American Patriarch - by H W Brands (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands explores the life of George Washington, the man who, by his singular virtues, led the American army to independence and set the fledgling republican government on its path to democracy and freedom George Washington was a singular figure in American history, and he remains unmatched. In his military career, Washington was more than just a leader; he was the embodiment of the American Revolution. As the first president of the United States, he established the norms and expectations that have shaped the presidency ever since. Other men gained military fame; some of these subsequently became president. But none so towered above his contemporaries in both war and peace. From his early military career and role among the Virginia gentry, to his leadership during the American Revolution and reluctant return to public service as the first president of the United States, American Patriarch brings to life the man who became an embodiment of the virtues of America's founding. Within a few years of his 1799 death, Washington was linked in the popular mind to a golden age of civic virtue-an association that continues centuries after his death. In a vivid narrative that confounds expectations, Brands portrays a Washington who perseveres through a shocking series of failures and setbacks, acknowledging his weaknesses but attributing to him a fundamentally solid character and uncovering the qualities that made him an iconic American leader"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

From historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands comes an inspiring portrait of George Washington that examines his unrivaled leadership in the birth of America.

From his early military career and role among the Virginia gentry, to his leadership during the American Revolution and reluctant return to public service as the first president of the United States, American Patriarch brings to life the man who was called on time and again by his peers to lead.

With a dazzling cast of characters--from the French and Indians on the Ohio frontier; to the Marquis de Lafayette, Benedict Arnold, and Baron von Steuben on the revolutionary battlefield; to Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton locked in conflict during his presidency--American Patriarch casts Washington as the icon of American virtue who wrested America free from British control, gave credibility to the Constitution, and crafted the norms that would steady America as a nation for generations to follow.

Arriving in time for the 250th anniversary of American independence, this is a masterful portrait of Washington as the unrivaled leader of his times.

About the Author

H. W. BRANDS holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. He has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including The General vs. the President, a New York Times bestseller. Two of his biographies, The First American and Traitor to His Class, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.