A Life

By Joyce Summers

This is a story about a marriage that fell apart, and about a women that could not be held down even though everything in her world was against her. Ultimately her faith humbled her and lifted her up. In the end God gave her, her hearts desire. TRULY

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496927811

Book preview

© 2014 Joyce Summers. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/28/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-2782-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-2781-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014913438

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Preface

M rs. Marks left behind two children who loved her very much—her son, Silas, and daughter Sarah—as well as three grandchildren. When Silas asked, What do you want to do before you die? she softly answered, Live. When we were finished praying for her on her deathbed, we said we should leave it in God’s hand, and she said, What do you mean? We have already left it in God’s hands. She believed in God and trusted His Son. Jesus says, Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. ( John 5:24 ) She lived by this; her hope was in this.

Jan 18, 1947–Sept 11, 2013

Mrs. Marks was born in 1947 in Thomson River. She was a happy little girl. She loved farm life very much; she had always loved farm life. I remember when she was living in the trailer up at Daisy Gray’s that she was very happy because it reminded her of living on the farm when she was a little girl. Farm life kept you secluded from the busyness of life and living in nature, surrounded by animals and chirping birds, the soothing sound of the wind flowing through the tall green trees, the beautiful view of the ocean right outside the door, the smell of coffee in the crisp, clean air, the beautiful light flowing through the windows as her cat ran around and jumped up, curling up on her lap. My mom loved the country life. I pray she has a beautiful place in heaven where she can find rest and have a coffee as well.

My mother gave birth to two children; she was blessed with twins, a boy and a girl. Sarah and Silas were her life. She was blessed with three beautiful grandchildren whom she always talked about. She had ups and downs because of health problems, but not one day went by when she was not praying for them. They were always in her prayers. Most of us do not pray for ourselves or our children, but she prayed to the Lord because she wanted the best for her children.

Sometimes I would sit with her, and we would pray for Sarah. I would pray for her, and she would pray for me. My mom prayed to the God of heaven and earth for aid, protection, and favour for her children. Now I pray for Sarah. We have to do this for each other: pray for each other, as Mom prayed for us.

T his story starts in the beautiful summer of July 24, 1980, at Geniuses Hospital, where two babies were born, a girl and a boy—fraternal twins. The family’s first-born was a beautiful, healthy little girl named Sarah: Sarah Marks. She was six pounds, five ounces. Sarah was breech, and the doctor had to perform an emergency

