Random House
512 Pages
As the quest to read about the US Presidents chugs on, the books about George Washington vacillate between whole life biographies and his life centered around specific events. General George Washington: A Military Life by Edward G. Lengel focuses on Washington’s military career. A military man for a significant part of his life, this book tends to tell more of Washington’s life than some of the other focused books.
Edward G. Lengel uses Washington’s personal papers to give the reader a deeper look into the mindset of George Washington as he led men into battle and fought to save his fellow countrymen. The man’s own words are used to build a picture of him. While moving with seeming steadfastness, Washington’s turmoil over decisions before he finally gave the command are telling of a man with great leadership abilities. The fate of a newborn nation rested in his hands, a looming specter over all his actions.
Lengel is a military historian, which gives him a unique perspective into the papers of Washington. He is able to break down the General’s own words and letters and extrapolate how these moves would affect the army. Much of Washington’s success in his military life was more luck than him being a tactical genius. Lengel explores both the strengths and weaknesses of George Washington’s military life. The weaknesses have often been overlooked by other biographers as they tend to lean towards the deification of Washington rather than his human side.
General George Washington: A Military Life by Edward G. Lengel is an engaging read that even the casual reader will be able to enjoy. His prose flows evenly and isn’t bogged down with over academic buzzwords. Lengel helps us to understand the world in which these events took place and how Washington’s decisions affected that world. We do not live in a vacuum, and it is important to understand these events and decisions in the context of the time. Lengel gives us a glimpse into that time while also comparing it against today’s standards without sacrificing one for the other.
I enjoyed reading this book. His insights into the American Revolution were interesting and educational. As we enter into the 250th anniversary of our war for independence, it is important to study the men and women of the times, and all that they accomplished, or didn’t accomplish. Today, most of our Founding Fathers seem nothing more than characters on a page. Lengel brings Washington to life through the general’s own words. He reminds us that we are all human, with our own successes and our own failures -- even George Washington.
Craig Bacon is working diligently to finish off the George Washington portion of his reading project.
NEXT UP: Washington’s Circle by David S. and Jeanne T. Heidler