ginjacques

This great biography of George Washington deserves its critical and popular praise. At the end I felt that I knew both the man and the country he helped create. Chernow does a better job than any other book I've read in depicting Washington's courage during battles and how his presence and leadership stopped many American retreats and inspired many American advances during key moments in the Revolutionary War. However, this is not a fawning biography, Chernow discusses strategic mistakes by Washington, how he sometimes did not protect flanks during battle leading to defeat and how he sometimes he did not adapt to changing battlefield conditions as other great generals have done.However, Chernow leaves the Revolutionary War chapters leaving little doubt that it was Washington's leadership that made the difference in the War. Chernow also shows that Washington did not just believe that it was the battlefields that were the key to the war, he also shows Washington's preoccupation with financing of the war and the need for a country to develop credit and a strong financial system. Chernow neatly ties this war time issue with Washington's later actions as President during the disputes between Hamilton and Jefferson/Madison over financial controversies such as debt assumption, national credit and central bank The book is strongest in its analysis of Washington and slavery. Too often books look at our founding father's attitudes and actions toward slavery by either the easy hindsight of today's standards or by excusing all actions as a product of the times. Chernow does not. He acknowledges Washington's growing personal discomfort and eventual opposition to slavery and that Washington's treatment of slavery was better than most(such as reluctance of breaking up slave families) and of course discusses Washington's emancipation of his own slaves at the time of his death. However, Chernow points to incidents that show that Washington knew or should have known better the effects of slavery. During the war the English were at one time at Mt Vernon and offered freedom to any of Washington's slaves. 17 accepted and Washington sought their return after the war. Also after the war, Washington pressed the English for return of all slaves who fought for the British in exchange for their independence, even when the British pointed out that many slaves would commit suicide before being forced to return. More poignant was at the end of his Presidency when two of Washington's household slaves escaped as opposed to returning to Mt Vernon. Washington and his wife felt betrayed at the escapes and tried mightily to have them captured and returned(fortunately, he was unsuccessful) Chernow's treatment of the slavery issue was the most honest and balanced I have seen with the exception of Annette Gordon-Reed's books on Jefferson and slavery Chernow also did an excellent job in intertwining Washington's personal life with Washington's military and political leadership. His treatment of the friendship and possible intimate relationship with Sally Fairfax shows the human side of Washington. Chernow quotes a letter to her at the end of their lives when Washington said his happiest and best moments in his life were his times with her and Chernow comments that this was significant from a man who built up personal wealth, defeated England in a war, and founded a country--but still considered his time as a young man infatuated with Fairfax as the happiest time of his life This is a great book and well worth the read

2022-10-29 03:46