Reviews for A Life

[gburlingham-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a gem for American history buffs. Most of the laudatory reviews attached speak for me. It was a joy to read and the best of the Washington biographies I've read.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A magisterial book, one which deserves a far more magisterial review than I am capable of giving it, Ron Chernow's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of George Washington is as well written as it is informative, and, despite its length, never once fails to keep the reader involved in its unfolding story. And what a story it is! The name of Washington needs no introduction - memorialized in our history, in the very name of our capital city, as well as the name of one of our fifty states, it is everywhere to be found - but the man Washington is another matter. Curiously distant, often obscured, even when omnipresent, Washington often seems - or, he has seemed to me, at least - either a pattern card of every virtue, as in Parson Weems' nineteenth century hagiography (from which we derive that apocryphal tale of the cherry tree, and which I once read for a college course on the intellectual history of 19th century America), or a sort of anonymous stand-in for the idea of the Founding Fathers. A cardboard place-holder, ever ready to be trotted out, whether for adulation or criticism.Washington: A Life rescues it subject from this curious veil that has been thrown over his life, excavating the human story behind the historical legend and symbol, and delivering a fascinating, at times poignant, and often inspirational portrait of the extraordinary man who did so much for America, not just in the fight for independence from Britain, but in the establishment of the early republic, and the shaping of her governmental practices. Washington emerges here as a human being, with real human emotions and very real human flaws. Intensely aware that he was lacking a college education - something for which he always felt the need to compensate, throughout his life - and resentful of his inferior status as a Colonial, and the second-class treatment he received as a result, while serving as an officer in the British Army during the French and Indian War, Washington emerges as a man with certain persistent insecurities. Insecurities that all the glory in the world, won on the battlefield and off, could not erase.A man with great physical courage - stories abound of Washington's leadership from the front, and his seeming imperviousness to the bullets that tore through his clothing, and shot down his horses - an incredibly generous nature (how many orphaned family members did this man adopt?!?), and a strong sense of right and wrong, he nevertheless had some glaring moral weaknesses, chief amongst them his ambiguous views and actions, concerning the institution of slavery. A kind "master" in some ways, Washington could also be... well, a bit of a slave-driver (this was true with his non-slave employees as well), and while he slowly came to believe, through his involvement in the American Revolution, that slavery was both morally wrong and economically inefficient, he lacked the resolve to speak out against it publicly, and confined his own actions, as a result of the stirrings of conscience, to the posthumous freeing of his own slaves.Divided into six sections, devoted to Washington as a frontiersman, planter, general, statesman, president, and legend, the book opens with Washington's family history - ironically, an ancestor had been persecuted by another anti-Royalist group, the English Puritans! - briefly explores his youth (about which little is really known), and then jumps into his military service in the French and Indian War. Chernow unfolds the tale of Washington's growing sense of ill-usage, as a result of army practices which discriminated against colonial officers (unequal pay and advancement, despite the same service, and sometimes superior performance), and the ways in which this personal sense of injustice gave way to anger at more abstract injustices - anger more motivated by idealism, than personal interest. Washington's odd relationship with his mother, to whom he was always punctiliously respectful, and with whom he had at best a troubled peace, is also discussed. Washington's role as commander of the Continental Army during the Revolution ("The General"), is given the most attention, in terms of the number of pages devoted to it, and here the story becomes especially engrossing! Having grown up in a town that was the site of a Revolutionary era battle - my childhood home was located on the hill where Washington's forces were encamped, during The Battle of White Plains, and, like all schoolchildren in the area, I was taken to see Washington's Headquarters, in North White Plains, on a school field-trip - I found this section especially interesting, particularly when it mentioned places I have seen. I learned so much that I either hadn't known, or had only incompletely known - familiar with the tale of Benedict Arnold's betrayal of West Point and Washington, I hadn't been aware that he went on to serve the British, after that betrayal, in Virginia; although aware of the misery that the Continental Army endured during their winter at Valley Forge (which I have visited), I had not been aware that subsequent winters, although not as well known, were equally grim - and gained a much better feeling for the conflict, and for Washington's central role in it, than I had had before.The sections devoted to Washington's involvement in the Constitutional Convention, and to his two terms as President, are likewise illuminating, revealing so much about this incredibly important period, when everything - the form our government would take, and then, how our Constitution would be interpreted by the first executive and legislative branches - was still up in the air. Here the reader really sees how Washington's virtues - his honorable nature, determination to walk a middle road, and include all sides in the decision-making process, and (most of all) his disinterest in personal power - steered the newborn country through those dangerous first years. That Washington continued to serve the public, despite worsening health, and a desire for retirement, is most admirable. That he tried to stay true to his vision of "gentlemanly politics," while those around him descended into spiteful bickering - Madison and Jefferson in particular, do not come off looking very well here! - is moving, somehow. Chernow's judgment, that Washington would never have become president, in a party politics system, but that he was just the man needed, in that time and place, is spot on, I think.Despite his flaws, and Chernow is frank in his portrayal of those flaws - there is no adulation here, just honest assessment - I found much to admire in Washington, and came away from his story with a renewed respect for him, and gratitude for the Revolutionary generation, and what they accomplished. In particular, I was struck by the manner in which Washington responded to some of his own weaknesses, compensating for them, without allowing them to twist him, as they might have done with a lesser man. Although conscious of the deficiencies in his own education, Washington gathered the most brilliant minds around him, and rather than being afraid of being shown up by these luminaries, genuinely welcomed, and relied upon their counsel.Although a man of strong passions - something Chernow very convincingly depicts, in contradiction to more traditional reports, which envision Washington as very staid - Washington devoted himself to that indispensable virtue of self control, something I respect very much indeed. His concern for the public good was unparalleled, even in his extraordinary generation of public servants, and his sense of the nation as a whole - the way in which he refused to look only at what was beneficial for Virginia, and for southern slaveholders - was prophetic. One sees already, in his later falling out with Jefferson, and almost all of his fellow Virginians, the seeds of the coming Civil War, and the conflicting interests that almost pulled the nation in two.Having long been convinced of my relative ignorance of American history, but being unwilling to commit myself to any sort of text book, I have thought for some time now to read a biography for each president, and thereby progress naturally through the historical record, while also enjoying the life stories of this group of extraordinary men. Imagine my surprise when, mentioning this plan to others, I discovered a group of family and friends who were interested in joining me! And so the "Presidential Book-Club" was formed, and this, Chernow's Washington: A Life was chosen, as our first selection. Educational and entertaining, it proved an inspired choice, and led to some wonderful discussions, in our first meeting! I am immensely happy to have read it, and to have started this project. Now... on to David McCullough's John Adams!

