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    His Excellency: George Washington
    His Excellency: George Washington
    His Excellency: George Washington
    Audiobook14 hours

    His Excellency: George Washington

    Written by Joseph J. Ellis

    Narrated by Nelson Runger

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    To this landmark biography of our first president, Joseph J. Ellis brings the exacting scholarship, shrewd analysis, and lyric prose that have made him one of the premier historians of the Revolutionary era. Training his lens on a figure who sometimes seems as remote as his effigy on Mount Rushmore, Ellis assesses George Washington as a military and political leader and a man whose "statue-like solidity" concealed volcanic energies and emotions. Here is the impetuous young officer whose miraculous survival in combat half-convinced him that he could not be killed. Here is the free-spending landowner whose debts to English merchants instilled him with a prickly resentment of imperial power. We see the general who lost more battles than he won and the reluctant president who tried to float above the partisan feuding of his cabinet. His Excellency is a magnificent work, indispensable to an understanding not only of its subject but also of the nation he brought into being.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateNov 3, 2004
    ISBN9781436100854
    His Excellency: George Washington

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    Reviews for His Excellency

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    • 4/5
      A brief, insightful look at Washington the man and his journey through life as he became a symbol and founder of his country.
    • 5/5
      This is an excellent biography of George Washington that is long enough (272 pages) to grasp both the story of his life and his role in American history without penetrating into levels of detail that would make it a major tome. First published in 2004, the book is based factually, according to the author, Joseph Ellis, largely on the then-new comprehensive edition of Washington’s correspondence. In terms of theme, Ellis says he was highly influenced by Marcus Cunliffe’s interpretation of Washington in George Washington: Man and Monument. Ellis’ main purpose is to penetrate beyond the myths and portraits of Washington to understand the character of the man and how that character related to his role in history. In this the author is successful, and the reader leaves this book with a greater understanding of the real Washington and his importance in American history. Washington was famous for his self-control, but Ellis picks up on a theme of the eulogy by Gouvernor Morris that Washington had very strong emotions that required such self-control to achieve his objectives. Ellis links this self-control to Washington’s desire to control the world in which he acted, e.g., the administration of Mount Vernon and his far-flung properties, the conduct of the War of Independence and his two terms as first President of the United States. While Washington did not have the high level of education enjoyed by some of the other founders, his early experiences in war as a young man and in managing his estates formed his philosophical outlook. He was a realist who thought that individuals and nations acted to pursue their interests, not abstract ideals. Thus, he was not surprised that the British did not accept the many American proposals for conciliation between the colonies and Great Britain, and he fully expected Native Americans to resist white settlement on their lands. (As President, he tried to set aside permanent safe zones for the Cherokees and other tribes, but these promises were broken by Andrew Jackson). As President, he also refused to bend to the popular will to be pro-French or pro-British but rather always supported a neutralist policy that would give the United States time to grow into a major power. He foresaw that war, especially with Great Britain in the 1790’s, could have destroyed the fragile new republic. And while he recognized many of the ideals of the revolution, his own personal opposition to the British Empire was driven in large part by the adverse economic consequences of the imperial system for American colonists (including his own estates) and his resentment at Americans being treated like a second-class citizen in various contexts, reflecting assertions of British superiority over the Americans. (The appellation “American” for the colonists was originated by the British as a disparaging term for provincial settlers on the far-western edge of the British Empire.) Washington committed himself to the personal risks and potential glory of the revolution when, on June 15, 1775, at the age of 43, he accepted his unanimous selection by the Continental Congress to become commander-in-chief. Despite his insistence that as commander-in-chief he was subordinate to the people and their representatives, the Continental Congress, he inevitably became the symbol of revolution and quasi-king. His recognition of civilian authority did not prevent his well-known frustrations with the weakness of the Continental Congress, in particular its abject failure to support the Continental Army with necessary resources, including paying