Join nationally bestselling author Andrew Lawler for a discussion of his new book, A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis That Spurred the American Revolution. This powerful work explores a dramatic and often overlooked chapter of Virginia history during the early days of the American Revolution.

Lawler examines the role of Virginia’s royal governor, Lord Dunmore, whose decision to free and arm enslaved Africans led to the creation of the Ethiopian Regiment—the first corps of Black soldiers in American history. The resulting conflict, including the destruction of Norfolk and escalating tensions between patriots and the British crown, helped push the colonies toward independence.

Through engaging storytelling and in-depth research, Lawler offers a fresh perspective on the Revolution and its lasting influence on issues that continue to shape America today.

“Just in time for the 250th anniversary of American independence, A Perfect Frenzy casts the nation’s founding in a whole new light. Andrew Lawler finds fresh voices and novel ways of looking at the start of the Revolution—and, best of all, he offers the historian’s holy grail of an original argument. I love this book.”
— Woody Holton, author of Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution

Andrew Lawler is also the author of the national bestseller The Secret Token and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and Smithsonian.

All are welcome to attend.