Washington's Farewell

The Founding Father's Warning to Future Generations

By: John Avlon

Narrated by: John Avlon

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

George Washington's Farewell Address was a prophetic letter from a "parting friend" to his fellow citizens about the forces he feared could destroy our democracy: hyper-partisanship, excessive debt, and foreign wars.

Once celebrated as civic scripture, more widely reprinted than the Declaration of Independence, the Farewell Address is now almost forgotten. Its message remains starkly relevant. In Washington's Farewell, John Avlon offers a stunning portrait of our first president and his battle to save America from self-destruction.

At the end of his second term, Washington surprised Americans by publishing his Farewell message in a newspaper. The President called for unity among "citizens by birth or choice", advocated moderation, defended religious pluralism, proposed a foreign policy of independence (not isolation), and proposed that education is essential to democracy. He established the precedent for the peaceful transfer of power.

Washington's urgent message was adopted by Jefferson after years of opposition and quoted by Lincoln in defense of the Union. Woodrow Wilson invoked it for nation-building; Eisenhower for Cold War; Reagan for religion. Now the Farewell Address may inspire a new generation to re-center our politics and reunite our nation through the lessons rooted in Washington's experience.

As John Avlon describes the perilous state of the new nation that Washington was preparing to leave as its leader, with enduring wisdom, he reveals him to be the indispensable Founding Father.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2017 John Avlon. All rights reserved. (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Please young Americans, READ/LISTEN to this book. It’s important to your future.

As a senior fellow American, I was deeply impressed with the wisdom of our first president of the United States. Washington’s farewell address is incredibly important to understand, but because it was published in 1796, I mistakenly thought it would be difficult. He speaks to us as if he knows what is happening at this very moment, and he has very important information we need to hear. John Avlon has done a fantastic job of researching and presenting it to us. In the final chapter, he includes the actual address, so please everyone, READ and LISTEN to it. What you know now can make an incredible difference in what becomes of our country. This book is particularly important for you, our youth.

Great analysis, story and humanity

Exceptional research, analysis and reading. The author's care, interpretation and respect to men living and dead enables this work to be enthralling. I did not dissect each interpretation of origin made by the author but from what I could glean, I am confident there was a great justice done.

Besides the work in analysis of the writing, the story itself and the ties to the framers was a boon to my understanding of these United States.

Fascinating treatment of something we all should know but don’t anymore

Great book! Interesting topic and a very “user friendly” treatment of it. I’m sad we don’t all spend more time studying this important address these days. Maybe if people did we’d be in a different place as a nation. I will look forward to listening to this one again!

Great overall, like the man who is its subject!

A wonderful retelling of the formation of Washington's Farewell Address and then its impact upon subsequent American history, performed by the author, so he knows the material and has a good steady voice. A pleasure to listen to to the last word.

Deep insights into our first President

I have a degree in PoliSci and learned so much about the founding principles and struggles of our country, as well as the evolution that got us to where we are. This book should be required reading for and political candidate.

Timely talk

John Avlon skillfully interweaves Washington's Farewell Speech into the complicated and tangled history of the Great American Experience of democracy. He allows readers to draw their own conclusions about the current state of our messy political system, remaining a neutral observer. The conclusion alone is worth the time.

Very well written and performed

This is a well written and well read review of Washington's farewell address. As the author points out Washington's farewell address has had an enduring impact on Presidents to this day. The contents of the address are as relevant to the United States today as they were to Washington's contemporaries.

The author provides a thorough and very interesting review of the substance of the address including Washington's intended meaning as well as application through time. He provides just enough facts surrounding the drafting of the address and of the state of the country at that time to ensure that the reader understands the context of the address, without getting lost on tangents. I believe he achieved just the right mix.

Finally, often authors cannot do justice to their own work and would be better served by a professional. This is not one of those cases. The author does an excellent performance; as good as any professional reader.

This book is the love child of passionate research.

Nothing but platitudes to John Avlon for producing a scholarly and thoroughly enjoyable book detailing the effort and results of Washington’s farewell address. The dots are all connected here and when finished the reader will appreciate the knowledge provided and the wonderful return on the investment of time. Highly recommended.

Simply Excellent

Avlon crafted an enjoyable and informative work - getting to look behind the curtain of the motivations and composition of the famous document was a treat.

Incredible read

A timely guide for Americans of any Party or persuasion. Avlon does a fantastic job of bringing Washington's time into the present.