The Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) will hold its next book club meeting on Tuesday September 19 at 7 pm on Zoom. There is no fee to attend and anyone is welcome. Participants should come ready to discuss the book. The selection is American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation 1765-1795 by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward J. Larson.

We had chosen this book for the July book club meeting, but it is so densely packed with rich information that all of us really wanted more time to delve into it more deeply. It’s an especially important topic for tour guides as we move into the 250th birthday of our nation. We decided to reschedule our discussion for the September book club meeting. It’s a fascinating read – we invite everyone to take advantage of the extra time and join us!

APT member David Auspitz suggested the book after reading a review of it in the Wall Street Journal, “The Irony of Independence: A gut-wrenching account of America’s imperfect origin story and the conflicting legacies of liberty and slavery that remain with us today.” Later in the article is written, “One by one, not only the much-criticized Thomas Jefferson but also James Madison, Patrick Henry and even Benjamin Franklin stand accused of indifference, equivocation or dehumanizing racism as they articulate a vision of American freedom with slavery intact and later devise a constitutional government designed in part to protect the institution from federal interference.”

The Zoom link will be sent out in the President’s email the week of the meeting.

After that, APT’s last book club meeting of the year is planned for Tues. Nov. 21. We’re currently collecting votes on which book to read. Please choose from among these five books and send your choice to Pam Covey at Thank you!

1. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

2. The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard

3. Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution by Woody Holton

4. American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard

5. All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles