Books by Derek Baxter
NEW BOOK! - Coming May 26, 2026
Rediscover the Revolutionary War as a global fight for freedom
What does Bunker Hill have in common with a jungle in Central America, a fort in India, and the towering Rock of Gibraltar? The answer―that they were all battlefields in the Revolutionary War―might astonish you. Blending modern experiences with historical research, Derek Baxter embarks on an adventure-filled quest across four continents, uncovering the truth behind the American Revolution and revealing the unlikely group of nations that united to take on the British Empire.
On the windswept island of Jersey in the English Channel, Baxter discovers how France attempted a full-scale invasion of England. At a Fourth of July party in Spain, he helps the descendent of Spanish leaders make a giant paella. In India, he investigates one of the most surprising victories of the entire war. And in upstate New York, he discovers the story of the Oneida warriors, America's first allies. Along the way, he meets historians, reenactors, and others who have helped keep the hidden history of the war alive.
This is the other half of the story of the American Revolution, the one you probably didn't learn in school. With his trademark humor and empathy, Baxter finds the human stories behind this long-ago conflict, expanding the universe of those who contributed to the cause. He delivers a powerful message: The United States only exists because peoples of different races, languages, and religions learned how to fight together, writing an unexpected story of independence that continues to resonate and inspire today.
A controversial founding father. A man ready for a change. And a completely unique trip through Europe.
In 1784, Thomas Jefferson was a broken man. Reeling from the loss of his wife and stung from a political scandal during the Revolutionary war, he needed to remake himself. To do that, he traveled. Wandering through Europe, Jefferson saw and learned as much as he could, ultimately bringing his knowledge home to a young America. There, he would rise to power and shape a nation.
More than two hundred years later, Derek Baxter, a devotee of American history, stumbles on an obscure travel guide written by Jefferson―Hints for Americans Traveling Through Europe―as he's going through his own personal crisis. Who better to offer advice than a founding father himself? Using Hints as his roadmap, Baxter follows Jefferson through six countries and countless lessons. But what Baxter learns isn't always what Jefferson had in mind, and as he comes to understand Jefferson better, he doesn't always like what he finds.
In Pursuit of Jefferson is at once the story of a life-changing trip through Europe, an unflinching look at a founding father, and a moving personal journey. With rich historical detail, a sense of humor, and boundless heart, Baxter explores how we can be better moving forward only by first looking back.
Following in Jefferson's Footsteps
I wrote a book about my travels through six countries armed with an obscure guide written by the very unobscure Thomas Jefferson in 1788. He penned his Hints for Americans Traveling in Europe for the sons of two of his wealthy friends embarking on a continental tour. Along with an ambitious itinerary based on his own journeys, he set out subjects to investigate and challenges to accept.
​
​
