Washington: A Life

There is general consensus about this book: it is the magisterial biography of GW, meticulously researched and beautifully written. It is a great bargain because of its length but simultaneously a large commitment, perhaps just south of 400,000 words or four sizeable volumes. Everyone is agreed that it humanizes Washington. This is a fair and balanced biography, not hagiography or legend/fantasy. Parson Weems’s cherry tree story is debunked; the ‘wooden’ teeth story is corrected and we learn about the real challenges of our first president who was elected unanimously but still suffered the slings and arrows of the ‘factions’ he deplored. We learn as much about his private life as the evidence will permit and we learn a great deal about his psychology, his interpersonal skills and the reasons for his success in dealing with leaders foreign and domestic (and traitors, though, curiously, we learn very little about Hamilton’s fateful duel, which is simply mentioned in passing). We also learn a great deal about his finances, which are reminiscent of Churchill’s in their ‘fast and looseness’. The most encouraging thing is perhaps the fact that the book has drawn some 9,000 reviews on Amazon. That indicates a very large and still dedicated readership, prepared to read a very long book in an age of sound bites, film clips and ‘history’ drawn predominantly from social media. Bottom line: a must-read. Also, great food for thought—is it simply an accident that our greatest presidents (Lincoln, Truman, Washington) were not college graduates?

I liked Chernow's other biographies; particularly his one on Alexander Hamilton, so much that I advanced ordered this book. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. If I had to describe this book in one sentence I would say that it shows why Washington was a great leader and a great man. Below is further information about the book, how it compares to other Washington biographies, and some caveats (mentioned at the end of this review) that I think a potential reader should be aware of. Why should you read this book when you think that you know all you need to about George Washington? I think that you should because this book is wonderful, both in the writing and in the level of detail. Chernow is a wonderful writer. As with his other biographies, Chernow gives us a picture that goes beyond a stiff formal portrait. He gives us, what I consider to be, a fair picture of Washington, with his faults clearly delineated as well as his positive attributes. Here is not the Washington promoted to a saint-like status, rather a man who made the most of all the opportunities that came his way. A man who was not above ordering gold braid and a red sash for his uniform, and a man who took offense at slights (although when necessary held his anger to himself) and a man who bristled when he was appointed to a military rank that he felt was too low. However, he was also a man who learned by his mistakes (and Chermow points out a lot of them) and was above all; courageous, conscientious, honest, and hard working. He shows Washington the man - a man who felt handicapped by his lack of a college education, a man with a volatile temperament that he kept tightly under control, a man who could lead men but found himself leading untrained and undisciplined ones. He shows Washington to be human, a man who "... adopted a blistering style whenever he thought someone had cheated him". Most of all he shows a Washington who prevented the dissolution of the army during the war and whose actions defined the presidency of the US. One of Chernow's objectives was to show that Washington made his own decisions, after consultation with those whose opinions he respected, and contrary to the charge made by his enemies was not controlled by men like Hamilton. What I found most interesting were the discussions of those aspects of Washington's life that are generally not covered in one-volume biographies. He discusses the economic factors that eventually turned Washington against Britain. Chernow discusses Washington the businessman (both as a planter and a land speculator) and his dealings with his London agents. Contrary to popular myth, Chernow shows Washington to be land rich but cash poor, frequently to the extent of being on the brink of economic disaster. Chernow devotes two chapters (and parts of others) to the issue of slavery. He makes it clear that Washington did not like the institution, but he viewed his slaves as an investment that he did not know how to dispense with without bring about his economic ruin. Furthermore, he unrealistically expected his slaves to act more like employees or soldiers and could not understand why some did not, or why some ran away. Remarkably, Chernow makes Washington come alive without sacrificing details. My touchstone for a biography on Washington is the extent to which it covers his family, particularly his brothers. Flexner's one volume condensation of his four-volume biography of Washington mentions George's older half-brothers, but not his older half-sister or his younger full brothers and sisters. Chernow mentions them all. He also clears up the story of how George acquired Mt. Vernon, and how it got its name. Chernow also discusses Washington's difficult relationship with his mother, a subject generally not covered in other one-volume biographies. The book also discusses such diverse topics as Washington's teeth, his height, and many of his illnesses. This is a complete biography of George Washington. It is divided into six parts, covering his entire life. In contrast, some biographies only cover part of his life. For instance, Willard Sterne Randall's biography of Washington focuses almost entirely on the revolutionary war. Chernow covers everything, devoting almost equal space to Washington's presidency as to his leadership of the army. The book contains 30 black and white photographs of paintings of individuals, printed on high gloss paper. The quality of the photographs is good, but lacks the color of the originals, which is unfortunate. I think that there are two caveats that a potential reader should be aware of. This is not a detailed military history - there are no maps or detailed discussions of tactics. It is more about the man and how he handled the problems of the war, than a history of the war itself. Neither is this book a political treatise on the Washington presidency. Chernow does, however, show how Washington, by his actions, created the presidency. For instance,Chernow shows how Washington changed the Senate's constitutional requirement of "advise and consent" to consent for actions he took. One should not take these caveats as an indication that the book was not excellent or is incomplete. It is just that there is a limit to what one can put into a single volume, even with more than 800 pages of text. Furthermore, this is a book about Washington's whole life, written for a general audience. In this it succeeds admirably.

