I invite you to visit The Washington Independent Review of Books (http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/), the newest voice in the community of readers and writers.  We are launching The Independent today as a website dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.  Today you’ll find reviews of a biography of America’s chief spook during World War II, our take on the Tiger Mother brouhaha, an interview with Kitty Kelley about her biography of Oprah Winfrey, reviews of new fiction, and lots more.

The Independent is a labor of love produced by dozens of writers and editors, mostly in the Washington area, who are dismayed by the disappearance of book reviews and book review sections in the mainstream media.  We love finding books we want to read.  We love reading reviews of books we don’t have time to read.  And we love finding out about the world of books, writers, and publishing.  That’s what we want to share with you.

We will be posting new content every weekday, which will include –

·        Thoughtful reviews of books currently being released.

·        Feature content, such as a Q&A with a leading author, an essay or blog on book topics by one of our contributors, or a podcast of an interview contributed by one of our radio partners.

·        Links to other sites providing book news and reviews, information about current bestsellers, and — as we find our sea legs with this new venture – much more.

Through the coming week, we will review a study of George Washington’s war record (in the French and Indian War) and Brad Meltzer’s new thriller, and share a podcast featuring a former PR man for the health care industry who has written an expose of his former industry. 

The Independent is sponsored by the AIW Freedom to Write Fund, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization.  We have taken up this effort to share with you the excitement and pleasure we find in the world of books, and we want to hear from you about The Independent:  what you like, and what you don’t like, and what else you think we should try to do.  So please contact us at editor@washingtonindependentreview of books. 

 Please join us in this adventure by reading The Independent and making it one of your daily online destinations.

David O. Stewart

President