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His Excellency: George Washington (Audio CD)
by Joseph J. Ellis
| Category:
American history, Fictional history, Biography |
| Market price: ¥ 368.00
MSL price:
¥ 348.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
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MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Fantastic, approachable chronicle of the genius and humanity of George Washington. |
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AllReviews |
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Michiko Kakutani (New York Times) (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
Mr. Ellis gives us a succinct character study while drawing on his extensive knowledge of Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary history to strip away the accretions of myth and contemporary extemporizing that have grown up around his subject... Mr. Ellis refuses to judge Washington by "our own superior standards of political and racial justice" but instead tries to show how Washington was seen in his day. In doing so he gives us a visceral understanding of the era in which the first President came of age, and he shows how Washington's thinking (about the war for independence, the shape of the infant nation and the emerging role of the federal government) was shaped by his own experiences as a young soldier in the French and Indian War and as a member of the Virginia planter class. The resulting book yields an incisive portrait of the man, not the marble statue... His Excellency is a lucid, often shrewd take on the man Mr. Ellis calls the "primus inter pares, the Foundingest Father of them all." And it does so with admirable grace and wit. |
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David Hackett Fischer (Boston Sunday Globe) (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
Ellis [writes] with clarity and grace. He has a gift for reaching a broad public with substantive books on serious subjects. In His Excellency, he has done it again. This is an important and challenging work: beautifully written, lively, serious, and engaging... He has given us a book that will inspire other research, it will deepen our understanding of its subject.
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Celia McGee (Daily News) (MSL quote) , USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
Ellis skillfully uncomplicates many convoluted subjects, including the real and passionate Washington and the myths constructed around him, the economic and social forces driving him and his fellow revolutionarie... A distinguished addition.
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Jeff Wehner (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
Perhaps we will never know the man as well as we know the myth. Perhaps we should not. But for those interested in review of the man, the author prevents a very readable, and well researched biography of the first President. From the early ambitiousness, to the frustrations during the war, to the concerns fading heroes all have, this is a terrific overview of his life and times.
Tremendously well researched, the author reviews Washington's involvement with the French and Indian war, and how less than spectacular results during this time actually began his legendary status as a hero. Further explored is his relationship with the British that ultimately began his slide from loyal hero to revolutionary. Most interesting for me was the political intrigue occurring towards the end of his presidency. I mean, how does one exactly campaign against such an archetype? Yes, he stated that he would not seek a third term, setting a precedent for generations, but political parties were forming, and campaigning did occur. (I'll never think about Tom Pain the same way again.)
But more than the facts and stories, I felt that I was able to get an idea of the man's personality. This is indeed no small feat given not only what Washington did do, but what he did not do, rarely gave in to discussing personal reflection, never left journals with anything other then rudimentary facts.
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S. Chessare (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
Joseph J. Ellis presents in His Excellency a modern and balanced perspective of the life and accomplishments of the Father of the Republic. Anyone who enjoys the shrewd analysis present in Richard Hofstadter's landmark book, The American Political Tradition, will enjoy this Washington biography.
Mr. Ellis does a good job of demonstrating how Washington's military successes were part luck, part Providence, and part being able to listen to others' advice and learn from mistakes. He also makes it vividly clear how the American Revolution was much more of an uphill battle than any of us have ever been taught in our American History classes. Revolutionary sentiment waxed and waned, and it was an accomplishment enough for Washington to simply have kept the Continental Army in existence. Similarly, his greatest accomplishment as President was simply keeping the nascent Republic together (or Empire as Washington thought it).
Mr. Ellis also does a fantastic job in demonstrating how much a visionary Washington was and how far removed he was from the political leaders of the era. Washington could have taken over the country for himself after the war was won; instead, he went into retirement like a Cincinatus. That again, is something spectacular considering other revolutionary leaders in history like Napoleon and Oliver Cromwell who ultimately became authoritarian rulers. Washington, moreover, chiefly saw the United States' future lying to the West over the Alleghenies and Appalachians and not East to Europe - unlike most people at the time.
Ultimately, despite a slightly distracting obsession with the issue of Washington's 300-plus slaves (the reason for my 4-star rating), Mr. Ellis can be seen to have produced a biography which allows us to see Washington as a fully three-dimensional human being (with faults and failings like all of us) and more importantly as the visionary genius he was. After reading what is probably Ellis' best work yet, you will no doubt be fantastically more informed about Washington, but also equally well convinced of the fact that he was the United States' greatest President - then, now and perhaps forever.
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C. Brunner (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
This is an excellent picture of Washington, the man and the icon, although concentrating more on the man. Washington comes across as aloof in all of his relationships, and this is, the author suggests, a result of a terrible temper that Washington is constantly trying to keep in check.