[jarratt_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say that hasn't already been written about this fantastic biography of George Washington? Ron Chernow's masterpiece on Washington is told extremely well never drags. Don't let the book's length (800+ pages) scare you off--it's a very pleasurable read.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely magnificent.

[tangborn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first biography of George Washington that I have read, so I really knew very little about him beyond the typical mythology and grade school history. This is a true psychological biography, getting at trying to understand much of the motivation behind Washington's actions in life. I hadn't realized there is so much information about him from letters (such as the clothing he ordered from England, and relations with women). You really get the sense that this is a real person, with real flaws, though he was able to overcome them to achieve some great things. I also didn't know that he had become so famous even before the revolution, and that people all over the country looked to him as their savior in the war with England. And the issue of his ambivalence about slavery was handled objectively and clearly. Really a first class piece of writing and a pleasure to read.

[ursula_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've studied my share of history, between taking AP history classes in high school, reading on various topics where my curiosity led me, and preparing for Jeopardy. But I don't really know all that much about the US Presidents aside from the bullet points - their number, where they were from, wives, children, notable feats, that sort of thing. So when I heard that some people were reading books about each of the presidents consecutively, I thought, "hey, that sounds fun and interesting. I think I'll do that too!" And then I decided I would do it via audio book as much as possible because audio seems to work better for me with nonfiction than fiction, and because I like listening to audio books while running.Here we are, a paragraph in, and you've learned a lot about me, but nothing about Washington. Get ready for the Washington-ness now. There's a whole lot of info out there on George Washington, and a surprising amount of it comes directly from him. Did you know that he carefully kept and organized all his papers over pretty much his entire life so that it would be there for posterity? That he was, in fact, very aware of how every move he made would be evaluated by history? That he had a hot temper that he worked to control, and that this is the reason he was known for being so stoic (it was either that or blow his top)? That he was effusively affectionate in writing with a few different women, but Martha wasn't one of them? If so, you might not need to read this book, but I didn't know any of that. I also didn't know that his mother was such a difficult woman (and wow, was she difficult). Or that he was really sort of a non-starter in the Revolutionary War. I mean he had his Delaware crossing, and his victory at Saratoga, but he also had some serious disasters resulting from errors in judgment at New York and Brandywine, and then he didn't have much to do once the French were involved and the war moved south. His greatest achievement during the war was really to hold together an army made of men without coats or shoes, not to minimize that accomplishment.Although "I cannot tell a lie" comes from an apocryphal story, it turns out that Washington actually didn't lie very often. He occasionally re-framed circumstances to suit his purposes, but even that was relatively uncommon. He earned the trust he was given as the first president, and he took that trust seriously. But it wasn't a lovefest in the government - while his faith never wavered in Alexander Hamilton, he also had Secretary of War Henry Knox, who let him down during the Whiskey Rebellion. And the rest of his cabinet just got worse from there - John Adams was suspicious of Washington's motives and jealous of his adoration by the public. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison didn't think much of him and actually wrote (anonymous) diatribes against him in the press. Washington also struggled throughout his life with his feelings on slavery and what to do about it. Sometimes it's hard not to think, "you know, if you want to free your slaves so much, go ahead and free them already!" but it would have been a revolutionary act and possibly insurmountably divisive in the climate of the time. He did leave provisions to free the ones he could (long story) in his will, which was probably the most expeditious solution and shows that he did give it quite a lot of thought.Overall, this was an interesting and surprisingly involving listen, although I felt for a while that I was living the Revolutionary War in real time. On to John Adams!

