Washington: A Life Hardcover – Deckle Edge, October 5, 2010

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.

I just finished Chernow's massive biography of George Washington. I had been desiring to read this book for some time. The effort expended to read this volume was greatly rewarded. Chernow's prose is direct and engaging. The author has a knack for providing just the proper amount of information about any given topic.Oftentimes, one can approach the topic of a supposedly well known historical figure, like Washington, with a desire to be told only what one already knows. On this score, Chernow gladly disappoints because he is unafraid to dive deep into many different facets of the historical milieu surrounding Mr. Washington. Additionally, Chernow appropriately corrects some of the better known myths that are often repeated as facts from Washington's life (e.g. Washington's false teeth were made of wood or alas, the cherry tree bromide). Chernow also avoided the extremes of hero worship and an overly critical after-the-fact wisdom born by the events mentality. In other words, Chernow really attempted and, I believe, succeeded at presenting an even-handed biography of Washington.Not only did Chernow provide me with a broad and deep understanding of Washington, he also provided helpful, descriptions of characters like Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hancock, Alexander, Lafayette, Knox, Andre, Arnold, and many others. Chernow was able to make me feel the desperation of the Continental Army during the successive long winters during the 8 years of war. More importantly, through extensive use of primary sources, Chernow provided a deep look into Washington's psyche as he worked through the multitudinous issues that threatened to unravel the fledgling, new Republic.Interestingly enough, Chernow's work left me planning to read and study the Constitution and the Constitutional Convention. This book also implanted the desire to visit or revisit Williamsburg, Yorktown, Boston, Monticello, Philadelphia and Mount Vernon. Chernow's work also reminded me of the tender reed that was our republic from 1775 to 1787 and even well into the 2 terms of President Washington.Perhaps one of the most potent areas of Chernow's biography is devoted to the topic of slavery. Chernow takes a sage and nuanced approach to this topic. In my opinion, Chernow's decision to address the topic of slavery throughout the book (indeed as Washington struggled with the subject throughout his life) was the crowning achievement of this book. Somehow Chernow made me feel the anguish of the slave while also appreciating the national struggle to address this most dreadful aspect of our national history.In my opinion, Chernow's writing fell short in 2 respects. First, Chernow gave inadequate treatment to the religious foundation of our Country's founding. Second, Chernow overstepped the evidence to conclude that Washington viewed the Constitution as "a living, breathing document." Other than these shortcomings, Chernow's work provided a substantial feast of historical prose that left me with a vivid mental, emotional image of this great man, George Washington.