Washington: A Life (2010)

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by Ron Chernow



Ron Chernow's Pulitzer Prize-winning single-volume biography of Washington is absolutely wonderful.

 

Ron Chernow

Although Chernow is deeply respectful of his subject and does not shy away from presenting him as an indispensable figure in the founding of our nation, he does not descend into hagiography. 



While one might wish for more context regarding the world through which Washington moved (perhaps an unavoidable failing in a single volume), this book really shines in presenting him as a fully realized person. In addition to his honor and heroism, we also learn about his frightening temper, the prickly side of his nature (especially where questions of honor were concerned), his money problems, his difficult relationship with his mother, and his ongoing struggles to make Mount Vernon a successful plantation. His early military career, his leadership during the American Revolution, and his tenure as our first president are told in fascinating detail, interwoven with the circumstances of his personal life. Excellent.

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