The Capitol: The Surprising Biography of an American Building

By Brian Jay Jones

An in-depth exploration of the design and construction of the US Capitol building, from New York Times bestselling author of Jim Henson and Becoming Dr. Seuss

The Capitol is a unique biography of a place, encompassing architecture, history, politics, popular culture, and race in a fascinating exploration of our Capitol's secret history; a history rife with political intrigue, assassination attempts, thwarted bombings, and gunmen on the run.

Spanning across three centuries of American history, it focuses on iconic and easily recognizable names and personalities from the past--from George Washington to Fiorello LaGuardia--as well as countless colorful characters readers may not have heard of before, with a focus on restoring the stories of enslaved people. As The Capitol will make clear, even as the building itself was slowly rising from the swamps of Washington, DC, the conflicts were just getting started.

The story of the Capitol is the story of America itself, and, for the first time, that story will be told in this sweeping, aspirational biography of the building at the very heart of the American experiment.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593185005
• ISBN13: 9780593185001
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Dutton
• Length: 400 Pages