From: Maryland Historical Society
201 W. Monument St.
Baltimore, MD. 21201-4674
(410) 685-3750 www.mdhs.org
Contact: Marc Apter, 301-904-3690, mapter@mdhs.org
Contact Marc Apter to arrange advance interviews
Author of “The Duchess” speaks at Maryland Historical Society
Amanda Foreman speaks on her New York Times Bestseller A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War
Book to be turned into BBC/HBO series
Baltimore, Maryland (August 10, 2011) – The American Civil War was not strictly an American conflict. On Thursday, November 10, 2011 historian, writer and broadcaster Amanda Foreman will speak on her latest book, A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War at the Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument St. in Baltimore at 6:00 pm. A World on Fire, published June 28, 2011, has been a New York Times Bestseller for the past month. Her lecture will be followed by a book signing and reception. Fees are $35 for MdHS members, $50 for non-members. For more information or to RSVP by November 4th, contact 410-685-3750 ext. 337 or estafford@mdhs.org.
Historian Amanda Foreman took 12 years to write A World on Fire, her follow-up to the best-selling Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. At a mighty 1,000 pages, this book examines the role Britain and its citizens played in the American Civil War. While the Civil War is widely perceived as a defining American experience, British subjects were directly caught up in the war as well. Thousands in fact, were on both sides, serving in every capacity imaginable, from sharpshooters to stretcher-bearers. And back in Britain, their brethren were equally stirred.
Foreman explores every aspect and detail of this fascinating history in her book. The BBC/HBO has bought the movie license for A World on Fire for a series in 2015. Foreman plans to serve as an advisor for the screenplay.
John Walsh of The Independent calls Foreman’s new book “beautifully written…A past of blood, tears and sweat…brought to vivid, burning life.” Jay Parini of The Guardian says, “One can hardly overestimate the brilliance of Foreman’s conception, seeing this turning point in American history from a British viewpoint, drawing on a vast range of actors on this great stage…” Wall Street Journal writer Michael Burlingame praises, “Ms. Foreman…is such an engaging writer that readers may find this 958-page volume too short.”
Foreman’s previous book Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire was a number one best seller in England and a best seller for many weeks in the United States. It has been translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Hungarian, Romanian, Croatian, Turkish, Korean and Mandarin Chinese. The book was nominated for several awards and won the Whitbread Prize for Best Biography in 1999. It has inspired a television documentary, a radio play starting Dame Judi Dench; and a movie, titled ‘The Duchess’, staring Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes.
Amanda Foreman was born in London, brought up in Los Angeles, and educated in England. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University in New York. She received her doctorate in Eighteenth-Century British History from Oxford University in 1998.
In addition to regularly writing and reviewing for newspapers and magazines, Amanda Foreman has also served on a number of juries including The Orange Prize, the Guardian First Book Prize and the National Book Awards.
The Maryland Historical Society was founded in 1844 and is the world’s largest museum and library dedicated to the history of Maryland. Occupying an entire city block in the Mount Vernon district of Baltimore, the society’s mission is to “collect, preserve, and interpret the objects and materials that reflect Maryland’s diverse cultural heritage.” The Society is home to the original manuscript of the Star-Spangled Banner and publishes a quarterly titled “Maryland Historical Magazine.” More information about the Maryland Historical Society can be found online at http://www.mdhs.org.
