Washington

A Life

By: Ron Chernow

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 41 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Biography/Autobiography, 2011

From National Book Award winner Ron Chernow, a landmark biography of George Washington.

In Washington: A Life celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation. With a breadth and depth matched by no other one-volume life of Washington, this crisply paced narrative carries the listener through his troubled boyhood, his precocious feats in the French and Indian War, his creation of Mount Vernon, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army, his presiding over the Constitutional Convention, and his magnificent performance as America's first president.

Despite the reverence his name inspires, Washington remains a lifeless waxwork for many Americans, worthy but dull. A laconic man of granite self-control, he often arouses more respect than affection. In this groundbreaking work, based on massive research, Chernow dashes forever the stereotype of a stolid, unemotional man.

A strapping six feet, Washington was a celebrated horseman, elegant dancer, and tireless hunter, with a fiercely guarded emotional life. Chernow brings to vivid life a dashing, passionate man of fiery opinions and many moods. Probing his private life, he explores his fraught relationship with his crusty mother, his youthful infatuation with the married Sally Fairfax, and his often conflicted feelings toward his adopted children and grandchildren. He also provides a lavishly detailed portrait of his marriage to Martha and his complex behavior as a slave master.

At the same time, Washington is an astute and surprising portrait of a canny political genius who knew how to inspire people. Not only did Washington gather around himself the foremost figures of the age, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, but he also brilliantly orchestrated their actions to shape the new federal government, define the separation of powers, and establish the office of the presidency.

©2010 Ron Chernow (P)2010 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Tenaciously researched...This new portrait offers a fresh sense of what a groundbreaking role Washington played, not only in physically embodying his new nation's leadership but also in interpreting how its newly articulated constitutional principles would be applied...deeply rewarding.” ( New York Times)

"Just as he resuscitated Alexander Hamilton in a heralded 2004 biography, Ron Chernow now resurrects Washington...[A] remarkable book." ( Entertainment Weekly)

"Whether he's debunking the legend of Washington's wooden teeth (ivory that cracked and discolored over time) or the purely fictional tale of the cherry tree, the massive yet briskly paced Washington: A Life is a rollicking read, sure to redefine perceptions and correct assumptions." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Excellent book, highly recommend.

I’ve held off on this one for a couple years due to it being too far back for my taste but I was wrong. This should be fundamental reading for all citizens.

The depth and detail is very good and it explains the origins of so many principles that are part of our national fiber. This was a tremendous book.

One of the Greatest books I've Ever Consumed

What a life. There is so much I didn't know about Washington. He is now my all time favorite historical figure.

A Definitive Biography

Before Ron Chernow wrote his more famous work about Alexander Hamilton, he wrote this comprehensive work about George Washington. His skills at making a biography a shared experience rather than a listing of names, dates and events are on full display here. Reading it, I was drawn into the life of a legend, larger than life in all respects. Importantly, Chernow shows how he deals with the challenges and ambiguities facing him as he makes choices that affect the lives of millions. I loved this book, and do not regret for a second the time I committed to experiencing it on audio. It made for a month of very engaging commutes.

Great George!

Great George! Thank God for George Washington. If our current president was elected president instead of George Washington, we would be under a dictatorship today.

Rich and Colorful

This biography shines rich and colorful light on a man who is too often a man who is too often depicted as a passionless sculpture. It delves deeply into his essential nature, strengths, and weaknesses as well as the enormous struggles he overcame to earn his honored place in history.

George Washington

Good book. I learned somethings I didn't know. However it could have been half the size and still provided the same quantity of relevant information.

unbiased and very well done.

Ron Chernow brilliantly captures the personal, military, and political life of Washington. there is also no attempt at adulation and the raw shortcomings are well defined. I will definitely trust Chernow for the truth and read the remainder of his books.

Reads more like a story than a biography

It tells a good story of the man who was called the father of our country. Makes known the struggles and the hardships and the victories

Outstanding

George Washington comes alive scholarly and researched well
Not boring at all, a great listen

Loved it!

Captivating historical work. The writing is magnificent. The reader is outstanding. The quotations from old letters are truly remarkable.