"Washington - A Life" by Ron Chernow is a Pulitzer prize winner. It's very interesting and informative, and long, very long. 817 pages. I felt it was certainly worth the investment in time, but I also felt it easily could have been pared by at least 100 pages. More on that later. Fortunately, Chernow's writing is very relaxed and extremely readable, laced with well placed anecdotes and excellent analysis. Coming into this book, I knew very little about our first President besides some 4th grade history instruction and a number of visits to nearby Mount Vernon. Not much time was spent on GW's early years, and very soon we learn of George's adventures as a very young officer in the militia, teamed with England in the French and Indian War. As revolution began to simmer in the colonies, Washington's role was primarily military, and the events that unfolded during those years dealing with the Declaration and Constitution were mainly left to others. Though Washington attended the initial Congressional sessions and expressed his viewpoints, he was never a confident orator and his lack of education led many of his founding brothers to pay him less attention. So Chernow's focus during those years deals more with the eight years (yes, EIGHT years) that he led his rag tag army against the British; in the background we are given snippets of events in Philadelphia. And maybe rag-tag is too kind a descriptor. This was an army that was not only poorly clothed but ill-fed as well. Often local farmers sold their produce and livestock to the better financed British. Then there was the issue of many American troops returning to their families every December 31 as annual commitments expired. Washington's "army" would shrink to a few thousand. Washington lost a number of battles - he was not surrounded by an experienced military-educated team of officers and staff, but he kept the army together. Eventually the Brits made the Big Mistake at Yorktown, and with the very timely help of the French, the Revolutionary War was over. My major disappointment with this portion of the book was that Chernow elected not to use maps. There were several battles described in some detail which would have been much easier to visualize with a single map. Five years later Washington was our first President. He was unopposed, and his intention was to serve one term, perhaps less if possible. He yearned to retire to Mt. Vernon but did not have that opportunity for another eight years. There were two interesting learnings for me in this section of the book. The first is that Washington as President was now in a position to set precedent since not every detail of governing was clearly defined in the founding documents. Many of those issues dealt with the specific duties o the Executive and Legislative branches. The second was the birth o political parties, each with different viewpoints on the kind of country America was to become. For example, while Washington (and Hamilton) believed in a strong executive role, others felt it would be too easy for the United States to morph into a monarchy-like government too reminiscent of the British royatly from whom we had just separated.. This section of the book made clear that while many of our forefathers may have been "founding brothers" they did not always get along all that well and at various points in our early history, relationships broke off and were never repaired. It is interesting to see so many parallels with governing the US in 2015. In addition to the War years and the first Presidency years, the book covers a lot of other ground central to Washington's life. All of it is very important and I would not want any of the subjects deleted. But I think most could have been abbreviated. These include the ongoing changes at Mount Vernon over the years from crop selection to building additions to draperies, the relationship with George's mother, his dental problems, all of the portraits he sat for, slavery, George's eye for the ladies, and his delightful relationship with Lafayette. The material dealing with slavery alone could have yielded a separate book. As a matter of fact, I think a book dealing with the issue of slavery and American presidents from Washington to Lincoln could be a winner. Nevertheless, five stars all the way. Highly recommended.

