"He was my ancient master, my earliest and best friend; and to him I am indebted for first impressions which have had the most salutary influence on the course of my life." -Thomas Jefferson on George Wythe, 1806
This is the story of George Wythe, a man determined, steadfast and courageous, described by Benjamin Rush as possessing "dove-like simplicity and gentleness of manner." From his humble beginnings as a circuit lawyer in Virginia, Wythe was a prominent opponent of slavery and was instrumental in the creation of the constitution. His distinguished career saw him appointed the first professor of law in the United States.
Wythe witnessed most of the great events leading to America's independence and formation as a nation and was a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. And then, in 1806, Wythe was murdered.
This book tells the story of George Wythe's life, his amazing legacy, his role as second father to the fathers of the nation and offers a solution to the mystery of his bizarre and tragic death.
Praise for The Lost German Slave Girl
"Bailey has the gift of a novelist and a readiness to blend fact and conjecture … What followed is a mystery, and an entirely fascinating one." - Washington Post
"He has crafted a compelling tale of one woman's complex life ... and in the process he has given readers a revealing look at one of the darker periods of American history." - Miami Herald
"Bailey, that rare scholar whose writing lives and breathes..." - Boston Globe
"Reads like a splendid legal thriller." - Sydney Morning Herald
John Bailey is an Australian author with seven books to his credit. Bailey's approach to writing has been to create a strong narrative against the background of an exotic or remote location.
His first book, The Wire Classroom (1969), described colonial life in New Guinea. His second, The Moon Baby (1972), was set in the future in an unnamed metropolis. His third, The White Divers of Broome (2001), concerned pearl shell diving in the coastal town of Broome in the north of Western Australia. The Lost German Slave Girl (2003), related the true story of a slave woman in Louisiana who claimed to be a German immigrant who had been illegally taken into bondage when she was a child. Mr Stuart's Track (2006), revealed the forgotten life of John McDouall Stuart, the first explorer to cross Australia from coast to coast. Into the Unknown (2011), a biography of the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, was released in October 2011.
Both The Wire Classroom and The Moon Baby were published 40 years ago. Although obtaining critical acclaim, they were not a commercial success and Bailey – then married with children – decided that it was time he earned some money. Over the next twenty-five years, Bailey enjoyed a varied career, as a public servant in New Guinea, a teacher in England and a barrister in Melbourne. During this time, although he did not write, he retained the hope that some day he would eventually follow his dream to become a full-time writer. Finally in the year 1999 he took the plunge. He threw in the law and moved a thousand kilometres north to a small town close to the Queensland border in sub-tropical New South Wales where he lives with his wife Annie.
His risky decision to change careers at the age of 55 paid off. His books have been well received by the critics and the public alike. They have won, or been shortlisted for, literary prizes and have been optioned for movies.
In 2003 he was awarded the Centenary Medal by the Australian Government for services to literature. John Bailey's writing has been described as 'a blend of Steinbeck, Hemingway and Maugham.' He's an extraordinary biographer who has an eye for the unusual story. A trial lawyer by profession, he is fascinated by both Australian and American history and has built a successful literary career by bringing forgotten figures to life.
His latest book, Jefferson's Second Father: the
