Book Description
George Washington has been called, “first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.” He is remembered for his character, perseverance, and faith and is a shining example for future leaders.
From the first outing as a young militia colonel, when he fired on the French, sparking a worldwide war, to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Washington became the most respected leader in American military history.
His genius lay not only in becoming “The Father of Our Country,” but also in building the army that made our independence possible. Literally within sight of the enemy, this largely self taught soldier developed the foundational principles upon which our own modern army is built. These lessons did not come easily. For every victory at Boston, there was a defeat on Long Island. For every brilliant tactical move like Trenton, there was a disaster like Brandywine. But in the midst of both failure and success, he earned the devotion of his troops and the love of a budding nation.
My review
4 stars
Although this book took me quite some time to get through, I think it’s a great book for every history buff (or not) out there. Vickery gives a ton of detail about Washington’s career prior to, during and after the war including his time as our first president which makes it a little tough for the kind of "I can't put this book down" type of reading that I like to do, but I was always eager to pick it back up again for another chapter or two.
I have a great love for history now - much more so than when I was required to study it in school. I believe had I had a book like this in my home or classroom my love for American history would have been stronger much earlier. I think this would make a great family reading book for homeschoolers or to supplement studies for those in regular schools.
I received this book through the Booksneeze blogger program. I was not required to give a positive review.