I greatly enjoyed reading a biography of Washington that reveals him as a whole man, with ambitions, sorrows, frustrations, occasional bursts of ego, but always a vision of what was possible and fierce determination to see it through to fruition. We see his genius and we also see his weaknesses and how he overcame or compensated for them. We see his confidence and his humility and uncertainty. We see the interplay of politics in a manner I have not seen in other biographies of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin and others of our founding Fathers. Washington as a legend has always been impressive. Washington as a complete human being is more so -- to overcome one's own nature to achieve a vision for the future of an entire continent is the epitome of greatness. The only weakness, in my point of view, was that in Chernow's veneration of Washington, he showed both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in distinctly negative light. While their interactions with Washington may deserve harsh treatment, it must be remembered that it is the combination of all of these incredible men that made America what it became. The fact that the nation was founded by men dedicated to such disparate points of view is, in part, what led our fledgling country to be one where opposition is considered healthy. To demonize any of these men is to demean what their differences accomplished. Luckily, Chernow does not go this far, but if one has not read more about Adams and Jefferson and the early days of our nation, it might be more difficult to see the importance of the discussion (however nasty it got) between the Federalists and the Republicans. Chernow tells the story of Washington through anecdotes, references to letters, documents, and other histories of the era, which I found interesting and fun and compelling. Overall, this is an excellent biography that shows Washington the man as well as the General and the President. I highly recommend it!

Excellent biographies of the Founding Fathers have been published in the last several decades. With these books, the nation seems to yearn for moral and political guidance from America's founders — i.e., through their words, lives, and actions, as recounted in the pages of history. It seems these tomes are needed to help steer the presently insecure nation through the prevailing rough political waters and treacherous economic shoals of the present global age. In this vein, such books have assisted us in regaining forgotten or neglected knowledge about the equally trying times of the past and in recognizing the difficult lives and tribulations of the founders —placing them in newer light. David McCullough's John Adams (2001), for example, placed the "Sage of Quincy" back on his pedestal, as did Harlow Giles Unger with James Monroe's biography, The Last Founding Father (2009); Joseph Ellis explored the life and paradoxical mind of the American Sphinx (1997), Thomas Jefferson, questioning his place in the sun; Ron Chernow (2004) and Willard Sterne Randall (2003) refurbished Alexander Hamilton's image, recounting his indomitable life as well as immense political achievements; Ralph Ketcham recollected James Madison (1990), etc. Some writers, such as Gore Vidal and Nancy Isenberg — respectively, while using eloquent novelistic prose as in Burr (1973) or exhaustive research as in Fallen Founder (2007), have even attempted to place Aaron Burr on a pedestal where he does not belong. In the present tome Washington — A Life, Ron Chernow injects life and vitality into the stiff, impassive, and waxen, almost marble imagery, the present age has assigned to George Washington via the formal paintings of Gilbert Stuart and other official artistic representations, as the embodiment of George Washington as "Father of his Country." On the political side, much has been said of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington's political partnership, in which Hamilton is said to be the power behind the throne, influencing Washington's political philosophy, formulating policy, and carrying the executive branch of government down the Federalist road. The fact is that the two men worked in tandem and shared similar political philosophies; the two men needed each other to place the new unified nation on a solid foundation, and as such destined it for expansion, prosperity, and greatness. And while it is true Washington needed his prodigious aide-de-camp in war, and later in peace, as his brilliant Treasury Secretary, one must also remember that their Republican opponents likewise forged remarkable alliances to oppose them. The imperturbable Thomas Jefferson needed his friend and collaborator, the indomitable James Madison, "the Father of the Constitution," to oppose the unstoppable Federalist duo. With the death of Washington on December 14, 1799, the political "colossus," Hamilton, had lost his support and anchor, and the Federalists were doomed. The solid imprint they left for the country, though, would survive largely intact, even through the successive administration of their Democratic-Republican opponents and remain as guidance for ages to come. Chernow's George Washington is the much-needed, authoritative biography of America's first president for the modern age. Chernow's Washington is incarnated in flesh and blood, imbued with human characteristics, suffused with moral strengths and human weaknesses — reflected in such sobering issues as his unresolved moral dilemma about slavery, his consuming preoccupation with rank and propriety, and how he will be seen and judged by posterity. Washington is portrayed in his rarely seen human