VERO BEACH — Miami-based bestselling author, historian, and professor Les Standiford will present his latest book, “Desperate Sons: Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, and the Secret Bands of Radicals Who Led the Colonies to War,” at the 31st annual Book-Author Luncheon of the American Association of University Women, Vero Beach Branch.
Tickets are $50 for the luncheon, which will be held at Noon on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Vero Beach Country Club. The event is open to the public, and all proceeds will go to college scholarships for women, both nationally and at IRSC.
Standiford is an historian and author of more than 20 books. His most recent works have been narrative non-fiction historical pieces, including “Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean.”
He has been awarded the Frank O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, a Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in Fiction, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction.
His short stories, essays, and articles have appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, and he has been a regular reviewer for The Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, New York Newsday, and New York Daily News.
“Desperate Sons” is a timely story of American idealism, activism, and energy. This work of non-fiction brings together Standiford’s signature strengths: a gift for compelling story-telling, and an impeccable handling of historical detail.
Published last November, the book has already received high praise.
“This is popular history in its most vital and accessible form. Standiford has recovered the mentality of America’s first group of young radicals, the Sons of Liberty, and tells their story with flair and grace,” stated Joseph J. Ellis, author of Pulitzer Prize-winner “Founding Brothers.”
“Intriguing and compelling; a timely, exciting exploration of how the underground agenda of a few radicals paved the road to American democracy,” added Kirkus Reviews.
The book will be on sale, and the author will be available for signing before and after the luncheon. Doors open at 11 a.m.
The Vero Beach Country Club is located at 800 30th St.
Reservation checks for $50 should include a menu choice of Chicken Francaise or Par Three Salad (tuna, egg, and shrimp.)
The checks should be made payable to AAUW Vero Beach Branch and sent to AAUW Treasurer, PO Box 2143, Vero Beach FL 32961.
For more information, please call luncheon chair Paula Herbert at (772) 226-5380.