[jrpalin_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent biography, a gifted writer's popular history, not a historian's scholarly chronicle. Chernow illuminates Washington's judiciousness, self-sacrifice, shrewdness, and ambition. It's a revealing psychological profile as well as a well-organized, beautifully-written, and informative overall treatment of Washington, from his early life through retirement.

[read4to4live · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Easy to read, well-organized, and superbly edited, there's not a paragraph or even sentence I would delete or move, and only a few words I would change. Moreover, although there are a few topics I would have liked fleshed out, everything of interest to me was addressed.-- Where I wanted more: the experence at Fort Necessity seemed overly summarized, as did the description of Washington's relationship with his mother.-- Where I would have changed a word or two: Chernow called John Adams "envious", which seems overly judgmental, IMO; even if Adams was opinionated and critical, I don't think we can presume he was motivated by envy. Also, Chernow said over and over that Washington was lucky when relatives kept dying and leaving him land, but there is no evidence that Washington saw all these deaths as good luck.-- Where I learned things I knew nothing about before: I had no idea of Washington's direct involvement with L'Enfant and the design of the Capitol City. I knew nothing about his runaway slaves or his opinions about his slaves as individuals. And although I did know that he was a better businessman and less profligate spender than Jefferson; yet I learned he was not as good a businessman as I had supposed, and that he spent his life living beyond his means. Although I knew most of the highlights of Washington's career before reading this book, it was stunning to see them all in the context of his one life, to see all the crisis points where Washington was the best person for the job, and performed superbly, always putting his country first, always acting with the utmost integrity, when so many of his time did not. It was also enlightening how Chernow contrasted Washington's superb management of politics with his ham-handed administration of his own properties. When the future of the nation was at stake, he put his own priorities aside and did what was best; when it came to his own personal property, he was much less willing to find a way to motivate and work with people. Perhaps his superior political skills came into practice only with people of his own class, and not those he saw as his inferiors.I regret that Washington did not live 20 more years, as did Adams and Jefferson, to see the success of his service to his country; when he died, everything still seemed so uncertain and fragile. And his particular death seems so untimely: What could he have accomplished with 20 more years?

[mybucketlistofbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Definitely one of the better biographies of Washington. Given this is a Pulitzer Prize winning work this should not come as a surprise. Chernow does not disappoint.

It is cliche - as every Washington biographer of the last half century claims to be doing the same thing - but Chernow does an excellent job "humanizing" Washington. And while the biography is a largely positive one, he does not shy away from exploring some of Washington's negative traits: excessive ambition, churlishness, and a real disconnect between his opinion of slavery, and how he treated them in many instances.

For me, the mark of a good biography is how it affects one emotionally after it has been read. Does it make you feel like you have experienced the person's life through the text? Or, was it more of an intellectual exercise - interesting but not deeply felt. This book will definitely leave you with the former feeling!

Highly Recommended...

