George Washington: His Quest for Honor and Fame

By Peter R. Henriques

A concise, compelling biography of Washington and the forces that drove him

What drove George Washington to become the preeminent man of his time and to secure a lasting reputation as one of history's great leaders? In this concise and engaging profile, Peter Henriques--a renowned Washington expert--recounts how Washington possessed a desperate desire to be seen, admired, honored, and above all to be remembered. Over the course of his life, Washington deliberately and self-consciously shaped his public image. Even his decision, dictated in his last will and testament, to emancipate the men and women he had held in slavery during his lifetime related directly to his desire to be perceived as honorable after his death and to safeguard his posthumous reputation. The complicated and controversial question of Washington and slavery is examined in an afterword. Written with a clarity that comes only from deep understanding, this biography goes right to the heart of what made Washington live, and succeed, as the greatest of America's founding fathers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813954185
• ISBN13: 9780813954189
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: University of Virginia Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

George Washington His Quest for Honor and Fame is very memorable

Although this book on Washington is not lengthy, such as Chernow's or others who have written biographies of our first president, I believe this one ranks as being one of the most memorable. As any writer knows, it takes much more skill and diligence to write something short and still make it a well-balanced account, with pithy descriptions that capture salient points that someone else also tries to deliver but has to do so by writing much longer accounts. This book is juicy and memorable, and very digestible, and an excellent template for measuring other books about Washington against. Henriques has given us a great little jewel in this book.