What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, A Life

"An interesting snapshot of one of the best-known—and least-known—figures in American history," the author of the U.S. national anthem (Washington Post)."As Marc Leepson shows us, there is a lot to know about Francis Scott Key—much of it surprising, and all of it engrossing. A wonderful and long-overdue biography, and worth the wait." —Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Night FallWhat So Proudly We Hailed is the first full-length biography of Francis Scott Key in more than seventy-five years. In this fascinating look at early America, historian Marc Leepson explores the life and legacy of Francis Scott Key. Standing alongside Betsy Ross, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, and John Hancock in history, Key made his mark as an American icon by one single and unforgettable act, writing "The Star-Spangled Banner."Among other things, Leepson reveals in What So Proudly We Hailed:How the young Washington lawyer found himself in Baltimore Harbor on the night of September 13-14, 2014The mysterious circumstances surrounding how the poem he wrote, first titled "The Defense of Ft. M'Henry," morphed into the National AnthemKey's role in forming the American Colonization Society, and his decades-long fervent support for that controversial endeavor that sent free blacks to AfricaHis adamant opposition to slave trafficking and his willingness to represent slaves and freed men and women for free in Washington's courtsKey's role as a confidant of President Andrew Jackson and his work in Jackson's "kitchen cabinetKey's controversial actions as U.S. Attorney during the first race riot in Washington, D.C., in 1835What So Proudly We Hailed reveals unexplored details of the life of an American patriot whose legacy has been largely unknown until now."Key is an American enigma. . . . Leepson has done a first-rate job of capturing the contradictions, conflicts, and courage that make Key a fascinating figure." —Steve Vogel, author of Through the Perilous Fight"What So Proudly We Hailed tells the multifaceted story of the author of "The Star-Spangled Banner" with clarity, precision, and passion—a literary performance akin to a great soloist nailing the high notes in the land of the free and the home of the brave." —Jon Kula, author of Mr. Jefferson's Women Read more