side, from his sharing hardships with his soldiers during the Revolutionary War to his flirtatious eye for the ladies in social gatherings. With Chernow's biography Washington's human characteristics that have been forgotten or neglected are revived; nevertheless in his human form, Washington's place at the pinnacle of American history remains justly secure as the timeless hero of the American Republic! This is the tome that was needed to revitalize George Washington as the "Father of his Country," not as an effigy in marble but in flesh and blood, recognizing that despite a few human shortcomings, he was and remains the essential figure of the American Revolution and the founding of this great nation — the United States of America. Miguel A. Faria Jr., M.D. is Associate Editor in Chief and World Affairs Editor of Surgical Neurology International. He is Clinical Professor of Surgery (Neurosurgery, ret.) and Adjunct Professor of Medical History (ret.), Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Faria is the author of Cuba in Revolution -- Escape From a Lost Paradise (2002). He is the author of numerous articles on politics, history, and science, including "Stalin's Mysterious Death" (2011) and "The Political Spectrum -- From the Extreme Right and Anarchism to the Extreme Left and Communism" (2011 -- all posted at the author's websites: www.haciendapub.com & www.drmiguelfaria.com

It is quite a commitment by the reader to literally pick up and hold Ron Chernow's heavy (800+ pages) WASHINGTON and read it cover to cover. Chernow loves to write long books that are very readable, and yet surround you with many historical antidotes, character studies, and yet the length scares you from making the time commitment needed. I will admit I had to stop about midway to read another book before returning to Washington. Not that I was not enjoying Washington but the Washington personality can be a bit boring and repetitive at times. Maybe this is the type of book the Kindle was born for. I do agree that the book certainly deserves its Pulitzer Prize. It is written for the most part in a series of short chapters that almost stand alone as short stories. This enables one to read a chapter or two a day and still have a fulfilling reading experience. Chernow has done a masterful job of painting a complete picture of the Washington's personality and accomplishments. He is able to break into Washington's inner thoughts who's discovery is the result of research into the many newly located documents and letters. Chernow includes how concerned Washington was over money issues, that everyone thought rich and yet he had financial failure after failure and was land poor (and Washington would also say slavery poor, he owned over 300 with almost 100 under 12 years old and he discussed how unprofitable they were to maintain considering their low output. He freed his slaves after his death and the death of Martha. It was his hope others in the South would follow. No other founding father did however.) Washington was the right man and personality at the right time in America's history. He was the lease educated among a group of peers that were the educated elites of their time no doubt. Washington was a good listener and tired to build bridges, heard all sides of debate and was a strong advocate for the new constitution, a national army (vs state militias) and for a strong centralized national government. Despite being a Southerner most of his opposition came from his home state of Virginia. This because he was always a Federalist and sided with Hamilton on issue after issue, enough so that Jefferson and Madison became serious political rivals, mounting many attacks and forming the Republicans. Chernow shows how even in the late 1700's Washington had to deal with the South's fears and jealousy of the North and Washington's fear that it threatened the future of the union. The book is full of stories and adventures and accomplishments. But its real interest lies in relationships and how Washington managed them. He covers them all from his extended family (he had no children) to his marriage to his slaves to his political and military supporters and rivals. Washington was rather consistent and stoic when faced with life and death. So many died around him in combat and through disease that Washington seems to have lived a life of good fortune. (Although his death was quickened by a series of doctors that had only one cure, that was to bleed him to the point that he had lost half of his bodies volume of blood when he died.) Chernow spends a lot of time talking about artists who painted Washington and the results of these sessions. It would have been nice if these resulting portraits would have been shown on the page adjacent to the text discussing the picture. After you have finished the book you have a strong feeling that you have come to know this man, Washington. He is no longer some marble figure or infallible genius who became the father of his country. Which got me to thinking that when US History is taught in our schools the curriculum should spend more time on the conflicts, disagreements, and regional and economic issues fought over (peacefully up to the civil war) between the various "founding fathers" rather than foster that all was genius and agreement. For example Jefferson did not think much of the constitution and Washington saw it as a "living" document that could not possibly answer every question as the country grew and changed. Washington understood the nation's greatness would be determined on how things were implemented for good or bad. For the good Washington was there to set the way.