the troops. (While he acknowledged that militias contributed to victories ((such as Saratoga)), he was under no illusion that volunteers, who could disappear on very short notice, could actually win the war. His concern with the shortage of manpower overcame his initial reluctance to recruit African-Americans into the Army, and the U.S. Army would not be integrated again until the Korean War.) This experience seared into his brain the strong belief that the new nation created by the American Revolution could not succeed without a strong central government, including a strong executive, regardless of how the anti-governmental ideals of the “spirit of 76” were interpreted. Desiring a decisive victory, Washington’s first inclination was to attack the British aggressively. He had a tendency to develop complex battle plans that were nearly impossible to implement. The revolutionary cause was saved from this initial rashness by the strategic and tactical mistakes of the British, and eventually Washington learned the “Fabian” technique of war, i.e., never risk the Army in battle but rather be ready to retreat after imposing glancing losses on the enemy, the so-called “War of Posts.” The suffering at Valley Forge was the crucial event of the war because it created the standing army that could persevere until victory. According to Ellis, more important than Washington’s spotty record as a general was his insistence that the Army be inoculated against smallpox, which otherwise could have destroyed it. (As a young man, Washington survived a smallpox infection he got in Barbados and thus was immune.) Washington was generally pessimistic about the prospects for American victory given British resources, command of the sea, and experienced soldiers. The French entry in the war after the victory at Saratoga also initially disappointed him because France did not immediately challenge the British for naval superiority in American waters, and thus made a decisive battle at New York impossible. While the British were fighting General Greene in the Carolinas, the French General Rochambeau began to encourage Washington to move the Army south to Virginia. Eventually, Washington gave up his stubborn insistence on a battle in New York, and when Rochambeau arranged for the French Navy to enter the Chesapeake Bay, Washington clearly saw the opportunity to defeat Cornwallis and led the combined armies south to the decisive battle at Yorktown. (Washington’s stubbornness may have contributed in one respect to the success at Yorktown: the British General Henry Clinton, who commanded the forces in New York, intercepted a letter in which Washington still declared that New York was the main target of the Continental Army, and this may have contributed to Clinton’s fateful decision not to assist Cornwallis.) Ellis declares that Yorktown was the most consequential battle in American history.With the war won the, fears arose again that Washington might use the Army to make himself king. Washington thought the Army should be maintained until peace was officially declared but made it clear that he would not take charge of the country. According to Ellis, when George III learned of this, he was heard to say: “If Washington resisted the monarchic mantle and retired, . . . he would be the greatest man in the world.” Washington’s officers thought differently and organized the “Newburgh Conspiracy” to give Washington dictatorial power. Washington rejected this “last temptation;” in an eloquent speech to his officers, he stated that “any attempted coup by the army was simultaneously a repudiation of the principles for which they had all been fighting and an assault on his [Washington’s] own integrity.” He made a dramatic farewell to the Army, his “patriotic band of brothers,” and symbolically gave up his sword. Despite his refusal to submit to authoritarian temptations, Washington was an ambitious man who not only expected to lead his country in war and in peace, but also wanted that leadership ultimately to support his own reputation with posterity. Unlike other major figures of history who used success in war or politics to seek to aggrandize their personal power, he recognized the need to give up his power when it was the right thing to do for his country and for his reputation with posterity. Many of his actions were driven by his consolidation of his view of his reputation with his interpretation of what was good for his country. He came to see slavery as both economically inefficient and morally repugnant, but his realism held him back from calling publicly for its termination. His hope was that over time it would wither away. But in terms of his personal engagement, he was definitive in his will that the slaves at Mount Vernon should be freed upon the dearth of his wife and, to the extent necessary, be provided economic support (e.g., for the elderly).Washington was like other men and women who have ambitions, emotions and flaws and make mistakes. This was especially true of his military record. The greatness of Washington was that he could rise above these human characteristics to identify his life with the objectives, as he saw them, of the thirteen colonies and in so doing establish the unity of the new nation. In this achievement, many regard him as the greatest US President.
