In 1791, shortly after the United States won its independence, George Washington personally asked Pierre Charles L�Enfant�a young French artisan turned American revolutionary soldier who gained many friends among the Founding Fathers�to design the new nation's capital. L�Enfant approached this task with unparalleled vigor and passion; however, his imperious and unyielding nature also made him many powerful enemies. After eleven months, Washington reluctantly dismissed L�Enfant from the project. Subsequently, the plan for the city was published under another name, and L�Enfant died long before it was rightfully attributed to him. Filled with incredible characters and passionate human drama, Scott W. Berg�s deft narrative account of this little-explored story in American history is a tribute to the genius of Pierre Charles L'Enfant and the enduring city that is his legacy.