One of the most respected historians and journalists writing today and bestselling author of 11 books, including The Wise Men, Being Nixon, and Sea of Thunder
Acclaimed journalist and historian Evan Thomas will join us in Sonoma in May to discuss his riveting opus, Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II. The book was an NPR Best Book of the Year has been widely lauded for its detailed and nuanced account of the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. Thomas brings key decision-makers’ complex moral dilemmas and personal struggles to life through meticulous research and a gripping narrative, making it a compelling read that explores one of the most critical moments in World War II history.
Thomas will also discuss First: Sandra Day O’Connor, his intimate, inspiring and authoritative detailed account of the life of the first female Supreme Court Justice. Drawing on exclusive interviews and first-time access, Thomas’ bestselling biography was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and named One of the Best Books of the Year by NPR and The Washington Post.
Thomas served as a writer, correspondent, and editor for 33 years at Time and Newsweek, including 10 years as Washington bureau chief at Newsweek, where he later served as editor-at-large, retiring in 2010. He wrote more than 100 cover stories. He wrote Newsweek‘s 50,000-word election specials in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008. The 2004 election special issue won a National Magazine Award.
Thomas has appeared on many TV and radio talk shows, including Meet the Press and The Colbert Report, and has been a guest on PBS’s Charlie Rose more than forty times.
Thomas’ other acclaimed works of nonfiction include Being Nixon, Ike’s Bluff, The War Lovers, Sea of Thunder, John Paul Jones, Robert Kennedy, The Very Best Men, The Man to See, and The Wise Men (with Walter Isaacson).
Thomas has taught writing and journalism at Harvard University and Princeton and is a fellow member of the Society of American Historians. Thomas is a graduate of Harvard and the University of Virginia Law School.
Osceola Thomas will moderate the discussion
Osceola Thomas Thomas graduated from Stanford and the University of Virginia law school, where she was classmates with Evan. In 1977, she joined a litigation firm in New York and Washington DC before moving to AT&T, retiring as a Federal Government Affairs Vice President in 2000. Since then she has worked with Evan as an editor and researcher.
Praise for Road to Surrender…
Superbly crafted . . . Drawing on a wide range of sources, including the primary figures’ diaries, Thomas makes the period come vividly alive. This moving account of three men of peace who had to make life-or-death decisions will interest history lovers everywhere. – BookPage
Evan Thomas tells one of the most important stories of all time with power and grace. Paced like a thriller, replete with fresh historical insight, and driven by new research, Thomas’s book explains how America came to deploy the deadliest weapons ever created. The result is an indispensable portrait of power, anxiety, and moral ambiguity.” – Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham.
Sonoma Valley Authors Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, tax ID 84-4846165
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