Empire of Mud unearths and untangles the roots of our capital's story and explores how the city was tainted from the outset, nearly stifled from becoming the proud citadel of the republic that George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant envisioned more than two centuries ago.

The city's turbulent history set a precedent for the dishonesty, corruption, and mismanagement that have led generations to look suspiciously on the various sin-both real and imagined-of Washington politicians. Deadly horse races gouged dusty streets, and opposing factions of volunteer firefighters battled one another like violent gangs rather than life-saving heroes. Lining the streets stood boarding houses, tanneries, and slums. Beneath pestilential air, the city's muddy roads led to a stumpy, half-finished obelisk to Washington here, a domeless Capitol Building there. The police served and protected with the aid of bribes and protection money. Legendary madams entertained clients from all stations of society and politicians of every party. Political bosses hired hooligans and thugs to conduct the nation's affairs. Unfilled swamps, filthy canals, and rutted horse trails littered its landscape. The variety of colorful characters is wonderful and will keep you up late reading this book. Before America became a world power in the twentieth century, Washington City was an eyesore at best and a disgrace at worst. Dickey has done some incredible research into the city’s past, and brings to life people that have had incredible impact on our city’s evolution from Pierre L’Enfant to Alexander Boss Shepherd, Frederick Douglass to Mary Ann Hall. But for decades it was one of the worst excuses for a capital city the world had ever seen. Dickey is represented by Adam Chromy of Movable Type Management.Washington, DC, gleams with stately columns and neoclassical temples, a pulsing hub of political power and prowess. In addition to his nonfiction work, he has penned short stories for print and the web, and been featured on several literary venues. Army War College, among other organizations. In support of his work, he has lectured for the New York Historical Society, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, the Atlanta History Center, and the U.S. He has also written articles on a broad range of historical, political and travel-related topics for newspapers and magazines, and appeared in media from C-SPAN's Book TV (in 20) to Public Radio International's program The Takeaway. Absolutely spellbinding.' His earlier book, Empire of Mud, was a New York Times bestseller and described the troubled landscape of Washington, D.C., in the nineteenth century.

Of his book, Rising in Flames, Harold Holzer in the Wall Street Journal wrote, 'No one interested in Sherman’s March should be deprived of his lively narrative. Dickey has been writing books for 20 years, first as an author for Penguin, now as a writer of narrative nonfiction about American history, society and culture.

Empire of Mud by Jeff D. Dickey