All Over Albany

Russell Shorto at the State Museum

Author/historian Russell Shorto will be at the State Museum November 13 to talk about his new book, Revolution Song. Book blurbage:

In his epic new book, Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom, author and historian Russell Shorto takes us back to the founding of the American nation, drawing on diaries, letters and autobiographies to explore six lives that cast the era in a fresh new light. These stories include an African man who freed himself and his family from slavery, a rebellious young woman who abandoned her abusive husband to chart her own course, and a certain Mr. Washington, who was admired for his social graces but harshly criticized for his often-disastrous military strategy.

Through these lives we understand that the revolution was fought over the meaning of individual freedom, a philosophical idea that became a force for violent change. A powerful narrative and a brilliant defense of American values, Revolution Song makes the compelling case that the American Revolution is still being fought today and that its ideals are worth defending.

We hear that one of the six lives profiled in the book is that of Albany's Abraham Yates, Jr.

Shorto's other books include The Island at The Center of the World (about Manhattan) and Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City. He's a senior scholar at the New Netherland Institute.

The talk is this Monday, November 13 at 7 pm in the Huxley Theater. It's free to attend, but it sounds like the State Museum is expecting a crowd and it's encouraging people to pre-register for a seat: 518-486-3694.

Shorto photo: Keke Keukelaar