Nathaniel Philbrick, the National Book Award-winning historian behind eight New York Times bestsellers, will deliver a free public lecture at the Bronxville School Auditorium on Monday, Nov. 2.

The talk, titled "250 Years Later: American Independence and the Advent of George Washington," is a gift to the community from the Bronxville Historical Conservancy (BHC), according to MyHometownBronxville.com. The BHC is co-presenting the event with the Bronxville School.

A pre-lecture cocktail party begins at 6 p.m. on the main floor of the Bronxville Public Library, co-hosted by the Friends of the Bronxville Public Library. Tickets for the cocktail party are separate from the free lecture reservation; both are available through the BHC website.

BHC Co-Chair Suzanne Pratt Davis said the evening ties into the nation's 250th anniversary. "We are thrilled to welcome Nathaniel Philbrick to Bronxville, and grateful to partner with the Bronxville School to bring this special program to life," Davis said. Co-Chair Mike Heraty said the conservancy is glad to partner with the Friends of the Bronxville Public Library on the reception.

Philbrick is best known for his maritime history In the Heart of the Sea, which won the 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Ron Howard directed a 2015 film adaptation. Philbrick's Mayflower was a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in History.

His American Revolution trilogy includes Bunker Hill, Valiant Ambition and In the Hurricane's Eye. Valiant Ambition earned the George Washington Book Prize. Philbrick also served as a featured contributor to Ken Burns' documentary The American Revolution.

His newest book, The Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern World, was published Oct. 6 by Viking. An All-American sailor at Brown University, Philbrick lives on Nantucket Island, where he cofounded the Egan Maritime Institute.

The BHC lecture falls within the broader America 250 commemorations in Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe. The Village of Bronxville is represented on the Eastchester, Bronxville, and Tuckahoe 250th National Anniversary Committee, according to a village newsletter.

Reservations for the Nov. 2 lecture and cocktail party tickets are available at bronxvillehistoricalconservancy.org.

Upcoming community events:

  • Monday, Nov. 2 — Nathaniel Philbrick lecture, Bronxville School Auditorium (free; cocktail party at 6 p.m. at Bronxville Public Library, separate tickets)
  • Saturday, Nov. 7 — Childhood education conference, Sarah Lawrence College