The book is a captivating and wholesome 819-page exposé of Washington's entire life: - The frontiersman, farmer and slaveholder - Brave young cadet - Family man and Virginian - Revolutionary General and War Hero - First American President - The ineffable icon In Chernow's biography, you get 'The Man, the Myth, and The Legend' of George Washington. The long text is divided into five parts: Part 1: The Frontiersman In these chapters we get GW's early life. This is as important as it is interesting when considering who GW had become. His formative experiences had molded him into whom he would become later on. For example, his surveying work in the 1740s, military skirmishes before and during the French and Indian War (e.g. Jumonville Glen and Fort Duquesne), and perhaps most of all, his ascendency in Virginia due to death in his own family and Martha Custis's first husband. The military experiences were especially helpful later on, as it taught Washington lessons in leadership, frontier and guerrilla warfare, and perseverance through tough climates and terrains. This would obviously suit him well during the Revolutionary War later on. Some of the more negative formative experiences for Washington were his initial upbringing and status in society before he had met Martha, and relatedly, the customs of Virginia - southern culture, importance of land and property (think, slaves), and genteelness in the rural farmland society he grew up in. Part 2: The Planter These chapters capture the pre-War General Washington. Besides the last, it is the shortest segment of the book. At this time of his life, Washington is newly married and starting his life with his wife Martha. Due in some part to his marriage, but even more so because of his massive success as a landowner; he is now in the upper echelons of Virginia society. History tells the story of the revolutionary general, but we cannot underestimate the peacetime entrepreneur that Washington was. He had an intense work ethic and was a perspicacious planner. The Mount Vernon plantation represented one of the most complex forms of economic organization and planning that colonial society knew. While he was one of the first planters to cultivate wheat in place of soil-depleting tobacco, he had also built a profitable fishing business. Yet, such a status had implored him to do his best to play a role he never really felt he fit in - that of a genteel Virginian - an insecurity that would reoccur in small and subtle ways for the rest of his long life. It was around this time that conflict was brewing in the colonies. Washington in particular did not get involved deeply until the 1770s, where in 1774 he openly expressed his militance. This culminated up to August 5th, 1774, where Washington was elected one of seven Virginia delegates that would meet in Philadelphia in what was known as the First Continental Congress. Even then there were at most reservations about the very idea of Independence. Things escalated quickly, and less than a year later the Revolutionary War broke out. Washington, ever frugal and circumspect about his money, comfortable with his charming life with Martha at Mount Vernon; was willing to wager it all for a brash and speculative rebellion. Even John Adams, who was not one to mince words had stated that "There is nothing...to which mankind bow down with more reverence than to great fortune". Give me liberty, or give me death. As is said. Part 3: The General Washington had rivals for the generalship of the new revolutionary army, such as Horatio Gates and Charles Lee. But ultimately his towering presence; non-bombastic leadership, and demure but confident personality had propelled him to the top. In the words of the author "A man of the happy medium, conciliatory by nature, he lent a reassuring conservatism to the Revolution". Washington's leadership at this time, irrespective of his many mistakes, may be the most important factor in America's success. For what he lacked as a tactician: the ability to organize an army, compartmentalize politics and war, inspire his troops, and give extreme attention to any detail---an ability foreshadowed by his prewar skill as a farmer; is the reason why we remember Washington as a great general. It was such a blend of austerity and temerity that helped spearhead this revolution in a much different direction than the one that would come after, inspired by it, the French Revolution. Besides Washington's remarkable gall to put his skin in the game in almost any engagement, he seemed to have a preternatural ability to escape death or capture. If it doesn't give you chills reading about it for the first time, I don't know what does. Part 4: The Statesman Washington goes home. War is over. This section covers the relatively brief interlude from when Washington stepped down from the Continental Army in 1783 to when he was elected the first President of the United States in 1789. From a political standpoint, the first few years after the end of the war was a time marked by a time of constitutional processes. The new nation was struggling under the Articles of Confederation. With an amalgamation of political and economic problems and uprisings such as Shays' Rebellion, the federal government was exposed as weak. Initially, Washington was able to stay mostly out of it while keeping a close eye on political affairs. From a personal standpoint, Washington was initially pleased to return back to his plantation as a gentleman farmer. But from an economic standpoint, Washington's return to Mount Vernon since December of 1783 was complicated by numerous economic setbacks. He dealt with numerous wheat and crop failures, and if it wasn't a chinch bug infestation it