His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis

There is little doubt that the most important historical figure in the United States is George Washington. This was recognized in his own time and remains true today. Born to a Virginia planter he went on to become a war hero, wealthy landowner, representative, a war hero again, and the first President of the United States. Any study of Washington has to take his character into consideration. After all, few men in a position of such power have ever been able to surrender that power and walk in to retirement.

Joseph Ellis is a prolific writer on the Revolutionary generation. He has won numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize. He is also one of the most readable writer of history. This biography is not as in depth as larger works like Ron Chernow's Washington: A Life. Of course at one third the size of that larger work one has to expect a more cursory look at many aspects of Washington. Ellis does do an excellent job of presenting a full biography of his subject. Washington comes through on these pages as an extraordinary man, which he was. Ellis is not above criticizing Washington when he made mistakes, but he also recognizes that Washington learned from those mistakes and always seemed to come out better for them.

This is an excellent book and a wonderful introduction to the life of George Washington. You won't regret reading this book.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

1776 by David McCullough

Once again David McCullough has produced a masterpiece. In 1776, he traces the origins of the American Rebellion in the years leading up to the outbreak of fighting in 1775. In April 1775, the militia in Concord fought back the British regulars and as the British soldiers retreated back towards Boston. More and more militia joined the attack and the British retreat turned into a rout. At the end of the day the British soldiers were besieged in the city of Boston. In June the British soldiers attacked the Rebel fortifications on Breed's Hill. They carried the field, but suffered about 1,000 casualties. This put an end to any attempt by the British Army to break out of Boston. In July, George Washington took command of the newly named Continental Army and began to organize it. The year 1775, ended with the British entrenched in Boston, but unable to leave.

In March 1776, the British finally gave up the city of Boston and sailed away. Washington suspected that their next target would be New York. He moved his army from Boston to New York where they began to prepare for the defense of the city. In the city of Philadelphia the decision had finally been reached to declare independence from Great Britain. The news was met with much rejoicing by the army in New York. They were no longer fighting a rebellion against the King of England. Now they were soldiers fighting for a nation of their own. The British began to arrive in New York in July. In August the American army was pushed off of Long Island. By September it had been pushed out of the rest of New York. Then came the long retreat. In December, with his army starting to fall apart, Washington decided to risk it all on an attack of the Hessian garrison at Trenton. The battle was a success and the Continental army had it's first major victory. A week later the Americans successfully attacked the British forces at Princeton. These two victories gave the army the encouragement that it needed to keep fighting.

McCullough's writing is always masterful. He understands how to use language to engage the reader throughout. One of his great strengths is bringing these historical characters to life. George Washington is the pivotal character in the book. A man who had never commanded an army in battle Washington made a number of poor choices in the New York campaign. He would learn from his mistakes over time. We also see the great commanders Nathaniel Greene and Henry Knox. These two men would serve through the war and would be crucial supporters of Washington. We also get to see the rank and file soldier like Joseph P. Martin. It was the courage of these men and thousands like them that helped to create the United States of America. If you have not read this book then do yourself a favor and read it.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

American Creation by Joseph Ellis

With Founding Brothers Ellis gave us a fascinating overview of the early years of the American Republic by focusing on several episodes that were key in the founding years.  In American Creation he returns to this format to tell six more interesting episodes in the founding of the United States. This time he goes back to the Revolution to begin the book. The first chapter covers the year 1776 and the writing of the Declaration of Independence. The second chapter jumps forward a year and looks at the American army at winter quarters in Valley Forge. Here in Valley Forge the leaders of the American Army came to an understanding of what it meant to be a unified force. This helps to explain why so many of those who worked to make a stronger national government were former officers in the army. In chapter three he examines the arguments surrounding the creation and ratification of the Constitution.

The first half of the book covers episodes that deal with the creation of the nation. The second half looks at three key episodes in the early years of the Republic. In chapter four Ellis examines the issue of how the Native Americans were treated in the early years of the Republic. We see how Washington and Knox sought to come up with some arrangement that could protect the natives and allow room for settlement. The futility of any agreement becomes apparent. There is simply no way to keep settlers out of Indian territory.  The last two chapters focus largely on Jefferson. Chapter five discusses the formation of the first American political party by Jefferson and Madison. The last chapter examines the Louisiana Purchase and how Jefferson dealt with what he saw as Constitutional issues.

This book feels a little more random at times than Founding Brothers. Each episode does work towards the central theme of the creation of the American system. Ellis is a great writer and this book makes a great introduction to the subject and to the episodes. Read this along with Founding Brothers and you will have a great start towards understanding the formation of the United States of America.

Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis

The Revolutionary Generation is filled with men and women who sometimes attain a semi-divine status. Mythologies have sprung up around our founders that sometimes make it hard to see these great figures as human. In the last century historians seemed to take an iconoclastic pleasure in trying to tear down these images. More recently a group of historians have come to the front on by finding a middle ground. Writers like David McCullough, Joseph Ellis, Jon Meacham, and others recognize that their subjects are human, but they also recognize that these humans accomplished great things and should be respected for their greatness.

This volume is not a history of those Founding Brothers or of the young nation. Instead it is a series of segmented stories that look at certain key moments in the lives of these men. The episodes serve to show how the United States was brought into being by these men. They had different ideas of what the United States meant. The genius of this story is not that one set of ideas prevailed, but rather that differing visions could work alongside and in competition. That is the genius of the United States. The ability to dialogue about what it means to be a nation of liberty.

There are so many great men featured here. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and a cast of others. This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn more about the crafting of the United States.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

This is an excellent book on the life of George Washington. Washington is such a powerful figure in our society that it is hard to write on him. For many he is a semi-divine figure. That is true of his admirers and his critics. The admirers try to place him on a pedestal like a god. His critics seek to tear him off of a pedestal with all the rabid zeal of iconoclasts. Chernow gives us a picture of a human George Washington. He is very free with his praise, but doesn’t hesitate to point out his flaws as well.
The “Great Man” theory of history has fallen out of favor these days. It is impossible to look at the American Revolution and the Early Republic period without considering George Washington. A lesser man might have failed and the Revolution would have ended with a British victory and the death of the leaders of the Revolutionary generation. A lesser man might have prevailed on the field of battle, but succumbed to the lure of power and the American Republic would have become a dictatorship or a New World Monarchy. Washington was a greater man than that.
He did have his failings. He could be vain and had an explosive temper. He tried to temper those personal flaws. He rarely lost his temper in public and always tried to stifle his vanity. His occasional lapses do not make him a failure, rather they make him all the more human.
Chernow is a good writer. His books are designed for a general readership so it is not weighted down with the unnecessary baggage of academic writing. There are times where it seems that he re-emphasizes points that he has made quite clear. For example: we are told many times about Washington’s financial troubles. He goes into detail in many different places as if he is trying to convince the reader that this is true. It seemed a bit redundant at times, but that is only a small niggling point.
Overall this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad