Welcome
Welcome to the website of George Goodwin, historian and author of Fatal Colours, Fatal Rivalry and Benjamin Franklin in London — and now Propaganda Wars of the American Revolution published by Yale University Press (USA:16 June 2026; UK – 25 August 2026).
Propaganda Wars of the American Revolution: from the Boston Radicals to George Washington
George Goodwin shows how the leaders of the American Revolution brilliantly weaponized information and propaganda through correspondence and newspapers, shaping public perception, mobilizing support, and swaying the colonies toward open rebellion. Once the war began, George Washington’s tireless ability to deploy the pen and press as a weapon of war helped to unite and sustain very different colonies and colonists during the eight long years before victory.
Drawing on a wealth of contemporary accounts, letters, and publications, Goodwin demonstrates how liberty and authority were contested through ideas, images, and rhetoric at the time of America’s birth—and how, 250 years on, the Revolution can be seen as America’s first great media war.
“A fantastic book. You’ll want to add it to your must reads on the revolutionary era.”—Zara Anishanslin, author of The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution
Benjamin Franklin in London: The British Life of America’s Founding Father
Benjamin Franklin in London is a completely new interpretation, focusing on Benjamin Franklin as a proud Briton, both before and during his more than fifteen years in London that was brought to an abrupt end in March 1775. It was only then that Franklin gave up hope of the change of government that could have kept the American colonies in the British Empire.
Told with with and verve, Benjamin Franklin in London highlights the daily life and devoted social circle of this great polymath – the 18th century equivalent of Leonardo da Vinci – in the hustle and bustle of the greatest city in the World.
Benjamin Franklin in London reveals a man of shifting identities, a ‘chess player’, who in the 1760s considered staying in Britain forever, then in the 1770s became one of its most formidable enemies, before a final twist in the 1780s enabled him to achieve a reconciliation with a peace negotiated with men he knew so very well.
“An Enthralling Biography” – BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and see Review Quotes
For articles and features see Benjamin Franklin in London
Fatal Rivalry: Flodden 1513
Fatal Rivalry is a history of vaunting royal ambition and deepening personal conflict– set against the extraordinary wealth, vitality and power of the Renaissance in Britain.
England’s most cunning king, Henry VII, and his young successor, Henry VIII, compete in magnificence with Scotland’s greatest, James IV: but then rivalry leads to war and, finally to Flodden, the biggest and bloodiest Anglo-Scottish battle, on 9 September 1513.
Fatal Rivalry deploys a sparkling cast of characters – great kings, colourful queens, conniving courtiers and political popes – as James IV negotiates ‘perpetual peace’ and independence for Scotland, until young Henry VIII’s desire for European glory sparks the wars of 1513.
‘A terrific account’ – Daily Telegraph
Fatal Colours: Towton 1461
Fatal Colours vividly recreates the vibrant and violent atmosphere of fifteenth-century England, as the turbulent and traumatic reign of Henry VI dissolves amidst the carnage of the 1st War of the Roses. The final resolution comes at Towton, possibly the largest and certainly the most brutal battle on English soil – a contest between two kings of England that changed both kingship and England forever.
“The story has never been told so well or so excitingly” – BBC History Magazine
Christmas Traditions: A Celebration of Festive Lore
This entertaining explanation of the origins of our individual Christmas traditions is complemented by illustrations from the British Library’s comprehensive collection of vintage Christmas books, cards and ephemera.
A celebratory guide to Christmases past and a welcome Christmas present.
“This book will help you discover the secrets behind the festive season” – Lucinda Hawksley, great-great-great granddaughter of Charles Dickens