[fskornia_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely marvelous biography about George Washington. This was definitely a thrilling read until the end. I found this particularly interesting because while I had studied more about the other founding fathers (Jefferson, Adams, Madison), Washington still remained a closed book to me. Therefore it was great to read more in depth about his early life, and some speculation (evidence supported of course) about his motivations in fighting for independence and working as the first President. It is fascinating to note that Washington was responsible for developing a good deal of the powers and limitations of the executive branch, and fought to maintain its power versus that of Congress. My only real concern about this book is that at times it seems to dip into hero worship of both Washington and Alexander Hamilton (of whom the author had written an earlier biography). I would be interested in seeing a biography of him about Jefferson or James Madison to see if the same bias would exist (both of which were slightly demonized in this book as they grew to politically oppose Washington). Despite the apparent bias, Chernow's claims are well supported by his extensive research.

[schmerguls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though in 1968 I read Dousglas Southall Freeman's seven-volume biography of Washington, since this book won the 2011 Pulitzer prize for biography, I wanted to read it. It is the 67th Pulitzer biography prize-winner I have read. It is very detailed and I admit some of the trivial things in it did not excite me. But I think Chernow paints a true pciture of the man--not sparing us his defects, but showing well his good qualities. I think the time spent reading this was well spent.

[jrgoetziii · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love the biography as I did his Hamilton, but the heavy-handed moralizing on the slavery issue is absurd and transmutes/imposes "liberal" sentiments of the late 20th and early 21st Century onto the 18th Century. This wouldn't be so bad other than the biassed language. At one point Chernow states that it is "unnerving to see the President of the United States" speak of whipping an idle slave; perhaps for him, not for me.Also, I'm more than a tad amused at the following comment in a previous review: "Well written generally, but I back off from a full five star rating because he uses CONTRACTIONS. I can't stand a solid serious work that uses contractions." Hopefully this doesn't get flagged, but that's stupidity in action (in the event that it does happen, how about we just not say things that are clearly nothing other than stupid?). Last I checked, "can't" is a contraction, and therefore I cannot stand your solid serious review (also "a lot" is two words, not one). Though I myself have no qualms about the use of contractions as they're part of the language.

[ajlewis2_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It took me a long time to read this huge book, but it was well worth it. It is very well researched both in the story of Washington's life and in the way of life. I felt I got to know the real man who gave most of his life for the country where I live. Many times in the section on him as President, I thought of how there are always political enemies who will do and say anything to bring down the one who is leading. In the end I felt gratitude for the making of the United States and our system of government. I feel that Chernow did justice in telling a great story of a great man.

[mamashepp · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Incredible detail and so much new (to me) information. Take your time with this one.

[ibkennedy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A better appreciation for the whole man but often a tedious read.

