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)

The First American

Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.
- George Washington

My first exposure to Chernow was his now über-famous biography. My daughter owns her own copy of Chernow's Alexander Hamilton and just today showed me Chernow rapping "Alexander Hamilton" dressed in the show's distinctive revolutionary garb for #Ham4Ham. We were lucky enough to see Hamilton in NYC.

So, now, after President Trump's election, I'm finding spiritual solace in reading a book-a-day (at least in January) and trying to read at least one presidential biography a month (this month I read two, this one and Caro's The Path to Power, LBJ #1). I need to be reminded that, yes, politics has always been nasty AND -- yes -- this too will pass.

Anyway, while I didn't like the George Washington bio QUITE as much as I enjoyed Chernow's Hamilton bio, it might have been for reasons beyond Chernow's control. I've read a bunch of Washington biographies and there isn't much that I haven't come across, or at least knew if not in form certainly by shadow. There wasn't much here that was surprising, but as a biography it was compelling. Chernow did a masterful job of threading throughout the biography certain Washington traits and contradictions, the biggest being his views on slavery, and his treatment of slaves. The fact that Chernow didn't write a hagiography but was trying to paint a full picture of our first president was obvious. As far as biographies of Washington go, this one beats Ellis' His Excellency: George Washington by "a large and straight rather than prominent" nose.

Chernow is technically more of a journalist than a historian, but in this age of modern biographies there is certainly room for the self-taught. In many ways, journalists often produce fantastic biographies since they often have a distinct narrative talent. That doesn't mean Chernow isn't historically rigorous in his historical efforts. Many of the primary sources are ones I hadn't read before, or were ones used in a different context. So, while I don't think Chernow writes as well as Robert Caro, he still belongs on the top shelf of living presidential biographers.

So, now after this I'm going to definitely have to read:

1. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
2. The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
3. The Warburgs: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of a Remarkable Jewish Family

I own the first two, so obviously, I'll start with those.

Good book, great character

I enjoyed the character of Alexander Hamilton better in a previous book by Chernow but this book on Washington was a better and more interesting read/listen.

Chernow does it again. A masterful retelling.

Simply masterful. Beginning to end. You know the man, his character, his strengths and flaws, and the personal drive and fortunate accidents that led him to become the first leader of our great country.

A must read for any history buff

This was amazing. I learned a whole lot about GW i never knew. There was a whole lot of politicing back then i had no clue.

Valuable retrospective

This is an insight into Washington that I have never read; and I read allot of American History. The drama of the Revolution and its battles would be adequate interest and entertainment but the various profiles as land and slave owner, genreal, president with his personal ltravails is handled with deference to the non-historian. The narration is excellent. I only gave it four stars because ther are some transsitions that surprised me in thier abriptness.

The Real Story Behind a Sacred Figure in History

What did you love best about Washington: A Life?

It made me see the real person behind an almost fairy tale figure in history.

What did you like best about this story?

After learning all the faults of the man as well as the attributes I finished the book with admiration for the man George Washington. I enjoyed revisiting events of the times through a person rather than just battlefeilds.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No but I was captivated by the entire book.

Any additional comments?

I feel historically enriched after this read.

The statesman

Great biography. I appreciated the personal anecdotes that uncovered Washington's true personality, e.g., his "relationships" with Sally Fairfax and Elizabeth Powell. I really got a sense of his personal growth, from the young surveyor to the general in the continental army to his second term in office.

It is a pity that Martha burned all their personal correspondence. Chernow explains that was common in the period. Too bad.

Scott Brick as the narrator was excellent. He had a perfect cadence. I've found myself looking for other books that he has narrated.

Well Worth the Time

Voluminous, but worth every minute. I learned so many historical nuances about both Washington and the founding of our country that I had never heard before. The story is superbly written, and the narration well done. I listen to books during my daily 10k walks, and this was a great way to pass the time fruitfully.

History need to be like this Real and unabashed.

A very intricate look at the man and the history around our Country's First Hero, Father, and Consitutional President. A look at someone putting country before anything, even if it cost him years of his life and wealth.

A must read for anyone not wanting to be enamoured with myths and fantasy. A human experience that should be conveyed.

Highly recommended

I highly recommend Washington: A Life. Very well written and performed. It is lengthy but not at all boring.