His Excellency

George Washington

By: Joseph J. Ellis

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Acclaimed author Joseph J. Ellis penned the National Book Award-winning American Sphinx and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Founding Brothers, a fixture on The New York Times best seller list for an entire year, and one of the most popular history books of all time. Now this master historian turns his attention to the most exalted American hero, Founding Father and first President George Washington.

Washington has always been a larger-than-life enigmatic figure. On the day he was given command of the continental army, he recorded only the temperature and where he ate dinner in his journal. But recently, his papers were catalogued at the University of Virginia. Ellis had primary access to the 90-volume papers, allowing him to paint a thorough and fascinating portrait.

From the French and Indian War to Mount Vernon, from the American Revolution to the presidency, Ellis delivers what will stand the test of time as the definitive biography of the greatest American icon.

©2004 Joseph J. Ellis (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Non-Fiction (unabridged), 2005
• 2005 Quill Award Nominee

"Ellis offers a magisterial account of the life and times of George Washington [that] leaves readers with a deeper sense of the man's humanity." (Publishers Weekly)
"Mr. Ellis gives us a succinct character study while drawing on his extensive knowledge of Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary history to strip away the accretions of myth and contemporary extemporizing that have grown up around his subject....An incisive portrait of the man." (The New York Times)

Great Biography

This biography was especially useful, as it focused on character and leadership traits of General Washington. The reader was great, often using tone or character voices to help deliver the meaning.

Good book!

A really great book on George Washington, however pales in comparison to Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

His Excellency review

Absolutely phenomenal read. It showed the “good, bad, and ugly and characteristics of what made him a great man and Father of our country!!

Superb

Everything you want to know about the way the Father of Our Country lived and glimpses into his mindset and character. The story is clear yet told in an elegant manner. A MUST read for all Americans!!

Great story. Great portrait.

This was a good refresher after the much longer Chernow bio. This one moved faster (obviously) which has its advantages. Possibly worst recording I’ve heard on audible (for like “real” books). Weird throat and mouth noises throughout and pauses not taken out.

Horrible narration

The book offers an interesting insight into George Washington's life. But the narrator's long breaths, loud swallowing and stomach gurgling made for a total distraction. It's obvious that the producers of this audiobook were asleep at the switch. The swallowing and breaths could have easily been edited out electronically. As for the gaseous gurgling, they should have told the narrator to just read the line over.

What a opportunity to learn of an icon.

Sometimes we have a small knowledge of people. This volume expanded my understanding tremendously. I will listen again.

Admirable Attempt

I appreciate what Joseph Ellis tried to do here and I think he succeeded for the most part. I have always found Washington's greatness hard to pin down: he won the Revolutionary war but lost most of his battles and he was the first president but it's hard to name many policy achievements of his so I always wondered why he is so revered. I think this book traces the qualities that made Washington a natural leader and these are things that were very personal and don't usually just jump off the pages of a history book.

Great Book! Destroys any negative portrayal of GW

An amazing in depth look at the life and ideologies of George Washington. I found this book to not only be educational but also entertaining. I learned things I never learned in high school or college.

This book goes against the narrative that Washington was a slave trader and a horrible human being. This book destroys any narrative the left comes up with against our first President.

I would recommend this book to everyone curious about who Washington really was, and to those who are under the illusion he was a horrible person the left makes him out to be.

really interesting

It discusses washington's weaknesses. He had alot of things he was not good at. But it's amazing to hear such insightfull information about the creation of the nation. A must read for history geeks like me.