    • 5/5
      I realized as I read this book how little I actually knew about George Washington. I feel this book gave me a good overview of his life. He played a lot of things close to his chest, and Martha destroyed all their correspondence when he died, so it still seems hard to really know him, but I think this author makes some pretty good guesses. How amazing to be front and center in such an important time, and of course he knew it so he worked hard to cultivate his personality and memory, but not in the way a lot of folks would have - he was quite wise with most of his decisions. Very good read.
    • 5/5
      I hate history books that are dry and "just the facts ma'am!" HIS EXCELLENCY:GEORGE WASHINGTON BY JOSEPH J ELLIS is perfect! Mr.Ellis has buried himself into the Washington letters,journals and everything he could get his hands on, to come up with this book. Well written,with plenty of documentation of his sources, it is NOT dry reading! Some of the facts about Washington I knew from other books I have read and some not. Mr.Ellis has put a lot of years into research and come up with a very good picture of HIS EXCELLENCY : GEORGE WASHINGTON.
    • 4/5
      His Excellency is a near perfect introduction to the life and times of President George Washington. Joseph J. Ellis masterfully condenses the life of an extraordinary revolutionary leader in under 300 pages. This book provides an overview of the life and times of George Washington without getting too bogged down in the details. The only issue is that if you are not a student of the revolutionary period in American History you may need to exercise your search skills in order to remind yourself of various battles, treaties and historical figures that did not stick to your brain pan after high school.One of the interesting points I did not remember from earlier study of this period in history was that political corruption was already in full swing at the genesis of our democracy. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were both playing the system, the people and the president to further their personal agendas. This may not be news to others, but for some reason I thought our founding fathers were a bit more honorable. The topic of slavery is a prevailing topic throughout the book. There is much discussion of emancipation and dissolving slavery, but my takeaway here is that though morally wrong, slavery was economically important and would have to be dealt with by future leaders. It is very difficult to comprehend this type of thinking in this day and age.This was a great re-introduction to the Revolutionary period and Ellis has sparked my interest enough to dive deeper and learn more about the enigmatic General Washington. I highly recommend His Excellency for those looking to learn more about our founding fathers.
    • 4/5
      An excellent introduction to Washington, providing a decent look at his entire life and an understanding of his legacy. Washington is a huge subject in American history and in this case, the author veers away from thoroughness and details to offer an easy to read, concise look at Washington's life. Focusing on broad themes, this book serves as a good introduction for those new to the subject and I hope to follow this book with more on Washington.
    • 4/5
      Great biography. It does a great job of going over George Washington's life. And helping to understand him.
    • 4/5
      After reading several books on the American Revolution and Founding Fathers that were written in a more academic style, "His Excellency" was a breath of fresh air. It was a pleasure to read in large part because of Joseph Ellis' more relaxed writing style.As this is the first book I read about Washington, I cannot compare it to others on the same subject. What I can do is report that I made good use of my highlighter as there was so much interesting content. While "His Excellency" is a rather short book (considering the subject) it's packed with great information that I felt did a great job introducing Washington's personality and actions. I also enjoyed the few instances where Ellis would point out how important it is for us to consider decisions made based on the context of when they're made, rather than letting our current political, social, and global environment cloud our decisions or presumptions.I would strongly encourage this book as a great introduction to our first president.
