George Washington

A Biography

By: John R. Alden

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

This extraordinary one-volume biography vividly portrays the unbreakable link between George Washington and the nation he helped create, defend, and govern. From his military career's beginnings with the Virginia Regiment, here is the exceptional decisiveness that led him to fire the opening shots in the 1754 war between England and France, the unshakable determination which, in the darkest winter of the American Revolution, demanded total victory and yielded to nothing less.

Rich anecdotes and fascinating historical documents clearly reveal Washington's critical role in the birth of a democratic nation. Here is a definitive portrait of George Washington, the man who unified a new country riven by turmoil and went on to earn the love and respect of his soldiers, his countrymen, and his peers.

©1984 Louisiana State University Press (P)1989 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"The best selling novel of all time." (Guiness Book of World Records)

Not the best

The audio quality was bad. The narration was factual less insightful there has got to be a better boolk on Washington out there

I struggled to finish this book

I was distracted at times by background voice(s) which was unfortunate because the narrator was very good. Also the story provided a good overview of the Revolutionart War.

Just okay

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I did not like the narrator or how the book was written. I should go back and pull out a sentence that was so overwritten that it made me laugh. The writer must have intentionally used language from the Washington era. Totally not needed. As an example, he referred to native americans as indians or red skins. Now that is important when you are reading from historical papers, but when telling the story it is not needed.

Would you be willing to try another one of Grover Gardner’s performances?

I would try one more time with Gardner's performance. I am 50/50 with audible books because of the reader. How they inflect and their voice really can make a difference. I am interested in history and will try again but he only gets one more chance!

Was George Washington worth the listening time?

This is the only book on George Washington that I have ever listened to so I can't compare. I listened to the entire book so it wasn't that bad, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Well read & enjoyable

The overall account was good and the reading of the content made for an enjoyable experience.

Great story of an Incredible man.

He as many then, gave so much fir the freedom and liberty we now enjoy. every high school student should have to hear the story of Washington and our other forefathers to fully grasp what America means!

Good info on our greatest American ever

Any and all information on president Washington is indeed relished. It is nice to hear the human side of one so revered and seemingly so much like a god to us Americans.

great book, mostly about Washington

I don't know why some biographies start good, but end up talking about all sorts of things not biographical. overall a good work but would have liked more Washington in it.

Perhaps too through

I liked the story overall, but it goes far too deep into the weeds of the men around him during the Revolution. There is also a voice that can be heard reading another book in the background, which I found distracting at times.

Background noise

If your bugged by background noise then you’ll not enjoy this version. There is background talking throughout and is very noticeable during pauses. Over all it was a good biography of George Washington.

Man of Integrity

Listening to this biography of George Washington allowed me to see beyond some of the common assumptions that I learned in school. I was particularly interested in his support of a liberal education and the alternatives for learning that were available to his step-daughter and step-son. Although I am not generally interested in military accounts, the familiar settings where the battles took place - streets and cities which I see on a regular basis kept me interested in these battle stories. Remembering that July 4, 1776 was just the beginning of the story and not the end, hearing about Washington's romantic love of the wife of a friend, hearing about his concern for and eventual freeing of his slaves (at his wife's death)were some of the highlights that I enjoyed from Alden's book. This biography left with me with a new appreciation for this man of integrity and has reawakened my interest in this remarkable period of our history and I am ordering some additional audiobooks as a result of "reading" this one.