Washington Burning

The Riveting Story of the Federal City and the Men Who Built ItIn 1814, British troops invaded Washington, consuming President Madison's hastily abandoned dinner before setting his home and the rest of the city ablaze. The White House still bears scorch and soot marks on its foundation stones. It was only after this British lesson in "hard war," designed to terrorize, that Americans overcame their resistance to the idea of Washington as the nation's capital and embraced it as a symbol of American might and unity.The dramatic story of how the capital rose from a wilderness is a vital chapter…