Washington Burning: How a Frenchman's Vision for Our Nation's Capital Survived Congress, the Founding Fathers, and the Invading British Army , and: Washington: The Making of the American Capital , and: Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation , and: Paris on the Potomac: The French Influence on the Architecture and Art of Washington, D. C. (review)

Abstract

Burning: How a Frenchman's Vision for Our Nation's Capital Survived Founding Fathers, and Invading British Army. By Les Standiford. (New York: Crown, 2008. Pp. xi, 353. Cloth, $24.95, Paper, $15.95.)Washington: Making of American Capital. By Fergus M. Bordewich. (New York: Amistad, 2008. Pp. xiv, 367. Cloth, $27.95; Paper, $15.99.)Ladies of Liberty: Women Who Shaped Our Nation. By Cokie Roberts. (New York: William Morrow, 2008. Pp. xxiii, 481. Cloth, $26.95; Paper, $15.99.)Paris on Potomac: French Influence on Architecture and Art of Washington, D. C. Edited by Cynthia R. Field, Isabelle Gournay , and Thomas P. Somma. (Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007. Pp. ix, 164. Cloth, $49.95; Paper, $24.95.)Reviewed by Marion C. NehonThree of these books were written, and fourth has considerable appeal, for general reader. This review, prepared by an academic historian for a mostly professional readership, uses survey of these particular volumes to consider how popular writers of history of early republic negotiate our mutual territory.Les Standiford came to his project, Burning, in shock of 1 1 attacks. However sincere this inspiration, it led to a pretty cheap sales pitch in hands of publicists: September 1 1 , 200 1 , was not first time our nation's capital was attacked by outsiders. first attack was in August (Crown Publishing Group press release, n.d.). Standiford contributed to effect by sprinkling his early pages with references to terrorists of 1814, and by stooping to this sort of evocation: The remnants of citizenry cowered as boot heels of foreign invaders cracked on District pavement (10). Washington gives book its oomph, but it mostly follows career of Peter Charles L'Enfant, brilliant but prickly creator of grand plan for capital. first part introduces debate over location of permanent seat of government and follows L'Enfant to spring 1 792, when he battled commissioners in charge and ended his official connection with City of Washington. Part Two begins in in June 1800, but then, as Standiford's John Adams gazes out from half-built presidential residence and wonders just what had been going on here since 1792 (160), reader is back in that dismal first decade. Part Three begins again on August 24, 1814, then briefly shares visiting diplomats' deploring descriptions of brand-new capital and touches on Benjamin Henry Latrobe's and William Thornton's rival designs for Capitol before finishing with War of 1812 and, once more, burning of Washington. Standiford rewards inquiring general reader with Notes that offer anecdotes from author's research encounters, descriptions of additional sources reader might pursue, and tales of colorful peripheral characters. But, alas, basic rationale for citations is lost sight of. Citations to Jefferson in two successive chapters, for example, simply send reader to Julian Boyd's monumental and ongoing Papers of Thomas Jefferson, to the Jefferson Papers in Library of Congress, and to his collected papers in editions of 1853-54 and 1904-05 (328). This book is all about stories, quite a heap of yarn, as Standiford nicely put it (ix). And fair enough for a night-table, read-a-few-pages-before-your-eyelids-droop book, but these stories have been told before, and better. Surely Bob Arnebeck remains best possible bard for whole shabby saga of City's first decade (Through a Fiery Trial: Building Washington, 1790-1800 [Lanham, MD, 1991]). Anthony S. Pitch's Burning of Washington: British Invasion of 1814 (Annapolis, MD, 1998) treats that event with a clarity and attention to context that Standi- ford's account does not begin to approach. Kenneth R. Bowling, whose help both Standiford and Fergus Bordewich prominently acknowledge, has produced a fresh and attractive study of ever-fascinating L'Enfant [Peter Charles L'Enfant: Vision, Honor, and Male Friendship [Washing- ton, DC, 2002]). …