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Reviews
The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution by Lindsay M. Chervinsky
jenniferwelch's review
5.0
What a delightful book. I very much enjoyed reading it. It is clearly deeply researched, and brings a clear explanation of events that I had never quite understood before. Yet it is told in a clear and entertaining manner - I was able to use it right away in my own high school classes and in graduate classes at the same time!
harius_b's review
5.0
The Cabinet is a pleasurable breeze of a read. Chervinsky has accomplished a remarkable account without losing focus or leaving the reader lost in the details. The account she weaves of Washington's creation of the cabinet, the rationales behind it, the personalities involved, and the drama which both plagued but strengthened the executive and which only served to cement the cabinet's continuation in American governance. There is nothing to complain about this book – unless one wishes to nit-pick. For my first book on American history, it was a truly fortuitous read. I recommend this to anyone with a desire to learn a bit more about the US and its beginnings through the point of view of the Cabinet.
lmcbride's review
5.0
This book was an incredible depiction of Washington’s cabinet. It’s a story that I had very little knowledge of but Lindsay Chervinsky provides new scholarship on the topic in a way that brings to light the personalities behind the men to help the reader understand the history. She masterfully crafted the book to help show the complexities of the relationships between the men while also highlighting the history of the institution and the precedents set by every decision during that time period. It is evident that Washington and his cabinet knew that they were creating history so they were intentional in every word they wrote or spoke and decision they made. This book made me think deeply about our founding and made me want to learn more. It’s beautifully done.
donaldleitch's review
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
The Cabinet was a thoroughly interesting read. Lindsay Chervinsky's writing is clear and engaging.
The Cabinet offers considerable insight into the workings of George Washington's first cabinet and the personalities that sat around the small Cabinet table in George Washington's home study. Washington's first Cabinet dealt with the endless crises, domestic and international, that the new American republic faced. Washington and the four secretaries (Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox and Randolph) become multi-dimensional people with strengths, flaws and biases. Washington was aware that in holding these Cabinet meetings, he was setting the precedents that would guide decision-making by subsequent presidents and their administrations. He exercised this power carefully and wth great political acuity. A fascinating point relates to the term "Cabinet". Washington refused to use the term until after the conclusion of his presidency as he feared people may have identified it with the British crown.
I would recommend this well-researched book to anyone wishing to learn more of the formative years of the United States and its government.
The Cabinet offers considerable insight into the workings of George Washington's first cabinet and the personalities that sat around the small Cabinet table in George Washington's home study. Washington's first Cabinet dealt with the endless crises, domestic and international, that the new American republic faced. Washington and the four secretaries (Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox and Randolph) become multi-dimensional people with strengths, flaws and biases. Washington was aware that in holding these Cabinet meetings, he was setting the precedents that would guide decision-making by subsequent presidents and their administrations. He exercised this power carefully and wth great political acuity. A fascinating point relates to the term "Cabinet". Washington refused to use the term until after the conclusion of his presidency as he feared people may have identified it with the British crown.
I would recommend this well-researched book to anyone wishing to learn more of the formative years of the United States and its government.
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