Historian and biographer Ernest B. Furgurson discussed his new book,"Freedom Rising: Washington in the Civil War" (Knopf, 2004). "Freedom Rising" tells the story of how the Civil War transformed the nation's capital from a provincial city into one of America's most important cultural and social centers. Furgurson focuses on the men and women who brought Washington to life during this crucial period in the nation's history, including William H. Seward; Walt Whitman; Allan Pinkerton; Elizabeth Keckley, an ex-slave who became a dressmaker for both Mrs. Abraham Lincoln and Mrs. Jefferson Davis; Architect of the Capitol Thomas U. Walter; and President Abraham Lincoln.

Furgurson's lecture was part of the Center for the Book's "Books & Beyond" author series, which brings authors to the Library for presentations and discussions about their newly published books. The Center for the Book was established in 1977 to use the Library of Congress' resources to stimulate public interest in books and reading. For information about the center and the activities of its affiliates in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., visit the center's Web site below at