Reviews

George Washington: The Political Rise of America's Founding Father by David O. Stewart

al836's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

dtab62's review

informative inspiring medium-paced

3.5

rtwilliams16's review

3.0

David Stewart's biography of George Washington tells the story of a man who was an enigma to me. This is the first full length biography that I read of Washington and I enjoyed learning more about him as a person. Washington was a reader and a gambler, he was very organized, and had a bad temper (which is a trait I did not associate with him). The thesis of this book is that Washington was more of an ambitious political animal than we are generally led to believe. During the French and Indian War he pushed to be a Lieutenant Colonel even when he was not qualified for the role. He had a larger role in shaping how the U.S. Constitution was drafted, especially the office of the Presidency, so much so that some called it George Washington's Constitution. He was also a dealmaker which is shown most notably in the Assumption/Capitol location debate. The book closes with his death and how he handles his slaves in his will. Overall, the book is well written and researched.

Thanks to NetGalley, Dutton, and David Stewart for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on February 9, 2021.

tlambe87's review

5.0

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this!

I have read many books on George Washington and jump at the chance to read more. He is a difficult man to totally understand. This book deepened my understanding. This was a joy to read! This was my first work by this author. He is very talented! I will read more!

Highly recommend. Even fans of George that have read much about him will learn more I believe.