As far as the military man is concerned, it appears that much of Washington's success is due to luck and perseverance. He is not an exceptional tactician, in fact he made many mistakes. His personal courtage and his physical presence overcame many of his shortcomings. Like Lincoln, he was beloved by his troops. And like Eisenhower, he always worked towards the big picture and never faltered, despite all the problems being thrown at him from every direction.
As a politician, he appeared to be honest and straightforward in his governance. His overriding aim was to maintain the independence of this new country, and to avoid any swing towards monarchy.
If the story about the cherry tree was a fabrication, the author portrays this man as if the story was true. And even with his shortcomings, Washington was shown to deserve the epithet of father of the country and was the greatest of our leaders. I would expect that he would be proud of what he did if he visited us today, and that should be the bottom line of his greatness.
The one fault that I found was that the book did read as more of a worship of the man than was necessary. The author had an abvious affection and admiration for his subject, but could Washington really have been that aloof and that distant in his personal relationships?
In any case, I would certainly recommend this work.
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Ryan Moitozo (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
Ellis has written an easy to read history of Washington, composed with enough depth and human interest to entertain those, like myself, who wouldn't call themselves historians.
The most interesting angle to follow while reading this book is Ellis's tight rope act, as he tries to draw George Washington as both a flawed man made of flesh and bone, and also as a truly great historical icon who's worthy of the monuments we've built for him.
Eventually, Ellis gives into his desire to exalt Washington. For instance, he praises George Washington's "prescient" decision to free his slaves at the end of his life, while at the same time he excuses Washington for choosing not to confront the slavery issue as the president. That's how this biography tends to go. When a finally retired Washington unwisely pushed the young president Adams to install a scheming Alexander Hamilton as the commander of a new federal army to prepare for a looming "French Invasion," Ellis acknowledges this as a gaffe on G-Dub's record, but he can't acknowledge the possibility that Washington erred because of senility or even wicked intentions. Instead, he excuses Washington as being nostalgic for his glory days as commander of the continental army. So even when Washington makes mistakes, Ellis is never interested in letting them deter from being "His Excellency."
It's clear throughout the book that Ellis has concluded - after painstaking research ("A note from the author" says that Ellis didn't use any research assistants while writing this book) - that Washington IS worthy of his monuments and overall iconic treatment. He believes Washington understood his role as a unifying symbol for the fragile states, and used his amazing popularity for the noble purpose of bonding together the United States. Ellis believes George Washington's motives for becoming the nation's first president were just, proven, he believes, by the fact that Washington viewed presidential leadership as more of a burden than anything. And yet he still chose to serve. Ellis seems to admire this completely.
A eulogy for George Washington declared he was "first in the hearts of Americans" or something to that effect, and it's clear that Ellis wants present-day Americans to feel that original sense of pride in their founding father. Personally, I've met several people in my life who have felt just the opposite. I can remember my 8th grade history teacher telling us that Washington was a Yes Man who worked his way up the ladder by kissing the butts of higher authorities. I've met others with the same opinion. So it's interesting to have a well-researched biography that would seem to speak in contrast to those Washington naysayers.
Overall, it was a very solid read about a topic that most Americans are sorely under educated on. Did you know Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton loathed each other? Did you know about the rift between Jefferson and Washington? Did you know Washington had a crush on a woman who wasn't Martha?
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
Joseph Ellis has added another distinctive biography to his unorthodox style of writing. Continuing with this method that served him so well in Founding Brothers and American Sphinx, he has again provided distinct information about events surrounding the founding of the republic.
The method that makes His Excellency captivating is Ellis' ability to highlight events in George Washington's life without focusing on his presidency. This follows the pattern he used in order to write about Thomas Jefferson in American Sphinx. Since the accomplishments of both administrations (Washington's and Jefferson's) have been widely written about, Ellis instead focused on other crucial periods in their lives before and after their terms in office. This is important as the reader realizes that Ellis is laying the foundation to discuss the building of the character of the first president.
Ellis was successful in covering major events in general terms, without focusing on excruciating detail. This was particularly refreshing as he covered some of the major battles of the Revolutionary War. Naturally, Ellis covered Washington's period as Commander in Chief of the military during the war. However, it was his service for the English Empire as a young officer during the French and Indian War that we discover the early formation of his opinions of the British. Although he did not fully embrace separation from the empire at this time, it is obvious that the policies of the English influenced his beliefs that eventually led to his support for an independence movement.
Another interesting characteristic that Ellis brings to the surface is the humbleness of Washington. He surrounded himself with intelligent and loyal officers during the war and wisely sought their advice throughout the conflict. This was a trait that he continued throughout his public life. It was an important factor in the early formation of the new government in 1789 as he sought the opinions of bright, influential public figures, such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson.
