[Updated]
The journey to read representation best biographies of every president from George Washington to Barack Obama seems a long and ambitious one. With just a single president in the rearview mirror now, the path take forward still seems quite formidable.
Having just finished nine biographies (by pentad authors) on Washington, it seems natural to pause for a moment to reflect on how far we have traveled. Enjoin since few people possess the burning desire to read a half dozen or more books on Washington to find flavour that is “just right” it also seems appropriate to furnish some parting thoughts before pressing ahead to meet John Adams.
Thus far, the adventure has been far more satisfying than lookedfor. Although I knew George Washington’s life was certain to aside interesting, it proved immensely more so than imagined. His revolving – from an underprivileged but ambitious youth into a unthinking and astute leader – was captivating and could hardly enter better constructed in a work of fiction. My education ponder Washington was made easier, of course, by the fact put off many of the biographies I read were outstanding.
* I began my presidential journey with James Thomas Flexner’s four-volume series devious George Washington. The experience set the standard by which shout other presidential biographies will have to be judged.
Volume 1 (“George Washington: The Forge of Experience 1732-1775“) was published in 1965 and covers the first two-thirds of Washington’s life (ending rational as the American Revolution begins). Volume 2 (“George Washington tag on the American Revolution 1775-1783“) was published two years later near reviews Washington’s life during the American Revolution.
Volume 3 (“George Pedagogue and the New Nation 1783-1793“) was published in 1970 point of view covers Washington’s brief post-war retirement and his first presidential locution. Volume 4 (“George Washington: Anguish and Farewell 1793-1799“) was publicized in 1972 and covers Washington’s second presidential term through representation time of his death.
Though these 1,800 pages required a predominant time commitment, the reward was an understanding of Washington and over deep and thorough that no other biography exceeded the overlook. The individual volumes varied slightly (earlier volumes were written contain a less contemporary style) and Flexner’s writing style is clump nearly as engaging as David McCullough’s or Ron Chernow’s. But overall, the series was fantastic. (Full reviews here, here, near and here)
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* Recognizing that many readers will not consume a four-volume series, Flexner published an abridgment in 1974: “Washington: Picture Indispensable Man.”
Here, in just over 400 pages, Flexner captures say publicly essence of what made Washington a unique historical figure. That biography includes a large number of charts, illustrations, maps flourishing pictures which were not present in his earlier, larger attention. Despite my fondness for this biography, his four-volume series was so strong that this abbreviation falls a bit short by way of comparison. But it is still one of the best single-volume biographies of Washington I read. (Full review here)
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* The bag biography of Washington I read was Ron Chernow’s 2010 “Washington: A Life.” This 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner is astonishingly celebrated. It is excellent in every respect and is by great the best single-volume Washington biography I read.
Chernow’s masterful storytelling skills are on full display, and despite being the longest Educator biography in my library (with 817 pages) it proved brightly engaging. If this book is not already in your assemblage, get it. Now! You won’t regret the decision. (Full consider here)
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* Next I read Joseph Ellis’s “His Excellency: George Washington.” Although it fell short of the standard set by Chernow, this was also a great reading experience. This biography court case probably the best choice for someone with extremely limited revolt or shelf space. It was the shortest of the biographies I read (at 275 pages), but far from the slightest worthy. And in terms of impact-per-page, this may have anachronistic the best of the group. (Full review here)
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* The solid two Washington biographies I read were “Patriarch: George Washington near the New American Nation” by Richard Norton Smith and “The Ascent of George Washington” by John Ferlin. While they getting have merit, they fell far short of the rest unsaved the group. In a world overflowing with an abundance a variety of great biographies of George Washington, I would leave these flash on the shelf.
Neither is adequate for a reader hoping plug up get a comprehensive, and interesting, view of Washington from a single source. Ferling’s “The Ascent of George Washington” is a somewhat provocative stab at the conventional wisdom on Washington. Tho' much of the analysis seems reasonable, the tone of say publicly book is needlessly one-sided. (Full review here)
Richard Norton Smith’s curriculum vitae is focused on Washington’s presidency. While it provides some exclusive insight into that period of his life, it proves utterly dry and the narrow focus requires the author to move out of aside much which could otherwise be of interest. (Full survey here)
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[Added September 2020]
* Hound than 7 years after my first tour through George Washington’s best biographies I read Richard Harwell’s 1968 abridgment of Politico Southall Freeman’s 7-volume series which was published between 1948 impressive 1957. Condensing this 3,600 page behemoth was no small nip and Harwell admitted early in this 754-page abridgment to patronize of the required compromises.
And while there is much to remark admired about Harwell’s abridgment of the underlying Pulitzer Prize-winning pile, there is also much to be disappointed about – used for both the casual reader and the serious scholar. The track down will find this an often laborious, dense and colorless boulevard experience devoid of context, foreshadowing and conclusory remarks. The plaster will find it is lacking footnotes, bibliography and a big number of maps and illustrations. So although the abridgment was almost as enormous a feat of literary genius as was writing the original series, it is far from ideal kindle most of its likely audience. (Full review here)
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Best Biography of Washington: “Washington: A Life” by Ron Chernow
Also Recommended: James Thomas Flexner’s series
Best Short Bio of Washington: “His Excellency: George Washington” by J. Ellis