[maneekuhi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Washington - A Life" by Ron Chernow is a Pulitzer prize winner. It's very interesting and informative, and long, very long. 817 pages. I felt it was certainly worth the investment in time, but I also felt it easily could have been pared by at least 100 pages. More on that later. Fortunately, Chernow's writing is very relaxed and extremely readable, laced with well placed anecdotes and excellent analysis. Coming into this book, I knew very little about our first President besides some 4th grade history instruction and a number of visits to nearby Mount Vernon.Not much time was spent on GW's early years, and very soon we learn of George's adventures as a very young officer in the militia, teamed with England in the French and Indian War. As revolution began to simmer in the colonies, Washington's role was primarily military, and the events that unfolded during those years dealing with the Declaration and Constitution were mainly left to others. Though Washington attended the initial Congressional sessions and expressed his viewpoints, he was never a confident orator and his lack of education led many of his founding brothers to pay him less attention. So Chernow's focus during those years deals more with the eight years (yes, EIGHT years) that he led his rag tag army against the British; in the background we are given snippets of events in Philadelphia. And maybe rag-tag is too kind a descriptor. This was an army that was not only poorly clothed but ill-fed as well. Often local farmers sold their produce and livestock to the better financed British. Then there was the issue of many American troops returning to their families every December 31 as annual commitments expired. Washington's "army" would shrink to a few thousand. Washington lost a number of battles - he was not surrounded by an experienced military-educated team of officers and staff, but he kept the army together. Eventually the Brits made the Big Mistake at Yorktown, and with the very timely help of the French, the Revolutionary War was over. My major disappointment with this portion of the book was that Chernow elected not to use maps. There were several battles described in some detail which would have been much easier to visualize with a single map.Five years later Washington was our first President. He was unopposed, and his intention was to serve one term, perhaps less if possible. He yearned to retire to Mt. Vernon but did not have that opportunity for another eight years. There were two interesting learnings for me in this section of the book. The first is that Washington as President was now in a position to set precedent since not every detail of governing was clearly defined in the founding documents. Many of those issues dealt with the specific duties o the Executive and Legislative branches. The second was the birth o political parties, each with different viewpoints on the kind of country America was to become. For example, while Washington (and Hamilton) believed in a strong executive role, others felt it would be too easy for the United States to morph into a monarchy-like government too reminiscent of the British royatly from whom we had just separated.. This section of the book made clear that while many of our forefathers may have been "founding brothers" they did not always get along all that well and at various points in our early history, relationships broke off and were never repaired. It is interesting to see so many parallels with governing the US in 2015.In addition to the War years and the first Presidency years, the book covers a lot of other ground central to Washington's life. All of it is very important and I would not want any of the subjects deleted. But I think most could have been abbreviated. These include the ongoing changes at Mount Vernon over the years from crop selection to building additions to draperies, the relationship with George's mother, his dental problems, all of the portraits he sat for, slavery, George's eye for the ladies, and his delightful relationship with Lafayette. The material dealing with slavery alone could have yielded a separate book. As a matter of fact, I think a book dealing with the issue of slavery and American presidents from Washington to Lincoln could be a winner.Nevertheless, five stars all the way. Highly recommended.

[kigh_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Felt like going through a lot of obsequious chatter.

[jent33 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This cradle to grave bio paints Washington as a true idealist. He lived to set an example.His contribution can actually be measured, but probably not equalled. A sturdy man who didn't liked to be touched would stand tall in the face of almost any challenge to contribute to his community. The depth can be a little tedious but when you are in the depths of Washington's life it all seems relevant.I have not read other Bio's of Washington, so I can not weigh the book against other biographers.The insight into Washington's own words from his letters illuminates the man in the portraits.Chernow tells a complete story of an immense life. It was fun to observe the life of the American saint and the characters who contributed to the a time in history of such immense character. 800+ pages make it a true commitment and if I never read another book on (The General) I think this Bio will suffice as solid basis on the subject.Great fun fact: Ron Chernow credits Washington with the development of the American Mule. Add husbandry to the long list of accomplishments...

[epictale · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent and engaging book -- I learned a lot about Washington and 18C American history (though, I confess, I only finished half of the 800-page book when I had to return it to the library!). Like any great historical figure, Washington had his warts -- and Chernow seems objective in pointing them out when they occurred. Overall, the biography filled me with awe for George Washington and so many of his contemporaries, who fought for America's independence unreservedly, unselfishly, and with high regard for the well-being of generations of their as-yet-unborn descendants. Chernow's account of Washington's valorous life filled me with a critical appreciation for why our Founding Fathers chose to honor Washington through their naming of the nation's capitol city. It's our duty as American citizens, I would argue, to spend time to understand the exertions and countless sacrifices that Washington and his contemporaries expended on our behalf. Washington lived his life with an eye on history.

[nickmat-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent new biography of George Washington. If you have already read biographies of Washington, you still may not know the man! Newly published letters in the last 20 years have been used by Chernow in this biography! And Chernow is a beautiful writer! Easy to read, but not dummied down. Rich, literary language used throughout! One big minus!! With such a large hard cover of a major American figure, as with Chernow's Hamilton bio, I don't understand why the illustration/photos are not in Color, and there is only one middle section of plates. And there aren't many repros of the man at different stages of his life nor are any maps included!! The same illustrations that are used in other dime a dozen bios are used here! I give Penguin a big boo for this poor publishing faux-pas!

