David Hackett Fischer

David Hackett Fischer is University Professor and Earl Warren Professor of History at Brandeis University. Fischer's major works have tackled everything from large macroeconomic and cultural trends ("Albion's Seed," "The Great Wave") to narrative histories of significant events ("Paul Revere's Ride," "Washington's Crossing") to explorations of historiography ("Historians' Fallacies," in which he coined the term Historian's fallacy).

He is best known for two major works: "Albion's Seed" and "Washington's Crossing (Pivotal Moments in American History)." In "Albion's Seed," he argues that core aspects of American culture stem from four British folkways and regional cultures and that their interaction and conflict have been decisive factors in U.S. political and historical development. In the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Washington's Crossing," Fischer provides a narrative of George Washington's leadership of the Continental Army during the winter of 1776–1777 during the American Revolutionary War.

In 2008 he published "Champlain's Dream," an exploration of Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer and founder of Quebec City. The book was a runner-up in the 2009 Cundill Prize.

Fischer received a B.A. from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. He received the 2006 Irving Kristol Award from the American Enterprise Institute. He was admitted as an honorary member of The Society of the Cincinnati in 2006.