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Washington: A Life
- KateHubb
- Nov 13, 2016
- 2 min read
George Washington is a larger-than-life character in U.S. history. This book glorifies his victories while putting some dirt under his fingernails.
Title: Washington: A Life
Author: Ron Chernow
Pages: 927
Genre: Biography
Rating: 4/5
Recommended: If you like American History
Song: "One Last Time" by Lin-Manuel Miranda from the Original Broadway Cast recording for "Hamilton".
I picked this book for 2 reasons:
1. "Hamilton". Lin-Manuel Miranda used this book as inspiration when he wrote the songs for George Washington.
2. George Washington has always been fascinating to me.
I regretted picking this book for 2 reasons:
1. It's really, really long
2. It's really, really detailed.
Bulk Up, History Buffs
Before I discovered double time on my Audible app, I listened to a detailed biography of Walt Disney. My husband made fun of it, asking if Walt Disney had drank his orange juice that morning. Ron Chernow didn't write that book, but you can tell he did his research. If you want to know about George Washington's life, what he thought of himself, what other people thought of him, and how he impacted the birth of the USA, you can probably get by reading something else. If you want to know how his clothes fit, his financial troubles and his experience as a step father, this is the book for you.
Washington: Proof of Life
Many of the events in this biography still have relevance today:
Proof: a desk job really can kill you. Washington had great health while he was running around ragged and dodging cannonballs. His health really began to decline when he took the Presidency, moved to the city and lived behind a desk.
Proof: keeping cool, calm and quiet can have more power than a booming voice. George Washington was known for his cool demeanor, and it gave him power. It also helped that he had a stature that would help him shop at "Big and Tall".
Proof: You can't please everyone. Washington was voted in unanimously as President. That doesn't mean everyone liked him. He was worshipped by the populous, but not everyone was his biggest fan.
Audiobook
Scott Brick (who also narrates "Hamtilon") is a great choice for this book. At almost 45 hours, I'm tempted to send the poor man throat lozenges.
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