[drmaf-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. Glad to find a warts and all biography of Washington, too often he is portrayed as a colonial version of Superman. Chernow's Washington is a great man, yes, but he is also tendentious, argumentative, occasionally indecisive and could also be a bully. Chernow doesnt shy away either from the great contradiction in Washington's life, that he was an advocate of freedom who kept slaves and supported the system of slavery (although to his credit it did trouble his conscience). Also revealed warts and all are the other Founding Fathers and the often troubled relations between them. In fact Washington wasnt popular with most of the other great names of the Revolution, Adams, Jefferson and Madison among others all disliked him, however his enormous popular support ensured that he could dictate the time and means of his exit from public life. A challenging book in many ways, but enthralling, particularly for a non-American to whom much of this was new.

[msaucier818 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another top book from Ron Chernow. This has joined my favorites list alongside Chernow's Hamilton and McCullough's Adams. Outstanding book about the Father of our nation, George Washington.

I love Chernow's writing style. He does such a great job of blending the primary source material with the history of the time, all the while mixing in his own take on things without being overbearing. I like how he does not excuse the flaws of his subjects. He rightly takes Washington to task for his views and behaviors in areas like slavery and the treatment of his employees. However, he brings to life the marble figure of Washington and shows us the man behind the legend. There is not much I can say that has not already been said, but overall I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It is hard not to love what Washington did for this country after reading this book. Great time to finish it - during Memorial Day Weekend.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent!

[scott_hercher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are so many biographies of George Washington, it is difficult to decide which one to read if you are not a professional historian. They have ranged from the purely hagiographic (and partly fictional) work of Mason Weems to Douglas Southall Freeman's mammoth seven-volume study. Ron Chernow estimated that perhaps more than 900 books have been written about our first president. So how do you choose? And why would anyone write another one?

Our fascination with our first president is somewhat curious, given his reputation as a stoic, somewhat stiff individual. But Chernow's gift as a biographer is his ability to bring his subjects to life with his literary skills and his acute psychological perceptiveness.

What most of us perceive about Washington, and what Chernow does not dispute, is that he was a very intelligent but not particularly philosophical or creative individual. He was a tremendous leader with a natural talent to inspire others and an uncanny ability to brave the elements and the battlefield and emerge unscathed.

What Chernow shows, however, is Washington's unbridled ambition, his nearly insatiable need to prove that he merited his fame while at the same time lamenting its consequences. He also frequently struggled to control his emotions, particularly earlier in his life and could have a frightfully volatile temper. In Chernow's hands, Washington often comes off as insecure, given to moodiness and angry outbursts at those who had the temerity to question his intentions or disobey his directives. We see Washington struggle with the conflict between his moral objection to slavery and his dependence upon the peculiar institution, and yet he never recognized the irony of his position.

Ron Chernow's biography of George Washington, while not as engaging as his life of Alexander Hamilton, is engaging. You finish the book with a real sense of Washington's flaws and his greatness. If Chernow's historical understanding is not always the most nuanced, his perception of his subjects' humanity is.

[gbelik_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a biography! Chernow attempts to explain Washington's personality and character, as well as tell the story of the remarkable events of his life. He certainly had some quirks, but one ends up overwhelmingly happy that George was there when we needed him.

[billiecat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Washington was, even in his lifetime, a "man of marble," remote and idolized. Chernow's biography really does little to get under the skin of the man, but by the end of the book I felt this was because Washington intentionally lived his life that way. Chernow pokes and pricks at him, and draws a little blood on the issue of slavery, but overall at the end I could not say I knew the man any better than I did when I began. I knew more *about* him certainly, and for that the book is well worth reading. But where Jefferson, for example, seems to evade us by his slippery and contradictory mind, Washington seems to have set himself on Olympus intentionally, and even this book does not seem capable of approaching him.