    • 4/5
      This short biography of Washington presents a thoughtful portrayal of his accomplishments and, most important, his character. It gives an excellent of the currents and ideas of the times in the late colonial and early independence years. The deep respect held by Washington’s contemporaries for him, and the reverence accorded him throughout the 19th century has faded somewhat in our modern era, not so much by revisionist history but by the passage of time. There are nearly countless biographical works on Washington, but this one, made enjoyable by Ellis’s fluid and clear writing style, is as good a book to gain insights into the man as any preceding it.Washington like all consequential figures was a man of contrasts. He was highly ambitious and desired advancement and greater esteem in the patrician society of mid-18th century Virginia. His family, while in the upper class of the Virginia planters, was not of the top rank. Washington knew that he would need to gain attention if his status among the elites was to rise. While he was intelligent and literate he was not on the lofty intellectual plane of his contemporaries like Jefferson, Randolph, Mason and the much younger Madison and Hamilton. Washington knew that he must succeed in three dimensions if he was to secure his social rank: economically, militarily and through a strength of character that garnered the respect of others.Like others of his class the mark of wealth was land; Washington never ceased in his goal of obtaining additional land. Washington recognized that the key to expanding land holdings lay over the mountains beyond the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers. Much of his time in his younger years was devoted to surveying the undeveloped land across the Alleghenies and acquiring ownership or rights to possess this land. While the Virginia aristocracy glanced largely toward England and Europe, Washington knew that the future of America lay westward. Washington’s economic position advanced substantially when he married the widowed Martha Custis who possessed one of the greatest estates in the Tidewater. His management of the estate was the principal preoccupation of his adult years.Washington gained his reputation in the military arena from his service in the French and Indian War. He was called on to lead expeditions against the French in present day northwestern Pennsylvania. His participation in several engagements was not unalloyed success, but he did gain widespread regard as a military leader, such that he was the clear choice to head the fight against the British at the onset of the War for Independence. One must conclude that his record in the Revolutionary War was mixed at best and, especially in the early years, he was saved from his headstrong offensive strategy only by the lack of aggressive follow through by his British counterparts. As the war progressed Washington adopted a more Fabian strategy of preserving his forces to fight another day; he seemed to understand that the American cause could be won by the two major advantages the country held: space and time. The entry of the French into the fight for independence was, of course, a major factor in the ultimate success of the Americans.Washington’s third asset in securing his place of esteem in the nation was his character. In the most primal sense his physical bearing brought the respect of others. He was tall and large for his time and many who saw him were awed by his physicality. Beyond this advantage was his demeanor, his image of being above the common fray. Washington had a keen desire to secure his place in history. He was a fervent patriot and had a vivid idea of what should be done for the thirteen states to become a nation. His reputation among his countrymen was so great that he could have easily become a Napoleon-like emperor, a new monarch for the new country. His revulsion for monarchy and his respect for the republican values emerging from the liberty movement made the choice of securing personal power impossible for him to envisage. In some sense what Washington did not do became as significant a part of his legacy as what he did. That is, he repeatedly stepped down from power at the times he might have perpetuated it. He resigned his commission after the war. He responded to the call of country twice thereafter when he accepted the chair of the constitutional convention and to become the first president of the United States. His determination to refuse a third term (and what could, if he had lived, been a lifetime sinecure) set the precedent for time-limited executive leadership ever after. His unswerving resistance to seeking and holding power was of great value in the political tone of the new nation, but was also seen by Washington as the most fruitful way to ensure his place in history.Ellis’s book provides interesting insights into two aspects of Washington’s life and service. His time as president saw the emergence of bitter political rivalries that created the party system. The intrigues of the arch enemies Jefferson and Hamilton are especially interesting; one must conclude that Jefferson’s disloyalty to the president is quite reprehensible. The second issue is Washington’s worries about slavery. His and Martha’s estate had hundreds of slaves and Washington concluded that slavery should not continue both because it was an economic burden on the plantation and because of personal qualms about the morality of slavery. He also sensed the inevitability that slavery would be a source of discord among the sections of the nation. He equivocated on the practicality of emancipating his slaves and the problem was compounded because many of the slaves were owned by Martha and hence not his to free. This issue would, of course, fester for the 60 years following Washington’s death in late 1799.(
    • 4/5
      What makes this biography of Washington stand out for me is Ellis' attempt to look into the psychology of the man. What formational events made him into a leader, cognizant of his own place in history, yet able to surrender power gracefully? What made him into the man who was idolized in his own time? The emphasis on Washington's commitment to civilian leadership of government was made several times, as was his recognition of the necessity of a strong central government, in opposition to "Spirit of 76" ideals. Would we have been a very different nation (or nations?) without Washington's role in the 1790s? I loved the attempt to see into the mind of Washington. However, without more documentation of his personal life and thoughts, at times the writing devolved into conjecture--interesting to read but surely open to disagreement by others. If your knowledge of the early years of American nationhood has been formed by high school classes and watching "1776" this book will bring a new perspective on many of the events and personalities of the time.
