Virginia is in the midst of its Virginia American Revolution 250 Commemoration — over a year of special events, celebrations, and educational initiatives to mark 250 years since the founding of America.

Although the calendar includes a variety of events including reenactments, battlefield visits, and much-anticipated Independence Day celebration at the Capitol, there are also plenty of book talks and lectures to expand your knowledge.

Here's a reading list to get you started. Each author has either visited a VA250 event already or is on the books for a future appearance.

"How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from our Top Presidents" by Talmage Boston

"Unfriendly to Liberty: Loyalist Networks and the Coming of the American Revolution in New York City" by Christopher F. Minty

"An Explorer's Guide to the American Revolutionary War" by Robert M Dunkerly

"Revolutionary Things: Material Culture and Politics in the Late Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World" by Ashli White

"Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women"

"Glorious Lessons: John Trumbull Painter of the American Revolution" by Richard Brookhiser

"Democracy in Darkness" by Katlyn Carter

Want more book recs? We've got a guide to local authors calling your name.