[samsattler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I would guess that most Americans do not even realize how little they know about George Washington. Oh, sure, we all know that silly cherry tree story (an event that never happened) proving that Washington "could not tell a lie." We know that he crossed the Delaware River on December 25, 1776 during the Revolutionary War because we are familiar with the (historically inaccurate) Emanuel Leutze painting from 1851 portraying that courageous decision. We know about Washington's wooden teeth, or we think we do since that is another slightly bent story about our first president (the real story of Washington's dental problems are even more fascinating than the myth about his wooden teeth). We know, too, that General Washington led the American rebels against the British army and that he was America's first president, a man who very reluctantly agreed to a second term. Some of us even know that he was involved in the French and Indian War as a very young man. But that is about the limit, if not beyond the limit, for most casual observers of American history. But how does a man become George Washington? What stroke of luck placed him in the right place at precisely the time his young country needed someone exactly like him? Would America be the country it is today if George Washington had not been there to lead the fight for its liberty and oversee its earliest days of independence? Those who wonder about such things need only pick up Ron Chernow's new Washington biography, "Washington: A Life," to find all the answers. Put simply, Chernow's 900-page biography is as comprehensive as it is remarkably easy to read. Unlike so many history books and biographies that I have slogged through in the past, the pages and chapters fly by in this one. Mr. Chernow plucks George Washington from the mythical pages of history and turns him into a human being, a man with as many faults as qualities, a man who transformed himself into one of the most influential ever born. Chernow's biography stresses just how private a man George Washington was despite the fact that he took great pains to document the details of his life. He was not a man given to public display of his emotions, preferring to lead with a quiet dignity and calm that never failed to impress those around him. He had a special charisma that allowed him to keep his army together under the harshest of conditions, even when it seemed the Revolutionary War might end with the American army simply walking away from the battlefield for good. He used that same charisma in his two presidential terms and had a strong hand in shaping how the United States government functions today. But George Washington is more than a mythical hero. That he shared the faults of his time and his class cannot be argued; that he overcame them, makes him more the hero. Chernow puts the flaws into the context of Washington's times but that does little to lessen their impact on Washington's image. The reader will be particularly struck by Washington's mixed feelings about slavery. On the one hand, he had misgivings about one human being having the right to own another, and he always tried to treat his slaves with dignity and respect, perhaps even with affection in some few cases. On the other hand, he demanded that his slaves work hard on a daily basis, no matter their age or the weather conditions. Washington's income, something he was stressed about during the war and his presidency, depended on slave labor and he did not free his slaves until his wife's death. (He even purchased teeth from slaves to be used in replacement dentures for the teeth he had lost - no wood in George's mouth). Washington was a land grabber as a young man, having recognized that the easiest source of wealth (other than marrying it, which he also managed) in this new country was land. He involved himself in a scheme to buy up the land rights, at greatly reduced prices, of his fellow French and Indian War veterans before those men could exercise them. Much of that same Western acreage would be disposed of by a desperate Washington in his later years when his service to his country deprived him of the time to properly manage his several Virginia farms. Chernow tells the complete story. Washington's flaws are offset by the greatness of his vision, and the reader cannot help but come away from the book with the conviction that things would have been greatly different for America if there had never been a Virginian by the name of George Washington. Without Washington, the Revolutionary War might not have been won, and even if it had been, the government we know today would probably be a very different one without having had his guiding hand at critical early moments in its history. "Washington: A Life" tells a fascinating story in easily read prose; readers should not be put off by its length. The best praise I can give a book of this type is that it makes me want to read more about the period and some of the other men involved. That is certainly the case with "Washington: A Life." Rated at: 5.0

[scartertn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic story of a phenomenal life. From the undisputed leader of the revolutionary war to the birth of a nation, this biography is the definitive history book regarding early America. I highly suggest anyone interested in history will be thoroughly enthralled.

[ehousewright-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a long book, but it really kept my interest. It shows Washington as human and it also portrays the times he lived in politically -- which have many similarities to our own times. I hope to read biographies of each president-- but this one will be hard to top.

[zen_923 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well-written book. Easy to read and well-researched. Fully deserving of the Pulitzer Prize.