Category Archives: The Capitol

The Capitol Makes the WSJ

Posted on July 27, 2026 | 1 comment

Each week, The Wall Street Journal showcases fifteen books as part of its “15 Books We Read This Week” feature. And this week, I was delighted to see The Capitol among them.

Even better, reviewer Tevi Troy–a former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services–wrote a thoughtful piece on the book, and ultimately concluded that, “The U.S. Capitol is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of the American republic. Mr. Jones has given it the biography it deserves.”

That was always one of my objectives–and I thank you very much for the kind words.

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Talking the Capitol, Dr. Seuss, and the Re-animator

Posted on July 11, 2026 | Comments Off

My thanks to everyone who’s taken a moment to tell me how much they’re enjoying–and have been surprised by–The Capitol. It’s a bit of a different kind of book for me–the first question I’ve been getting during interviews is usually “why this particular subject?”–but one that I’m really proud of.

And speaking of interviews, I thought I’d post a few of them here, if you’d like to hear me discussing all things Capitol–and sometimes some things Dr. Seuss.

That was the case, for instance, when I chatted with the amiable Matt Matern on A Climate Change with Matt Matern. We began by discussing Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Seuss’ brand of environmentalism–while The Lorax remains one of his most frequently banned books, it’s not the anti-logging message you might think it is . . . or so Seuss said. That led us into a discussion about good stewardship, and how those lessons can apply not only to natural resources but also to a building more than two centuries old.

I also had a wonderful time speaking with Dan Skinner with Some Books Considered at National Public Radio. We discussed some little known facts, ghost stories, and how researching the building changed–or, rather, enhanced–my affection for the building.

And then there’s this deep dive on the history of the building with Evan Axelbank at Axelbank Reports History and Today. Evan is a terrific interviewer, who really knows his stuff, and we really plunged into the early days of the Capitol, including George Washington’s love of domes, Madison’s handwringing over moving the site, and architect William Thornton’s desire to reanimate the dead body of George Washington by pumping him full of lamb’s blood. Yes, really.

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Pub Day for THE CAPITOL

Posted on June 2, 2026 | 1 comment

I’m delighted that today is the day I can finally put The Capitol in your hands. I’m really proud of this one, and I appreciate your patience; I know it’s been a while–seven years, in fact!–since I last saw you. I think–I hope!–you’ll find the wait was worth it.

As always, you can find The Capitol wherever you get your books. It’s also available in e-book and audiobook, so no matter how you prefer to consume your reading, you should be able to get it in the format of your preference. And I thank you.

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It’s Officially A Book

Posted on May 3, 2026 | 1 comment

With a month to go before publication date, I got a nice surprise in the mail yesterday when a lone hardcover of The Capitol arrived, along with a nice note from my editor.

It’s officially pretty, and it’s officially A Book, complete with some final corrections and light edits (even on the very very last pass, I *still* couldn’t keep my hands off of it) and with an index and photo insert–two things that weren’t in the Advance Reading Copy. And hey! You’ll even get some photos in full color.

I wasn’t expecting to get a copy in the mail just yet, so I opened the padded envelope without hoopla or expectations–and I can vouch for the fact that holding your newest book in your hand for the first time will never not be exciting.

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All Done.

Posted on January 21, 2026 | 2 comments

I officially finished The Capitol over the weekend, when I sent my editor my final edits on the galley proofs–meaning it is now officially out of my hands and in the care of the fine folks at Dutton, so it can be on its way to you by June 2.

While I made the final changes to an editable pdf document, I always ask for a hard copy to read through as well–I’m hopelessly analog–and my editor was kind enough to put together a mock-up version of the finished book, which looks absolutely fantastic. I especially love this two-page splash at the very front, with the title and credits:

This one comes to you at a hefty 464 pages (which actually makes it just a hair shorter than Washington Irving, which clocks in at 468), with a full-color photo insert. We’ve also put a drawing, photo, or other illustration at the beginning of each chapter to give you an idea of what the building looks like in the chapter you’re about to read, so you can follow its progress from the moment it was just a placeholder on a map in 1790, through variations of domes and additions over the next century and a half, on up to the present day. In short, it just plain looks amazing.

I’ve been asked if there will be an audiobook, and at the moment the answer is Yup, I’m pretty sure there is, and you can pre-order it here. Beyond that, I don’t know who the reader might be–but the moment I hear anything, you’ll hear it next.

I’m excited to get this into your hands. I’ve said it before, but I know it’s been a long time coming, and I really appreciate your patience. It’ll be worth it, I promise.