Description: "The Farewell was published at the end of Washington's second term ... Fearful for the country's future, [he] pled with his countrymen to resist hyper-partisanship and foreign alliances. He called for unity among 'citizens by birth or choice,' defended religious pluralism, called for national education ... Avlon offers ... insight into Washington's his final public days, presenting not only a startling description of the perilous state of the new nation but a rare view of the man behind the usual face of a tranquil First Father"
Brief description: John Avlon is a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN. He is an award-winning columnist and the author of Independent Nation, Wingnuts, and Washington's Farewell. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast and served as chief speechwriter for the Mayor of New York during the attacks of 9/11. He lives with his wife Margaret Hoover and their two children in New York.