Ebook His Excellency: George Washington, by Joseph J. Ellis

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His Excellency: George Washington, by Joseph J. Ellis

Ebook His Excellency: George Washington, by Joseph J. Ellis

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Amazon.com Review

As commander of the Continental army, George Washington united the American colonies, defeated the British army, and became the world's most famous man. But how much do Americans really know about their first president? Today, as Pulitzer Prize-winner Joseph J. Ellis says in this crackling biography, Americans see their first president on dollar bills, quarters, and Mount Rushmore, but only as "an icon--distant, cold, intimidating." In truth, Washington was a deeply emotional man, but one who prized and practiced self-control (an attribute reinforced during his years on the battlefield). Washington first gained recognition as a 21-year-old emissary for the governor of Virginia, braving savage conditions to confront encroaching French forces. As the de facto leader of the American Revolution, he not only won the country's independence, but helped shape its political personality and "topple the monarchical and aristocratic dynasties of the Old World." When the Congress unanimously elected him president, Washington accepted reluctantly, driven by his belief that the union's very viability depended on a powerful central government. In fact, keeping the country together in the face of regional allegiances and the rise of political parties may be his greatest presidential achievement. Based on Washington's personal letters and papers, His Excellency is smart and accessible--not to mention relatively brief, in comparison to other encyclopedic presidential tomes. Ellis's short, succinct sentences speak volumes, allowing readers to glimpse the man behind the myth. --Andy Boynton Amazon.com Exclusive Content Curious about George? Amazon.com reveals a few facts about the legendary first president of the United States. Washington bust by Jean Antoine Houdon. Courtesy of the Mt. Vernon Ladies' Assoc. 1. The famous tale about Washington chopping down the cherry tree ("Father, I cannot tell a lie") is a complete fabrication. 2. George Washington never threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River--in fact, to do so from the shore of his Mount Vernon home would have been physically impossible. 3. George Washington did not wear wooden teeth. His poorly fitting false teeth were in fact made of cow's teeth, human teeth, and elephant ivory set in a lead base. 4. Early in his life, Washington was himself a slave owner. His opinions changed after he commanded a multiracial army in the Revolutionary War. He eventually came to recognize slavery as "a massive American anomaly." 5. In 1759, having resigned as Virginia's military commander to become a planter, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis. WashingtonÂ’s marriage to the colony's wealthiest widow dramatically changed his life, catapulting him into Virginia aristocracy. 6. Scholars have discredited suggestions that Washington's marriage to Martha lacked passion, as well as the provocative implications of the well-worn phrase "George Washington slept here." 7. Washington held his first public office when he was 17 years old, as surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia. 8. At age 20, despite no prior military experience, Washington was appointed an adjutant in the Virginia militia, in which he oversaw several militia companies, and was assigned the rank of major. 9. As a Virginia aristocrat, Washington ordered all his coats, shirts, pants, and shoes from London. However, most likely due to the misleading instructions he gave his tailor, the suits almost never fit. Perhaps this is why he appears in an old military uniform in his 1772 portrait. 10. In 1751, during a trip to Barbados with his half-brother Lawrence, Washington was stricken with smallpox and permanently scarred. Fortunately, this early exposure made him immune to the disease that would wipe out colonial troops during the Revolutionary War. Timeline Important dates in George Washington's life. Engraving of Mount Vernon, 1804. Courtesy of the Mt. Vernon Ladies' Assoc. 1732: George Washington is born at his father's estate in Westmoreland County, Virginia. 1743: GeorgeÂ’s father, Augustine Washington, dies. 1752: At age 20, despite the fact that he has never served in the military, Washington is appointed adjutant in the Virginia militia, with the rank of major. 1753: As an emissary to Virginia Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie, he travels to the Ohio River Valley to confront French forces--the first of a series of encounters that would lead to the French and Indian War. 1755: Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of Virginia's militia. 1759: He marries wealthy widow Martha Dandridge Custis. 1774: Washington is elected to the First Continental Congress. 1775: He is unanimously elected by the Continental Congress as its army's commander-in-chief. Start of the American Revolution. 1776: On Christmas Day, Washington leads his army across the Delaware River and launches a successful attack against Hessian troops in Trenton, New Jersey. 1781: With the French, he defeats British troops in Yorktown, Virginia, precipitating the end of the war. 1783: The Revolutionary War officially ends. 1788: The Constitution is ratified. 1789: Washington is elected president. 1797: He fulfills his last term as president. 1799: Washington dies on December 14, sparking a period of national mourning.

