I owe a heartfelt thank-you to my agent, Jim Fitzgerald, for suggesting this book; my editor, Peter Hubbard, and his assistant, Cole Hager, for enabling it to come to life; and ma petite Sophie for being patient with me while I wrote it. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dennis Pogue and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association for sending me in the right direction, the National Archives for their numerous photocopies, and Bill Samuels Jr. for giving the manuscript an early read. And naturally, a tremendous thanks to my parents for their ongoing love and support—I owe you both far more than any acknowledgment can properly express.
And last, I’d like to thank my liver for bearing with me through those long months of grueling “research.” Sorry, little buddy. But it was worth it.