Nathaniel Philbrick
Viking Press
400 Pages
In the course of my Presidential reading project, I’ve read almost two dozen books on George Washington. In all honesty, Travels With George by Nathanial Philbrick was the weirdest one of the bunch. That’s not to say that it’s a bad book. Far from it. However, it is weird -- very weird. And it’s less of a biography than a modern road romance using Washington as a basis for the routes used. Frankly, this book was comic relief in this long list of George Washington tomes.
Nathaniel Philbrick has written several history books, including some on the American Revolution and the Mayflower. He claims that he likes to “probe the darkness at the edges of our nation’s history.” As an historian myself, I find that some of the greatest historical stories are those that are just outside of the light. The most interesting history isn’t the story that’s been told over and over again. Instead, it is the overlooked and forgotten that sometimes have the best stories. All have a purpose, and can be used in conjunction with each other to paint an even more vibrant picture of the events of yesteryear.
Philbrick, in Travels With George, attempts to retrace the route that George Washington took on a nationwide tour in 1789. Washington first went to New England and Rhode Island. Philbrick follows the old “Washington Slept Here” trail, exploring the struggles that Washington met and comparing them to the struggles that the country is going through right now. George Washington was concerned that his fledgling country would not be long for the world if there wasn’t a tempered approach to leadership. He was overly concerned about a future leader who would be more content with dividing a country for his or her own benefit rather than a leader who would sacrifice for the good of the country. In his mind, he had sacrificed so much to ensure the freedom and independence of this new nation. He struggled to forge a path that would preclude that from happening.
Nathaniel Philbrick explores the difficulties that George Washington faced and extrapolates those faced by Washington to the ones faced by modern presidents. In this way, it is not strictly a book on the life of Washington. Part travelog, part history, but mostly fun times on the road with his wife and dog, Travels With George is a fun look at some of the places Washington visited and the stories behind most of those stops. This was a welcome change from the drier books that have been written about Washington. While it doesn’t necessarily fit into the parameters of the reading project, I did welcome the change of pace.
Craig Bacon is reading diligently. This one made him laugh in some spots. As a dog owner, he gets it.
NEXT UP: The Return of George Washington by Edward J Larson