    • 4/5
      Forever remembered as the first president of the United States, George Washington is often a man that is greatly misunderstood. I love how the author chose to title this book with the title that Washington absolutely despised. The more I know about this man, the more I am intrigued.
    • 5/5
      This is a really well-done biography of George Washington. It suffers from the central defect of all Washington biographies - the complete destruction of his private correspondence by his wife, Martha, who wanted his privacy respected. She got her wish, but at the expense of history.Washington was a very quiet, reserved character who was unreservedly admired and respected by his contemporaries. He had his critics, and made his mistakes, but overall, he really deserves the plaudits that were heaped on him. In particular, his decision to step away from public life, both after winning the Revolutionary War and after serving two terms as president, are almost unique in world history, and served the nascent US well. Ellis shows how he was shaped by his childhood and his early experiences of frontier warfare, and how his own sense of honor was the driving force of his life.It was very interesting to read the degree to which the financial structure of the planter class of Virginia and the south was based on slavery and also unsustainable. Ellis sketches how the large families were often driven into debt and bankruptcy due to this, and shows how fear of this very real fate marked the political defense of slavery by southern politicians, particularly Thomas Jefferson. Washington, perhaps because he was not really part of this class (his social origins were a step lower), recognized early on that this was a trap and worked to diversify his plantations. He came to believe that slavery was wrong, and struggled to free his own slaves, but financial and legal realities made it difficult. Ellis speculates that Martha, wealthy in her own right, and through estates and slaves still legally belonging to her first husband's family (although she had lifetime use of them), may have opposed Washington in this regard, which would help explain why his will freed the slaves on her eventual death.Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      It's a difficult task to contain in a relatively small volume the story of a man involved in so many defining events in American history. The author does it by concentrating on the character of a man. You can't really write Washington's bio without going into the historical details, but author strikes a fine balance between biographical narrative and historical background. It is really not so much American history book, but rather portrait of a man.
    • 4/5
      Ellis is a good historian, but he has an annoying tendency to speculate on motives even when he admits there is no evidential basis for it, as part of what he apparently takes to be a charming conversational style.
    • 5/5
      Ellis took on a huge job: distill the essence of Washington the man into a short volume for those who want to know more without having to wade through one of the multi-volume biographies. And, at least in my humble amateur historian point of view, he succeeded. I feel like a have a very personal understanding of this larger than life figure. What did I miss? I wanted to know more about his relationship with Martha and his children but Ellis has little evidence since Martha destroyed all their correspondence. Or was he simply more interested in the political world that Washington both helped to create but then watched become increasingly more partisan? After all, that probably is the interesting historical story and I found myself yet again musing, as I do whenever I read American history or biography, about how little has changed in terms of American politics.
    • 3/5
      What an interesting man. At times he is a very frustrating character but at others times you understand why. His stand was always somewhere in the middle even though he kept very strong ideas himself. He was always very careful not to be an extremist on any view or policy. He was the ultimate politician with heart who hated confrontation. Not being able to fully know the man behind the myth is what makes him a legend. This book explains why we are not able to know more about him as well as his strained relationship with Jefferson. The two men could not be more opposite in everything. Fantastic biographical book. Also recommended would be 1776, it goes more in depth as to his decisions or lack thereof on the battlefield during the revolutionary war. I unfortunately read 1776 first and then this one, i would recommend it the other way around.
    • 5/5
      The author is not afraid to show has George Washington manipulated his story himself, beginning with his encounters with the French at the beginning of his career.
