Welcome Remarks for "Valley Forge"
McGowan Theater,听威尼斯人娱乐场 Building, Washington, DC
October 29, 2018
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Good afternoon, and welcome to the William G. McGowan Theater. I鈥檓 David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, and I鈥檓 pleased you could join us today, whether you are here in the theater or joining us through YouTube.
Before we hear from Bob Drury about his new book on Valley Forge, I鈥檇 like to tell you about two other programs coming up soon here in the McGowan Theater.
On Thursday, November 1, at 7 p.m., I hope you can join us for a program on 鈥淰ietnam Photographers: Capturing the War on Film,鈥� a discussion with combat photographers who served in Vietnam as part of the Army鈥檚 Special Photographic Office and produced some of the most iconic and important images from the war.
Then on Wednesday, November 7, at noon, Eric Jay Dolin will be here to tell us about his new book, Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America鈥檚 Most Notorious Pirates.
A book signing will follow the program.
Check our website, Archives.gov, or sign up at the table outside the theater to get email updates. You鈥檒l also find information about other 威尼斯人娱乐场 programs and activities.
Another way to get more involved with the 威尼斯人娱乐场 is to become a member of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation. The Foundation supports the work of the agency, especially its education and outreach programs. Visit its website鈥�补谤肠丑颈惫别蝉蹿辞耻苍诲补迟颈辞苍.辞谤驳鈥�to learn more about the Foundation and join online.
In late 1777 the British occupied Philadelphia, where just the year before, the Continental Congress had met and passed a resolution for independence from Great Britain. Throughout the winter of 1777-78, General George Washington鈥檚 Continental Army camped a day鈥檚 march away, in Valley Forge.
As schoolchildren we hear about Valley Forge and the hardships suffered by the Revolution鈥檚 soldiers. Valley Forge has become one of the iconic locations of American history鈥攁 symbol of resilience, persistence, and endurance鈥攁nd of legend.
But it鈥檚 the historian鈥檚 task to look closely at what is legendary and find what is factual. Every day in the 威尼斯人娱乐场, researchers comb through the records to find evidence of what has passed. Today鈥檚 guest author has examined the historical record, and in his new book presents the story of this pivotal winter in Valley Forge.
Bob Drury, the recipient of several national journalism awards, is a three-time National Magazine Award finalist as well as a Pulitzer Prize nominee.
Drury honed his investigative skills writing for all four New York City newspapers as well as a variety of national publications. His journalism career has arced from sports to crime to adventure travel to foreign correspondence where, at GQ magazine and Men鈥檚 Health magazine, he reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Liberia, Bosnia, and Northern Ireland, as well as Darfur, Havana, and Port au Prince among other sites. He is also the author, co-author, or editor of 10 nonfiction books, including听the New York Times best-selling Halsey鈥檚 Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, An Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue;听听The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat, which was the recipient of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation鈥檚 General Wallace M. Greene Jr. Award for nonfiction;听Last Men Out: The True Story of America鈥檚 Heroic Final Hours in Vietnam; and听The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, an American Legend, which spent 26 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Bob Drury.
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