Page-Turners
Colonial Williamsburg publishes a wide variety of books, from history to historic trades, from art to archaeology, from scholarly books to children’s books. These books let you take the Historic Area home with you.
Bookstore Favorites
The Williamsburg Bray School: A History Through Records, Reflections, and Rediscovery
In addition to a short history of the school, a map that pinpoints where the children resided in Virginia’s colonial capital, and photographs of the historic letters, the book delves into the 21st-century discovery of the Williamsburg Bray School building, its subsequent move from the William & Mary campus to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, and the restoration of the structure that, when completed, can help tell the complicated story of race, religion, and education in Williamsburg and early America. Author Antonio Bly also shares the poignant story of Isaac Bee, a student at the school who broke the bonds of his enslavement to a Williamsburg planter and rose up from slavery to freedom.
Red Thunder: Secrets, Spies, and Scoundrels at Yorktown
This historical novel, which is suitable for young readers, tells the story of Nate Chandler and his enslaved friend James, and their adventures in espionage during the American Revolution. The ebook version is now available with enhanced features and interactive elements that allow readers to learn even more about the real people who fought for and against American independence. These new features include a video of Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Stephen Seals as James Armistead Lafayette, upon whom the book’s enslaved character is based. Portraits from the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg’s collection have also been added, along illustrated definitions and translations of foreign words.
Colonial Williamsburg Christmas: Celebrating Classic Traditions and the Spirit of the Holiday
This historical novel, which is suitable for young readers, tells the story of Nate Chandler and his enslaved friend James, and their adventures in espionage during the American Revolution. The ebook version is now available with enhanced features and interactive elements that allow readers to learn even more about the real people who fought for and against American independence. These new features include a video of Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Stephen Seals as James Armistead Lafayette, upon whom the book’s enslaved character is based. Portraits from the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg’s collection have also been added, along illustrated definitions and translations of foreign words.
Colonial Williamsburg: The Story
Spanning nearly five centuries, Williamsburg: The Story chronicles the town from its colonial origins through its days as the capital of England’s largest colony and then as the center of Revolutionary ideas and ferment. The book also covers the town’s decline after the Revolution and its restoration in the 20th century. A concluding section, “How We Know What We Know,” discusses the ongoing work of Colonial Williamsburg’s historians, archaeologists, curators and conservators. It includes such familiar figures as Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and George and Martha Washington, and also highlights lesser known figures, including the enslaved preacher Gowan Pamphlet and the printer Clementina Rind.
Restoring Williamsburg
The bestselling classic, Williamsburg Before and After, told theremarkable story of how in the 1920s and 1930s the Rev. W.A.R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller Jr. undertook the restoration of the 18th-century capital. But the restoration is an ongoing process, and this revised and expanded work brings the story up to the present. Lavishly illustrated with more than 350 photographs (including new images from both before and after the restoration), watercolors, sketches, maps and other illustrations, Restoring Williamsburg is a testament to the enduring power of Colonial Williamsburg to inspire Americans to think about their history.
Colonial Williamsburg: The Guide
The first new edition of Colonial Williamsburg’s official guide since 2014, this practical book includes information on all of Colonial Williamsburg’s historic sites. For every public building, private home and tavern, the guide tells you what happened here and why it mattered. For the newly expanded Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, including the DeWitt WallaceDecorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, the guide presents a sampling of the thousands of works on display. With more than 100 illustrations and color photos as well as maps to help you find your way and locate more than 150 buildings and sites, the guide is the essential companion for every visitor.
Becoming Jefferson: My Life as a Founding Father
What is it like to portray Thomas Jefferson on the streets of Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area? In his new book, Bill Barker shares the experiences and insights of having done so for more than 25 years. Barker discusses how he rehearses and improvises, how he uses primary sources, how he handles sensitive and controversial issues, how he makes history relevant to different audiences, and how Jefferson has — and hasnot — infiltrated his own identity. He also offers his thoughts on many ofJefferson’s legacies, from his love of gardening and wine to Jefferson’sthoughts on education, slavery, and the Bible.
The Art of Quilting: A Coloring and Pattern Book
Coloring and quilting both tap into creativity defined by lines, borders and structure. The patterns in this book—all of which come from quilts in Colonial Williamsburg’s extraordinary collection—can be used not only for coloring but also as an inspiration for quilters and other fiber artists.
Colonial Williamsburg Hauntings
Here are ghost stories — as shared by Colonial Williamsburg employees, residents and guests — featuring lost love, betrayal and things that go bump in the night!
Ghosts Amongst Us
Based on Colonial Williamsburg’s popular evening programs, here are the stories that amused and frightened Virginians two hundred years ago. This is an expanded edition of the book originally titled Witches and Ghosts, Pirates and Thieves, Murder and Mayhem.
Shop over 50 Colonial Williamsburg Publication titles at the Colonial Williamsburg Bookstore, plus more books written by historians whose articles have appeared in Colonial Williamsburg’s magazine Trend & Tradition, early American history books from Colonial Williamsburg publishing partners and more! Visit us in Merchants Square.