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From Publishers Weekly

In this follow-up to his bestselling Founding Brothers, Ellis offers a magisterial account of the life and times of George Washington, celebrating the heroic image of the president whom peers like Jefferson and Madison recognized as "their unquestioned superior" while acknowledging his all-too-human qualities. Ellis recreates the cultural and political context into which Washington strode to provide leadership to the incipient American republic. But more importantly, the letters and other documents Ellis draws on bring the aloof legend alive—as a young soldier who sought to rise through the ranks of the British army during the French and Indian War, convinced he knew the wilderness terrain better than his commanding officers; as a Virginia plantation owner (thanks to his marriage) who watched over his accounts with a ruthless eye; as the commander of an outmatched rebel army who, after losing many of his major battles, still managed to catch the British in an indefensible position. Following Washington from the battlefield to the presidency, Ellis elegantly points out how he steered a group of bickering states toward national unity; Ellis also elaborates on Washington's complex stances on issues like slavery and expansion into Native American territory. The Washington who emerges from these pages is similar to the one portrayed in a biographical study by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn published earlier this year, but Ellis's richer version leaves readers with a deeper sense of the man's humanity. 16 pages of photos not seen by PW. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product details

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (October 26, 2004)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9781400040315

ISBN-13: 978-1400040315

ASIN: 1400040310

Product Dimensions:

6.6 x 1.4 x 9.5 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review:

4.3 out of 5 stars

496 customer reviews

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#85,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

I've only read to page 63 but I'm ready to put the book down. I have kept reading up until now because I've been waiting for it to get better. I want it to get better. I want Ellis to be done with putting George Washington down and looking at him through such a negative lens. I want him to prove that he really believes what he states on pg. 39: "Though he was still developing...the outline of Washington's mature personality was already assuming a discernible shape." I know some biographers either over-appreciate their subjects and others under-appreciate them. This author definitely is under appreciating his. After more than 20 pages I've seen no sign of Ellis viewing Washington's weaknesses and mistakes as indicators of a learning and growing process. Instead he seems to be openly judging him from a fixed mindset. By page 63, the picture of George Washington that is emerging from Ellis's pen is a selfish, two-faced, conniving man. He's shown as a fanatic who sees conspiracy where there is none. He weaves a plot that convicts Washington of developing into a conspirator. The author's word choices and assumptions of Washington's motivation seem to be revealing the author's own motives and character, rather than Washington's. Repeatedly, he draws unsupported conclusions about Washington's motivation. If I hadn't read another biography by William Roscoe Thayler, before this one, I would be of the opinion after reading Ellis's book that George Washington was a bad guy.Examples of this author's wording and conclusions:"In addition to his familiar themes--petitions were worse than worthless, abstract arguments must be accompanied by economic pressures--now he detected a full-blooded conspiracy against American liberty." pg. 62 Is conspiracy (a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful) not a good understanding of the entire relationship between America and Great Britain during this time period? There were secret plots on both sides because both had different goals and motives regarding the future of America. Why does Ellis mock Washington for seeing this conspiracy as if he were a fanatic?"(A Lukewarm Episcopalian, he never took Communion, tended to talk about 'Providence' or 'Destiny' rather than God, and--was this a statement?--preferred to stand rather than kneel when praying.)" pg 45 "was this a statement?" This is the author's insertion. Why lead the reader by the nose with the author's personal biases and conclusions?"...but nothing he ever did had a greater influence on the shape of his own life than the decision to marry Martha Dandridge Custis." pg 40 I was expecting to hear how her faith and goodness helped him develop his own. But the author proceeds to talk about all of her money.Ellis speaks of rumors about Washington's fidelity to his wife and then says they were never verified. pg 44 But in my opinion, even speaking about unfounded rumors and gossip is totally disrespectful to anyone, let alone to someone whom we Americans owe so much."For the rest of his life, all arguments based on the principle of mutual trust devoid of mutual interest struck him as sentimental nonsense." pg. 39 I totally disagree. Looking at his life as a whole, he sacrificed much more for his country than he ever received from them or from us, who are his beneficiaries, who enjoy the resultant freedom and order of this country."Two features of the emerging Washington personality come into focus here: first, a thin-skinned aversion to criticism, especially when the criticism questioned his personal motive, which he insisted were beyond reproach; second, a capacity to play politics effectively while claiming total disinterest in the game." pg. 29 "which he insisted" and "while claiming" Insinuating that Washington was deliberately dishonest and two-faced. Could Ellis not say instead, "It is evident that Washington was still struggling with his ability to take criticism. In all of his actions he strove to do what he believed and understood at that time to be right but he still was learning and growing. His efforts to make a difference in the political arena were motivated by a sincere belief that he knew what was best. As a Virginian land owner, he empathized with others land owners like him and in so doing learned over time to see his own needs and conflicts as similar to others'.""Finally, this is the kind of man who will regard any failure to meet his exacting standards as a personal affront and persistent failure as evidence of a conspiracy to deprive him of what is rightfully his. Pity the London merchant who has to deal with him." pg. 47"But while most outspoken opponents of the Stamp Act, those whom Washington called 'the Speculative part,' emphasized the constitutional argument, his response more directly reflected his personal experience with Cary & Company." pg 52 AND "Once again there was a personal edge to that conviction." pg. 58 These and other similar statements attribute Washington's motives for revolution as purely mercenary. Ellis doesn't choose to write with empathy: making a living and building security for posterity was and still is a large part of the American dream."HIs singular triumph, in fact the result of multiple efforts over thirteen years of complex negotiations, was largely a product of his status as a veteran of the French and Indian War." pg. 56 This is just one of many instances where Ellis attributes the cause of a result for us. He says Washington's singular triumph was largely a product of his status."Washington was relentless in pressing his claims..." pg 56 Ellis chooses the word "relentless" which, combined with the portrait he continues to paint of this man, makes us believe that he was not only selfish, but relentlessly and heartlessly selfish. Where is the growth mindset he promised us on page 39? It is only to be found in one or two sentences but the rest is negative, critical, and disrespectful. I don't recommend this book.I know people aren't perfect, especially those we revere. In fact I love them all the more when I see they weren't and then learn from their mistakes. I have no problem seeing weaknesses and mistakes in George Washington but this author is choosing not only to focus in with a high power microscope on all them but to attribute a bunch more that are based on his personal speculation. He does not allow the reader to make those attributions and assessments herself. He leads her by the nose to see things in the negative light that he sees them. He presents evidence with a slanted, biased view that prevents us from seeing the true character of George Washington.

