Today's Politicos vs The Words and Deeds of The Founders

Review

Rating: 8

The Real George Washington is a book filled with facts and details. It takes the reader chronologically through Washington’s life and leaves the reader with the indelible impression that Washington truly was the indispensable man. It is an impression that is accurate.

Washington was a man of towering integrity and grit. If you read this book, you’ll understand why he is known as the father of our country. Without Washington, the United States would never have happened. He was the right guy, in the right place, at the right times.

It seems as though this book borrows heavily from the scholarship of others – notably Douglas Southall Freeman’s 6 volume biography of Washington – but on others as well. This is probably a good thing, because Freeman’s pulitzer prize winning work is not available except as a collectible that goes for big bucks. Also, it would require a significant investment in time to make it through such a gargantuan work. Nevertheless, The Real George Washington does not suffer from this as these sources themselves were meticulous and scholarly.

The reader will discover just how intrinsic George Washington was to every step taken in the formation of this country.

• He was a legislator.
• He was a military man, serving as commander in chief of the continental army.
• He was the president of the Constitutional Committee.
• He served as the founding president of the United States, elected twice unanimously, declining a third term.

These are just the highlights.

The book also devotes considerable time to the events of the Revolutionary war, it’s actors, significant battles, and the circumstances with which Washington had to contend. It’s a surprisingly accessible book and one that was very interesting.