was the elements that conspired against him: a brutal drought in the summer of 1787 gave way to a chilly winter of 1787-88. Even his contemporaries would be shocked to find out that his western taxes stood in arrears and that he posted his lands in the west to pay them off. On three occasions he rebuffed the sheriff of Fairfax County when it came time to collect taxes due on Mount Vernon. While his somewhat profligate spending on his home and revered guests did not cease, we can say that his financial situation was in shambles. He needed to do what he didn't expect, and that is borrow money with interest. Amazingly, the father of the country had to ultimately borrow money to attend his own inauguration as president. Part 5: The President In what is the second longest section of the book, the entirety of Washington's two term presidency is covered. History usually gets more interesting as you zoom in. To a modern audience, Washington's first years at presidency are unusual in the fact that he had near-universal praise from the country and other politicians. His second term, on the other hand, would much more mirror the politics of today: partisan attacks, political enemies, contentious lawmaking, etc. Tensions really rose for example during the Jay Treaty in 1794. The conflict solidified the rise of political parties, in this case the Federalists (whom declared neutrality and opposed an antagonistic stance towards Britain) versus the democratic-republicans (i.e. Jefferson and Madison, who supported France and opposed the treaty). The partisan tensions deeply troubled Washington, and he warned against political factionalism in his farewell address years later. A modern reader, such as myself, would be bemused at such a suggestion considering it is the modus operandi in political discourse of today and our entire lives. One thing many people don't know about Washington was that he was a brilliant politician, and you did not need to get this far into the book to learn that. Part of the reason why he was an effective general of the Continental army was because of his ability and willingness to understand the political side of war. More so than his skills as a tactician. Beyond politics, Washington had an uncanny ability to understand what examples need to be set for future generations. While not the intellectual like Jefferson or Adams, Washington nevertheless understood the Democratic ideals that the newly minted United States of America stood for, and had the prescience and integrity to step down after two terms. This set a precedent - not a rule - for over 100 years and until the FDR presidency. Cons: - The author spoke about famous portraits of Washington, and went into detail about subtle details yet those photographs were not included in the book. I would have loved to flip pages and quickly look at the photographs he was referring to. They really tell interesting stories, and I think it would have been a pleasure to anyone interested in history to see these photographs side by side with the text. The book is heavy, one of the heaviest I've read; but I wouldn't have minded if it was even heavier if it contained the referenced paintings. Pros - Chernow says it's important for him to bring out the man behind the legend. That he did: Washington was internally a very passionate and emotional person. - It's subjective but I found myself engrossed by the text. It's something I wanted to go back to and read every day. It's truly interesting that for someone who cared about posterity as much as Washington did, we would be misled generations later on how the man behind the myth truly was. But then again, that's perhaps how he wanted it. It may not only have motivated his brave and moral behavior, but also his reluctance to hastily express himself in words and actions.

Washington, A Life by Ron Chernow should be required reading by all of us, including our children. For most of us, the images we have in our heads of the founding fathers were formed a lifetime ago when we were children. Today our children are forming those same images in their minds, based on boring textbooks and teachers that have only a borderline knowledge of Washington, or that matter an interest. Had I been fortunate enough to have had a book like this several decades ago, my understanding and interest in Washington would have been remarkably different than the lifeless, waxwork image that most of us have. Chernow makes George Washington come alive, and how grateful we should be for this. Every few years a new book comes out on our country's first President, each one is pronounced the definitive one, and yet next year there is another one. What differentiates Chernow from all of the rest is his capacity to convey a living human being with an emotional life, something no other author has been able to do so far. First, let's discuss the mechanics of the book. Without the footnotes and index, we are looking at 817 pages printed with a small font. It's a big heavy book, but remember that many Washington biographies encompass several volumes, usually 3 or 4. Chernow was very reliant on the papers of the George Washington Project at the University of Virginia. This involves more than 130,000 relevant documents. First composed by John C. Fitzpatrick in the 1930's and 1940's, the papers occupy 39 volumes of letters written by George Washington. In recent years, this work has been expanded to 60 volumes, which now includes letters addressed to Washington as well as writings of his friends, family, and others who lived during his lifetime. One of the amazing statements I took out of the book was Chernow's comment that we now know more about George Washington than his own friends, family