Edward G. Lengel
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Edward "Ed" G. Lengel (born August 9, 1968) is an American author and military historian. His previously published books focus on George Washington's life and legacy, and World War I. He is a co-recipient of the
National Humanities Medal The National Humanities Medal is an American award that annually recognizes several individuals, groups, or institutions for work that has "deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the human ...
(for his work on the George Washington Papers project), and his books have been honored with the
Army Historical Foundation Army Historical Foundation is the designated fundraising institution for the National Museum of the United States Army The National Museum of the United States Army is the official museum for the history of the United States Army and is just outs ...
Distinguished Book Award, the Norman B. Tomlinson, Jr. prize, and other awards. He is the author of ''General George Washington: A Military Life'', which was a finalist for the 2006
George Washington Book Prize The George Washington Book Prize was instituted in 2005 and is awarded annually to the best book on the founding era of the United States; especially ones that have the potential to advance broad public understanding of American history. It is admi ...
, and his 2018 release ''Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War’s Lost Battalion''.


Professional background

While working on his B.A., Lengel worked at the
George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...
Law Library, 1990–1991. Lengel began his professional career at the University of Virginia. From his beginnings as a research assistant in the University of Virginia Library, he rose to become an Assistant Professor and Assistant Editor in 1997 on the George Washington Papers Project. From 2010–2016 he was Professor and Director of the project that he renamed the Washington Papers Project. During Lengel's tenure, he oversaw the creation of the Barbados Diary, Martha Washington Papers and Washington Family Papers projects, and was the co-editor and then editor of ''The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series'', volumes 3–4, 11, 13, 15, 18, and 20. In 2016 Lengel left academia and relocated from Charlottesville, VA to Washington, D.C. to take on the role of Chief Historian for the
White House Historical Association The White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 through efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, is a private, non-profit organization that works to preserve the history of the White House and make that history more accessible to the pub ...
. The David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History is the Association's institute for White House research and education. In 2018,
Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location and ...
announced that Lengel would be their Revolutionary in Residence whereby Lengel will author the historical text of a new edition of “Colonial Williamsburg: The Official Guide.” Lengel has occupied other advisory and board positions including: * Humanities Advisor, World War I and America, a NEH-funded educational project of the Library of America (wwiamerica.org) * Advisory Board, United States World War One Centennial Commission. * Trustee,
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is a complex located in Staunton, Virginia. It contains the President's birthplace, known as the Manse, a Museum that explores the life and times of Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), a Research Libr ...
Foundation, Staunton, VA, July 2011-July 2013. * Service as chair of Library and Archives Committee, and member of Education Committee. * Citizen Advisory Council, Virginia Commission on the Centennial of Woodrow Wilson's Presidency, July 2011 – 2012 * Board of Directors, World War I Memorial Project, July 2011 – Present


Honors and awards

Lengel's honors include the
National Humanities Medal The National Humanities Medal is an American award that annually recognizes several individuals, groups, or institutions for work that has "deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the human ...
, received for his work with the Washington Papers Project. He secured the Norman B. Tomlinson, Jr. book prize, and the Rawlings Prize, and he has been recognized by the
Army Historical Foundation Army Historical Foundation is the designated fundraising institution for the National Museum of the United States Army The National Museum of the United States Army is the official museum for the history of the United States Army and is just outs ...
and the U.S. Military History Group. * Outstanding Book Award, Army Historical Foundation for ''Thunder and Flames'', 2015 * Master Corporal Jan Stanislaw Jakobczak Memorial Book Award, U.S. Military History Group for ''Thunder and Flames'', 2015 * Outstanding Professor Award, University of Virginia Inter-Sorority Council, 2015 * George Washington Masonic Memorial Award, for scholarship on George Washington, 2014. * Norman B. Tomlinson, Jr., book prize for ''To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne'', 1918; The Western Front Association, 2008. * National Humanities Medal (with Washington Papers Project), 2005 * General and Mrs. Matthew B. Ridgway Military History Research Grant, U.S. Army Military History Institute, 2003. * Rawlings Prize (Albemarle County Historical Society), 1999 and 2001. Governor's Fellowship (University of Virginia), 1995–1996. * Dumas Malone Traveling Fellowship (University of Virginia), 1994–1995.


Published works


''The Irish through British eyes: perceptions of Ireland in the Famine era''
Greenwood, 2002,
''World War I memories: an annotated bibliography of personal accounts published in English since 1919''
Scarecrow, 2004,
''General George Washington: A Military Life''
Random House, 2005, (reprint Random House, Inc., 2008, ) *
This Glorious Struggle: George Washington's Revolutionary War Letters
', Editor Edward G. Lengel, Smithsonian Books, 2007,
''To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918''
Macmillan, 2008, (2nd edition Henry Holt and Co., 2009, ) *
Inventing George Washington: America's Founder, in Myth and Memory
', Harper, 2011, *
First Entrepreneur: How George Washington Built His--and the Nation's--Prosperity
', Da Capo Press, 2016, *
Thunder and Flames: Americans in the Crucible of Combat, 1917-1918
', University Press of Kansas, 2015, *''Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War's Lost Battalion'', Da Capo Press, 2018,


Tours and talks

Throughout his career, Lengel gave speeches and presentations related to his research as he believes, "engaging with and fellow historians is one of the great joys of being an author." Presentations include those about his published works, such as his February, 2011 talk at Mount Vernon at the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall at The Fred W. Smith National Library to discuss his book ''First Entrepreneur: How George Washington Built His--and the Nation's—Prosperity'.'' Or his 2017 talk, "Testing the American Way of War: Doughboys in Combat, 1917–1918" at the
George C. Marshall Foundation The George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, Virginia, was commissioned by President Harry S. Truman in order to preserve the papers of General George Marshall, George C. Marshall. Marshall served as Army chief of staff, secretary of state and d ...
.


References


External links


"Arrogance of War"
''The Paula Gordon Show''

''Virginia Historical Society'' * *https://www.whitehousehistory.org/staff/edward-lengel {{DEFAULTSORT:Lengel, Edward G. Living people 21st-century American historians 21st-century American male writers 1968 births American male non-fiction writers