The Two Georges

The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution is the first book to simultaneously explore in depth the lives and contributions of two globally significant figures of the late eighteenth century: George III (1738–1820), king of Great Britain, and George Washington (1732–1799), first president of the United States. Serving as the official companion publication to the Library of Congress exhibit, the book reexamines the life of George Washington and paints a fuller picture of King George III.

In considering these men, The Two Georges contextualizes, compares, and contrasts their experiences in youth, as family men, as men of the Enlightenment, as adversaries in war, as king and president, and as figures of national myth and memory. Short essays from scholars open each chapter and examine the commonalities and differences between the two Georges as well as the forces and circumstances that informed their lives and leadership. Complementing these essays are features on specific areas of overlap and contrast, such as their military backgrounds, food preferences, and love of science, agriculture, and books; short biographies of their parents, wives, and extended families; and a variety of historic documents, maps, prints, and artwork in the Library of Congress’s collections and from around the world. These supplemental pieces underscore the myriad changes the two Georges participated in and witnessed during an age of revolution.

Susan Reyburn is a writer-editor in the Publishing Office at the Library of Congress. She is the author of Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words (2020), Football Nation: Four Hundred Years of America’s Game (2014), Women Who Dare: Amelia Earhart (2006), and a coauthor of American Feast: Cookbooks and Cocktails from the Library of Congress (2023), Baseball Americana: Treasures from the Library of Congress (2009), The Library of Congress World War II Companion (2007), and The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference (2002).

Zach Klitzman is a writer-editor in the Publishing Office at the Library of Congress. He is the coauthor of American Feast: Cookbooks and Cocktails from the Library of Congress (2023), an editor of the Library of Congress Crime Classics book series, and a former Jeopardy! champion.