or contemporaries did. The book itself is divided into six distinct parts. They are: Part I - The Frontiersman Part II - The Planter Part III - The General Part IV - The Statesman Part V - Acting the Presidency Part VI - The Legend I am going to describe an instance briefly from each section to give you a feel for how interesting this book is. Chapter 4 of Part I is called the Bloodbath. In it Chernow describes vividly how Colonel Washington trained 160 green recruits to take on more than 1000 French soldiers with 360 boats and 18 pieces of artillery during the French and Indian War. This occurred in May of 1754. It is obvious that America's founder lost control of his troops who engaged in scalping, and other acts which the future President found to be degrading. Washington himself had to lie to his troops and tell them that additional soldiers were on their way to reinforce their position. He would regret the actions that took place in this encounter for the rest of his life. In Part II, chapter 17 Washington finds himself living in Cambridge Massachusetts adjacent to Harvard University, and regrets never having attended college. He lives in the house of John Vassall and encounters a young slave named Darby Vassall. Washington decides to take young Darby into his service and changes his mind, when the young man says, "What would my wages be." What most of us would find to be humor, Washington found to be insulting. During this period of his life, Washington is described by different people in the following terms, venerated, truly noble and majestic, vast ease, dignity, always buffed and polished. He always had an elegant sword strapped to his side, and had silver spurs attached to his boots. When asked how he would pick an officer, his reply was that he must be a true gentleman, with a genuine sense of humor, and the reputation of being able to rise. In Part III the General deals with the revolutionary war. Chapter 28 is about the Long Retreat. Washington is so disappointed when General Benjamin Lincoln must surrender Charleston, South Carolina along with 2,571 men with 343 artillery pieces plus 6000 muskets. Normally soldiers are allowed to surrender with dignity and march out with their colors, but not this time. To shame the Americans, we were required to lay down our arms in silence. The choice was than given to become a prisoner of war or return home after a solemn oath to refrain from further fighting. This part also includes the Benedict Arnold affair. If you think you know the story, believe me, you don't. Arnold comes through as an extraordinary American. Words to describe him include, fearless, racing on horseback to spur on his men, most enterprising, and dangerous as a warrior. Arnold had horses shot out from under him, and kept going. One of his legs was basically blown off, and still he would not stop fighting, refusing amputation; he was able to carry on. The first President of our country is totally enamored of Benedict Arnold. Arnold on the other hand felt betrayed by our country. Far superior to the generals he reported to, other generals took credit for the victories that Arnold won, and paid for with his body, in pain and parts. Officials in Pennsylvania officials falsely accused Arnold of exploiting his position for personal gain. The General demanded an immediate trial by court martial. Arnold felt that George Washington did not come to his defense, and this led to the ultimate betrayal. It is Arnold's betrayal that has erased all the major battles he won on behalf of this country - sound familiar. In Part IV, the Statesman, we see George Washington as perhaps the first American celebrity. He is the most famous person in our new country, a position he is completely uncomfortable with. His brother dead, he takes his children into his home, and raises them as his own. If you want to understand Washington, listen to what Nelly and Washy, the two children say to describe the General. He (Washington) never spoke of a single act of his life, during the war. He was a remote figure. Part V is Acting the Presidency. Chernow used a term that makes no sense unless you read the book. The concept is not creating the Presidency, but Acting the Presidency. Washington felt and knew when he became President that every act would be scrutinized. His fear was that of all the branches of government, only the Presidency possessed the power and potential to slip into monarchy, and subvert the Republican form of government. He would avoid this slippage at all costs. Chernow also explores the concept that many things which appear to be of little importance have the ability to have durable consequences. Bringing it all together, I believe from this day forward, we will now have a definitive, reliable, and wonderfully readable story of the life of our most important American. Creating what we call America was a very difficult task, but it was left to Washington to lead a war to create it, to win the Presidency to create the model for everything that would come afterwards, and set by example how each succeeding President should and would conduct himself. We have no idea what America would look like if George Washington did not exist? We don't know if America would have been at all, so much rested on his shoulders. Two-thirds of the colonists sided with the British initially. We do know this however. There were only two times in thousands of years of history when a perfect solution to the formation of a government took place. One was under Caesar Augustus, while the other was under George Washington. Now we have the definitive biography to tell us the whole story. Thank you Mr. Chernow and thank you for reading this review. Richard C. Stoyeck