George Washington: First in War, First in Peace (American Heroes)

By James A. Crutchfield and Crutchfield James Van

Book Overview

Between 1753, when he was commissioned as a major of Virginia militia, and 1775, when the Second Continental Congress named him Commander-in-Chief of all colonial military forces, George Washington rose from anonymity as a minor landowner and surveyor to become America's first national hero. With little military training he led the thirteen fledgling colonies through six years of grueling war against formidable British forces, steered the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and served two terms as the first president of the United States. His accomplishments were so stunning and he was so revered that by the end of the war some of his generals urged him to install himself as king, an idea he looked upon with "abhorrence," calling the very thought "painful." Nor would he consider standing for a third term as president. In this revealing book, James Crutchfield writes of Washington as an enigmatic man-"No more elusive personality exists in history" as an eminent Harvard historian observed. His outward commonness concealed a quick, analytic mind, capable of learning from mistakes, gauging his successes not on winning battles but on the effect his decisions would have on the future of his country. "Washington remains an American hero, in every definition of the word," Crutchfield says. "He was a man who rose above the political uncertainty of the infant United States to chart its destiny for two centuries into the future."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765310694
• ISBN13: 9780765310699
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Forge Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.9" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

Our first President and a great leader.

The author reminds us of the greatness of our first leader. Here was a man who put country first, and himself second. When he fought in the Revolutionary War, he stayed away from home for over six years. When offered the kingship of this country, he was insulted and told his soldiers that he could not abide by becoming a leader such as this. His wisdom is still present in today's politics. He desired only two terms as President and told his ministers that was enough. Later, Congress adopted this as an amendment to the Constitution. He did not like foreign entanglements. His wisdom and non partisanship is sorely lacking today in our leaders. This is a nice beginners book about our first leader. It is short enough for those who are interested in our first President to learn about Washington's greatness.

Good book to get someone interested in the time period

The book gives a concise narrative of the life of George Washington, from birth until death. It makes every attempt to debunk popular myths about our nation's first president, and gives as much historical information as possible without making the book overly pedantic. All and all, the book was a pleasant read. Imagine my surprise upon finding a book that actually had historical subsistence and wasn't overly dense. The Flesch-Kincaid level, for the passage I randomly picked, pegged at 12.0, but I find that hard to believe. If I had read this book as a senior, heads would have rolled. Fine read, yes; reflective of grade level, no. The book, I would think, could be easily approachable for middle school, granted that it's not a "throw-me-into-the-deep-end" read, but even then, it may be achievable for some. I have few real complaints about the book. The biggest that I have is the lack of maps. Personally, I come from upstate New York and have resided in Pittsburgh (you'll see what I mean when they start hashing out Pittsburgh's three different rivers during the Fort Duquesne/Fort Pitt skirmish. Even I had to pay attention to remember which river was which), so I was quite familiar with the areas being discussed throughout the book. Someone, especially a middle schooler, from anywhere else would have a hard time keeping geographical track of things, and unless they're a devotee of history, reading about events that are 200+ years old while trying to keep track of then-General Washington's movements is not conducive to gaining someone's interest. Next, while the book tries to not put Washington on a pedestal, like most do, it still has the aura of it. There are a few attempts in the book to show Washington's "human" nature, but even then, these descriptions are quickly followed by "but then he got right up and persevered!"-ims. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but come now. Other than that, like I said, the book was quite readable and not historically dense. I give the book a 7 because, frankly, I don't think I'd read it again, nor would I recommend it to anyone. If someone came up to me and specifically said: "I need a book that details all of Washington's life briefly, and details major events in an easy-to-read format," only then would I mention this book. This shouldn't deter you from considering it. If you have a budding interest in the Revolutionary War period, this book will give you solid footing in the names, events, treaties, and nuances of the time. If you already know a lot about the Revolutionary War, you could safely pass the book up for something more investigative. In brief: good beginner book, good book to get someone interested in the time period, good book to hack through together as a class, perhaps; but hardly fulfilling for someone that has Revolutionary War knowledge and a decent grasp of the diplomacy of that era. [...]