Founder’s Fire

From a New York Times bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist comes a bold reinterpretation of American history—just in time for the country’s 250th birthday.

Whether it's 1776 or the era of Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Arthur Herman argues that the United States has always been propelled forward by a special kind of leader: the founder.

More than just business creators, founders are visionaries—risk-takers, builders, rebels—who reinvent America in times of crisis and stagnation. From Washington and Lincoln to Edison, Ford, Elon Musk, and even political disruptors like Martin Luther King and Donald Trump, this book reveals how their relentless drive, bold vision, and refusal to accept a stagnant status quo have reshaped America time and again.

Herman introduces a compelling framework: the constant battle between founders and the managers who inevitably take over their achievements and enterprises. As our own history shows, those successors often institutionalize, but can also stifle, innovation and meaningful change—until a new generation of founders and disruptors surges forward to renew and reinvent based on first principles, whether it’s a business, an institution, or America itself.    

In a contemporary twist, Founder’s Fire even shows how current cultural touchstones like Shark Tank reflect the enduring appeal of the founder mindset stretching back to 1776 and rolling on through the rich pageantry of American history until today.

Insightful, provocative, and deeply relevant, this is a sweeping history that helps us understand America’s past, present, and its future. In its pages readers will discover the soul of America as the founder nation: and perhaps learn something about themselves in the process.

• “In a dazzling display of historical originality, Arthur Herman convincingly connects the key characteristic shared by the individuals who made America the extraordinary nation it is today whether they were in politics, business, culture, or other spheres of activity. The book shows how they enabled us to return to the first principles of the original Founders during very diverse periods of our history. Herman’s illuminating insights provide an inspiring perspective as we celebrate our 250th birthday.”
  Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media
• “Arthur Herman is one of America’s greatest historians. That is why I brought him on board at the NSC to advise us in the first Trump administration. Herman understands that great men and their ideas play a deciding role in shaping our lives. This optimistic story is about how the innovation and ingenuity of a few geniuses in business and politics made America the all-time best place in the world to live. The book is a must-read for today’s pivotal era.”
  Robert C. O’Brien, 27th US National Security Advisor
• “Arthur Herman's Founder’s Fire is a vital counter-narrative, exposing the dangerous delusion of ‘manager mode’ and asserting that true American exceptionalism lies in the rebellious spirit of the founder. It serves as an urgent manifesto for those who believe national renewal requires a return to first principles and aggressive action, rather than stagnation driven by metrics and complacency.”
  Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer, Palantir Technologies
• “Arthur Herman has done it again! This time, he shows that founders in both government and business have more in common than anyone ever realized. As in his brilliant Freedom’s Forge, Herman again reveals the importance of the intersection of economics and politics for a deeper understanding of the history of our nation.”
  John Yoo, Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley
• “As the United States faces an intensifying great power competition, Arthur Herman’s Founder’s Fire offers a timely reminder that American strength is not rooted in complacency or bureaucracy but in bold leadership, industrial capacity, and national commitment to our founding principles. Arthur Herman paints a compelling picture of the types of leaders and decisive actions that have strengthened America since its founding—and continue to do so today. Founder’s Fire is a must-read for anyone concerned with how the United States maintains its global leadership and strategic edge in an increasingly dangerous world.”
  House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul