In the summer of 1776, fifty-six men risked their lives and livelihood to defy King George III and sign the Declaration of Independence yet how many of them do we actually remember? Signing Their Lives Away introduces readers to the eclectic group of statesmen, soldiers, slaveholders, and scoundrels who signed this historic document and the many strange fates that awaited them. Some prospered and rose to the highest levels of United States government, while others had their homes and farms seized by British soldiers. Signer George Wythe was poisoned by his nephew; Button Gwinnett was killed in a duel; Robert Morris went to prison; Thomas Lynch was lost at sea; and of course Sam Adams achieved fame as a patriot/brewer. Complete with portraits of the signers as well as a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence, Signing Their Lives Away provides an entertaining and enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages.

About the Author
Denise Kiernan and Joseph D Agnese are the authors of Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence. They have been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Saveur, Reader s Digest, Discover, and other national publications. D Agnese s work has twice been included in the anthology Best American Science Writing. Both are winners of Educational Press Association awards. They live in North Carolina. Visit them online at signingtheirlivesaway.com.

Reviews
Featured history title in Reader's Digest's "Best of America" issue, 2009

"Kiernan and D'Agnese . . . succeed in stripping away preconceived notions of the more famous signers, and bringing out something of interest about the other, less well known ones."-Library Journal

"Astonishing individual portraits of all the signers."-School Library Journal, starred review

"Signing Their Lives Away is told in a brisk entertaining fashion."-McClatchy Newspapers



Book Information
ISBN 9781683691266
Author Denise Kiernan
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Quirk Books
Publisher Quirk Books