At ~275 pages before the acknowledgements, this book naturally leaves one wanting for detail, but is enjoyable and a great introduction or summation of some of the key points in Washington's eventful life. Prior to picking a Washington bio (having been prompted by McCullough's 1776), I had considered just plunging into Chernow's Washington: A Life, but feeling 800+ pages a bit more than I had confidence to chew, I opted to ease into it with His Excellency, and found myself immediately ordering Washington: A Life upon finishing. I do not regret it, as I enjoyed the read, but would advise someone in a similar situation to just go ahead and read Chernow's take - I both prefer his style and find the subject of such interest that it requires the greater level of detail that is provided in Washington: A Life.It's a good little book (paperback) that is easy to throw in a bag and a quick read that I will likely return to from time-to-time, but I would recommend Chernow's or McCullough's works before it.

I really enjoyed this book. I had neglected our 1st President since high school and feel I learned a lot from this book. Looking for something more in depth, I am now reading "Washington, a Life" by Chernow. This is a more detailed look, but I might not have read it without starting on "His Excellency, George Washington." This book is an excellent place to start and an easy read. It is also about 1/2 the lengthj of the Chernow book, so start there.

Not having read any biographies specifically about our first president, I was impressed to find one that looked good without being over 500 pages. Ellis’ work came also with the promises attached to having won two Pulitzer Prizes for “Founding Brothers” and “American Sphinx”. I was not disappointed.Reading reviews, I noticed that more than one reviewer chastised Mr Ellis for “disrespect” and what amounts to negativism in regard to Washington. I always read negative reviews because I usually learn more about whether I will find the book interesting and worth my time by the kind of criticism it draws. Deciding to try it mostly because of this criticism, I decided I do not want a white-wash of any historical personage. I want an even handed presentation free from either animosity or excess kindness. I want the truth. Again, I was not disappointed. I find the criticisms completely without foundation. Yes, Mr Washington is presented as having romantic feelings for Mrs Fairfax, but just as truly, it is stated that he resisted all inclinations toward her. Rather than defaming the President, Mr Ellis made him more courageous and admirable. I found no slander in the book; I found no excess criticism or character assassination. Rather, I discovered a man who changed and matured over the early years of his life and learned to control his passions, make wise decisions, and who went on to become the most revered of our forefathers, simply because he WAS totally human and yet controlled himself as well as, if not better than, anyone else of whom I have read.I am most impressed with this presentation of George Washington. He is no longer a marble mystery shrouded in sweet-smelling words to me. He is a real, living human being. He is, in my opinion, the most impressive human being I have ever read about, other than the only human in history to actually be perfect, Jesus Christ. Please don’t misunderstand: I am not comparing him to the Lord. I am simply saying he is a most impressive man.As for the content of the book, Ellis says only a small amount about Washington’s youth, gives good coverage to his activities, finances, personality and thoughts during the period of the French & Indian War through the start of the American Revolution. Ellis’ discussion and analysis is logical, easy to follow and helpful. I would classify this biography as being one of the most thorough biographies I have read, yet did not find it tedious or laden with excessive irrelevance. I never got tired of the story or anxious to finish. As a result, I am thoroughly satisfied with this work.Thank you, Mr. Ellis, for introducing me to His Excellency, George Washington. I am even more indebted than I ever realized to our most illustrious forefather.This book is highly recommended.Five satisfied stars.

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