    • 4/5
      A superb insight into the Father of Our Country.Joseph Ellis wrote an excellent book that will give you a superb insight into the Father of Our Country. There can only be one man to fit those shoes and George Washington is that man. Mr. Ellis enlightens the story of Washington in an engaging, easily understanding way, that non-historians will appreciate. He doesn’t get bogged down in trivial details, but gives the reader amble details to get a thorough understanding of George Washington.In his book you will learn a great deal about Washington; his greatness and how he had to overcome so many criticisms and failures to become the sole beacon for the fledging United States. Ellis lets you know that Washington was not perfect by any means. In fact he wasn’t a great general. But, what he did have was persistence, courage and the ability to take advice from his staff of officers and even the French.Highly recommend.
    • 4/5
      Mr. Ellis does an exceptionally good job of introducing George Washington. He connects George Washington’s formative years then on to his growth as plantation owner in Virginia, through the years as a Commander of the Continental Army, ending with his years a President of the United States.The author portrays Washington as a man with all the human traits that you would expect from any man. With Washington’s personal papers, Mr. Ellis reveals new and interesting discoveries into Washington’s life that are supported by referenced documents. In several cases the author makes it clear that the evidence supporting Washington’s life is vague and the readers need to draw their own conclusions.In my opinion, this book was well written and a worthy biography of Washington. It’s a bit short on particulars, i.e., the crossing of the Delaware, Valley Forge, etc., but it was still informative and I highly recommend this book to all history buffs.
    • 4/5
      Biography of the year for me. Ellis has produced a historical, thoughful, indepth, and yet readable story of one of the truly great men we have been given. While not an American, I am still allowed to have a respectful interest in some of the founders of your state. Washington, Adams, and Jefferson make a powerful triumvirate. These 300 odd pages about Washington left me wanting a little bit more depth about his early years, but that is my sole complaint about the book. This is a suggested read for anyone interested in the tale of a man who strove to live up to his principles.
    • 3/5
      I really found this book to more about the war activities of the good general than about the person. Just my opinion.
    • 5/5
      A good read about the first and best American President. And a test for Facebook app......
    • 4/5
      Right off the bat, I learned a word new to me: hegemony. That's always a plus. Of course, if I were better read, especially in history, I probably would have learned it years ago, but hey, I'm not above admitting my ignorance.Overall, I enjoyed this biography of the first U. S. president. While there is inevitably quite a bit of history in it, the book is more about the man than about the history he shaped. Occasionally, it seemed a bit dry to me and once in awhile, the sentences seemed unnecessarily convoluted, but maybe that's just me. I especially was interested by Washington's personal and political views towards slavery and displacement of Native Americans and appreciated Mr. Ellis's insight into the subject. I only wish Martha Washington hadn't destroyed the correspondence between George and her because it would have been wonderful to know more about his private life and thoughts.
    • 4/5
      I felt the book is a fair portrayal of Washington as a human and gives the reader a new insight into the person. Mr. Ellis tries to take a man which has become a myth in his own time and deconstruct him to see what makes him tick. What did he find; Washington was a man like any of us, making his decisions based on what's good for his bank account, and putting in strategic moves for the future. We must remember that in that time people put in work to collect decades later, unlike today.This is an overview of Washington's life, the important decisions he made and why did he make them. Mr. Ellis' research is well founded; his speculations and premises make logical sense and put a new light on old tales.Are Mr. Ellis' assumptions correct?Who know, but isn't that half the fun or reading history books, to make your own assumptions, theories and hypothesis and see if the author agrees with you.Don't be afraid to read this book, you will come away with a great appreciation and admiration to Washington because, not despite, he was a human being and not a super-man.
    • 3/5
      I found this book to be less informative then others that I had read about our founding fathers (Adams, Hamilton, etc.). Perhaps there was less information available about George Washington than the others. I found the author's style frustrating, at times. He seemed to pick up on a theme and then reiterate it over and over again until I wanted to just skip to the next chapter. Otherwise, I found the book easy and enjoyable to read.