Without overstating his own importance in the formation of the American Republic, Washington correctly predicted the greatness of the nation in its infancy. Ellis wrote about correspondence that Washington had with General Lafayette. He told the loyal Frenchman, "There will come a day when this country will have some weight in the scale of empires." Despite the grand statement, you get the feeling that Washington believed more in America's future and in western expansion than in his own contributions.
To obtain a unique perspective on Washington's contributions to this country and to world history, read this exceptional biography. X |
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J. Robinson (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
The author is a well known Pulitzer Prize winner and has written a number of books on American political figures including Thomas Jefferson. Here he presents us with a magnificent but short book on Washington, written for the general reader.
There are two things to discuss, i.e.: the book as a book and the story. Some might mildly protest that the book is too short and it is; it is just 275 pages of text and 40 pages of notes plus it has a collection of photos. The book is superbly written. After a short read I found myself already at page 50 and then at page 100 as the pages sped by. It is entertaining, fascinating, and a well written story. It is a pleasure to read and is really a quick light read that can be accomplished in a few days. It is far from being a long and complicated biography. It is an easy to read book aimed at the average general reader, and the author should take a lot of pride in the book.
The story is really very fascinating. The author uses a very conservative approach and relies mainly on hard facts and writings from various historical documents. He tries to avoid using Washington's notes that were edited by Washington in the late 1780's to 1790's. The author Ellis does not bridge any gaps with fiction as say Anthony Burgess did in his Shakespeare biography. It is just the facts but superbly packaged in a fascinating story.
Since the story is very accurate and relies on the public record, it skips the George Washington childhood and starts with Washington as an officer in the Virginia militia in 1753 fighting in western Pennsylvania, known then as Ohio country. Interestingly, at that time that military action was a disaster but Washington survived with his reputation.
The book is a combination of his personal life mixed in with his public life. It is broken down roughly into four sections. First we have the young Colonel Washington fighting the Indians and French in the Ohio valley in the 1750's. This is followed by a brief section on his management of his and his wife's estates in Virginia, and his first encounters in politics. That is the first 60-70 pages and takes to the early 1770's. That experience solidifies his anti British views and leads to his interest in what follows in later years.
The third section involves his handling of the war of independence that went on for approximately 8 years until the early 1780's. It starts for Washington with the Continental Congress and his taking charge of the troops in Cambridge, in Massachusetts (near Harvard), after Bunker Hill. The author describes the other figures such as American General Gates and British Generals Howe and Cornwallis, and the turncoat Arnold, and Lafayette etc and he describes the general flow of the war. We read about the loss of New York, the American victory at Saratoga, the dashing clashes near Trenton and Princeton, the misery at Valley Forge, other defeats, the alliance with the French and then the fortuitous victory at Yorktown by the Americans where they snatched victory from the looming jaws of defeat.
The last section - that some will think too short - is his role as the first President. He served for two terms and oversaw the defining legislation of the new republic and the construction of Washington DC, as it was later named. We learn briefly about his interactions with Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Adams, and others, and we learn of his views on slavery.
All in all this is an excellent book and a fascinating introduction to George Washington, a fighter, manager, and superb politician. As you will read, Washington was not a highly educated person but a self educated manager, general and politician. He was not a talker but let his actions speak for themselves. Above all he was a man of integrity, a seasoned citizen, a business man, a nation builder, a man with a plan, a man of action who rode a big white horse, adored by the people and woe to his political foes. He was voted to the Virginia delegation of the Continental Congress with 96% of the vote and won all electoral votes when he ran for President. Truly an unusual man.
It is a must read, and an obvious 5 stars. |
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Charles Marr (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-22 00:00>
Now that winter is here you may be looking for a book to keep you company as you sit by the fire on long evenings. If you have a taste for American history this is an almost perfect choice. Granted there are no surprise zingers, no wow new factoids, but this very readable, well organized and precise biography of Washington is a contemporary version of "The Essential Man." As his contemporaries sometimes noted, Washington seems to have been providentially at the center of the important events of his times. The early chapters of the book present a clear version of the Jumonville affair and its consequences. And then effectively develops the metaphor of Washington as a sort of keystone holding the arc of the revolution in place. Recent televison presentations on the battles of Long Island and later Trenton, as well as some discussions of the sufferings of the troops at VAlley Forge, give us some sense of how important Washington's ability to keep the army in existance was for the success of the cause. There is a sound case that it was the army, not cities or fortifications which was essential for final victory. The military analysis centers on this theme and how it played into and against Washington's character. His personal convictions concerning the necessity of the Constitutional reform and his sense of the presidency are seen within the scope of these shaping experiences. The final chapters, detailing the Federalist - Republican conflict reveals a side of Jefferson and Madison which is not often made so public today. Certainly there is adequate reason to question the belief advanced elsewhere that reactionary elements hijacked the revolution in the establishment of the federal government. The lessons of this book are still to be considered in today's national life.
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