthiest, and most populous province in British North America, was governed by Lord Dunmore, a pugnacious Scottish earl. Outgunned and outmanned, he allied with the colony’s enslaved Africans, who made up two of every five Virginians and were eager to gain their freedom. Dunmore emancipated those who would fight for King George III and sent them into battle against their patriot owners as part of the first corps of Black soldiers in American history. The crisis that gripped Virginia in 1775 and 1776 has long been relegated to the background by historians, in part because it is the story of two liberty-seeking groups of Americans fighting against one another. This book shows how the upheaval in Virginia shaped the course of the Revolution–and sheds light on the issues or race, gun control, immigration, and the split between city and country that continue to divide the nation.
Under Jerusalem
The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City
In 1863, a French senator digging in Jerusalem uncovered a stone casket filled with human bones and gold thread. He claimed it belonged to a queen mentioned in the Bible, and news of the find ricocheted around the world. In the century and a half since, treasure hunters, archaeologists, and religious zealots have vied to uncover artifacts like the fabled Ark of the Covenant. These efforts transformed our understanding of Jerusalem’s past, and sparked bloody riots, thwarted international peace agreements, and turned Jerusalem into the world’s most hotly contested place. This fast-paced historical account takes readers into the tombs, tunnels, and trenches of the Holy City, bringing to life the characters who investigated this subterranean landscape. Their actions helped inspire Jewish Zionists, create the state of Israel, and plant the seeds for today’s political and religious violence that continues to plague this city sacred to billions. “A sweeping tale of archaeological exploits and their cultural and political consequences, told with a historian’s penchant for detail and a journalist’s flair for narration,” says The Washington Post.
Under Jerusalem
The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City
In 1863, a French senator digging in Jerusalem uncovered a stone casket filled with human bones and gold thread. He claimed it belonged to a queen mentioned in the Bible, and news of the find ricocheted around the world. In the century and a half since, treasure hunters, archaeologists, and religious zealots have vied to uncover artifacts like the fabled Ark of the Covenant. These efforts transformed our understanding of Jerusalem’s past, and sparked bloody riots, thwarted international peace agreements, and turned Jerusalem into the world’s most hotly contested place. This fast-paced historical account takes readers into the tombs, tunnels, and trenches of the Holy City, bringing to life the characters who investigated this subterranean landscape. Their actions helped inspire Jewish Zionists, create the state of Israel, and plant the seeds for today’s political and religious violence that continues to plague this city sacred to billions. “A sweeping tale of archaeological exploits and their cultural and political consequences, told with a historian’s penchant for detail and a journalist’s flair for narration,” says The Washington Post.
The Secret Token
Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke
In 1587, 115 men, women, and children arrived at Roanoke Island on the coast of North Carolina to establish the first English colony in the New World–and then vanished. This book chronicles Andrew Lawler’s quest to solve an enigma that has obsessed generations of historians, archaeologists, and amateur sleuths. Who were these colonists, where did they go, and why does their story still haunt us? The Secret Token takes us into excavations and archives that provide clues to America’s oldest mystery. This national bestseller earns rave reviews from critics. The Washington Post calls it “crazy fun” as well as “surprisingly fresh and powerful,” while The Wall Street Journal deems it “the most authoritative account of the Lost Colony to date.” The Economist says that “Mr. Lawler is an intrepid guide to this treacherous territory,” adding that “his willingness to chase down every lead, no matter how outlandish, and his enthusiasm for the journey as much as the destination, make The Secret Token a lively and engaging read.”
The Secret Token
Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke
In 1587, 115 men, women, and children arrived at Roanoke Island on the coast of North Carolina to establish the first English colony in the New World–and then vanished. This book chronicles Andrew Lawler’s quest to solve an enigma that has obsessed generations of historians, archaeologists, and amateur sleuths. Who were these colonists, where did they go, and why does their story still haunt us? The Secret Token takes us into excavations and archives that provide clues to America’s oldest mystery. This national bestseller earns rave reviews from critics. The Washington Post calls it “crazy fun” as well as “surprisingly fresh and powerful,” while The Wall Street Journal deems it “the most authoritative account of the Lost Colony to date.” The Economist says that “Mr. Lawler is an intrepid guide to this treacherous territory,” adding that “his willingness to chase down every lead, no matter how outlandish, and his enthusiasm for the journey as much as the destination, make The Secret Token a lively and engaging read.”
Why Did The Chicken Cross The World?
The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization
Queen Victoria was obsessed with it. Socrates’ last words were about it. Charles Darwin and Louis Pasteur made their scientific breakthroughs using it. Catholic popes, African shamans, Chinese philosophers, and Muslim mystics praised it. Throughout the history of civilization, humans have embraced the chicken in every form imaginable—as a messenger of the gods, powerful sex symbol, gambling aid, emblem of resurrection, all-purpose medicine, handy research tool, inspiration for bravery, epitome of evil, and, of course, as the star of the world’s most famous joke. Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? takes readers into ancient temples, cockfighting pits, and modern laboratories in the search for the origins of this all-important animal that has been crucial to the spread of civilization around the globe. To follow the path of the chicken is to see more clearly how humans spread across the planet, and to appreciate more fully the vital role played by the humble bird as humans took flight. Says Kirkus: “A splendid book full of obsessive travel and research in history, mythology, archaeology, biology, literature and religion.”
Why Did The Chicken Cross The World?
The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization
Queen Victoria was obsessed with it. Socrates’ last words were about it. Charles Darwin and Louis Pasteur made their scientific breakthroughs using it. Catholic popes, African shamans, Chinese philosophers, and Muslim mystics praised it. Throughout the history of civilization, humans have embraced the chicken in every form imaginable—as a messenger of the gods, powerful sex symbol, gambling aid, emblem of resurrection, all-purpose medicine, handy research tool, inspiration for bravery, epitome of evil, and, of course, as the star of the world’s most famous joke. Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? takes readers into ancient temples, cockfighting pits, and modern laboratories in the search for the origins of this all-important animal that has been crucial to the spread of civilization around the globe. To follow the path of the chicken is to see more clearly how humans spread across the planet, and to appreciate more fully the vital role played by the humble bird as humans took flight. Says Kirkus: “A splendid book full of obsessive travel and research in history, mythology, archaeology, biology, literature and religion.”