A conflict between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson? Most Americans are unaware of this historical reality. History tends to cast the early years of America in a glow of camaraderie, but there were many conflicts between the Founding Fathers-and none more important than the clash between Washington and Jefferson.

In 'The Great Divide', acclaimed historian Thomas Fleming examines how the differing temperaments and leadership styles of Washington and Jefferson shaped two opposing views of the presidency and the nation, and how this rift profoundly influenced the next two centuries of America's history and resonates to the present day.