    • 5/5
      This is my first introduction to Washington's motivation, his hopes and dreams as he led the rag-tag Continental Army against the strongest nation on earth. Washington was a fervent believer in the Enlightenment ideals of the rights of man, and led a nation to throw over its colonizer, and then with just as much conviction, retired to country life.One of Washington's basic urges was to own and develop some trans-Appalachian land. To this end he worked for decades on a canal from what is now Tennessee and Kentucky to the Potomac River. He saw the Revolution not only as an assertion of liberty for him and his countrymen, but as a tremendous personal opportunity."His Excellency" takes us from Washington's early days as a suveyor (which made him familiar with the land west of Virginia), through his days as a colonial officer in the British Army (at whose hands his mistreatment made for a durable grievance). The Great Man's motivations and abilities come into high focus in this excellent, highly readable account. No less an expert than King George III said that if someone were to lead the American Colonies to freedom, and then retire without a thought to dynasty, he truly would be a great man. Yep. That's right.
    • 5/5
      Outstanding!Joseph Ellis has done a wonderful job giving real life to the man who won American independence in the Revolutionary War and who then went on to invent and sustain America’s emerging nationhood. George Washington’s early years on the Virginia frontier, to his role in the French and Indian War are fascinating enough. However, this early part of the book (and his life) serve to illustrate the crucible that these early days were to the creation of his iron will and the leadership qualities that brought him to lead the Continental Army throughout the Revolutionary War. His role as General convinced him of the need for Federal power to raise money for, among other things, an army. The details of the Continental Army’s condition during the war further illustrate the amazing nature of America’s defeat of what was then the world’s preeminent military power. For example, during the winter of 1776-1777, many soldiers went without shoes and fought a well equipped British Army. It is interesting to learn more about the relationship between Washington and his chief aid in the war and as President; Alexander Hamilton. Moreover, Ellis draws some interesting contrasts between Washington and Jefferson (both of whom he has now devoted a book each) and their personal relationship. Washington emerges from this the more influential character.Galvanized by these prior experiences, Washington’s influence on moving the confederation of states to the Constitutional Convention and ultimately the Constitution itself is crystal clear. No other Founding Father had such a realistic view of how to implement the new American ideals and, indeed, as Henry Lee expressed in Washington’s eulogy; “First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”His Excellency does an outstanding job of giving the reader a perspective on Washington, the person and, thus, takes a little bit of the stone like statue away from his persona. Here we also learn of Washington’s obsession with managing the affairs of Mt Vernon and his considerable real estate empire while also being a General and a President. We get a sense that Washington’s famous aloofness and ability to remain silent in a storm were as Ellis puts it “protective tactics developed to prevent detection of the combustible materials simmering inside.”This is an outstanding book. I’d read it again and likely will someday.
    • 4/5
      I learned many things about George Washington and his contmeporaries. Mr. Washington is not deified in this book and the author makes our first President seem human.
    • 5/5
      This was a very enjoyable biography. Washington comes across as an ambitious, but not self-serving, man. Not a particularly good general, and sometimes too slow to realize he could no longer trust former friends.Ellis writes in an easygoing style that brings Washington and his world to life.
    • 4/5
      Reviewed Dec. 2005 Wow, what a man! I knew so very little about this man or time, it was overwhelming at every page I would turn to held something new. I purchased and scanned sereval books on the American Revolution which helped clear up many areas for me. My visit to Mt. Vernon this summer really helped for me to visualize this time period. I had never really thought much about America’s beginnings, never thought about the time before. It seemed like people threw tea into the bay, they fought for awhile and became a Nation. History is so much more than that. Without knowing the results gives way more insight into history. I was also amazed to know how much Caspian knew about this time, and I have so much more to learn. I made many notes and underlined much in this book. I know I will be using this for reference. I need to know read about some of the other players, Hamilton, Franklin, Adams ect.... From the beginning I was puzzled why Martha burned all the letters between her and George. Until the end is she barely mentioned and only then barely. How much more interesting this would have been if her thoughts and ideas could be included. Alas! 21-2005