Presidential Challenge - Washington

packfan20 · July 2015

His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis

This 4th of July, I played "American History Jeopardy" at a BBQ and it made me realize how little I know/remember about our presidents. Honestly, I really want to just read about Roosevelt/Eisenhower/Kennedy but I figured I might as well be fair and start at the beginning.

So Washington it is! I'm bummed that so little is known about his childhood. I guess it makes sense but I wish I got to know Washington the boy. It was also a bit sad that George and Martha's marriage was one of convenience. Who knew????

How much has changed since our first president. Washington did not want one term, let alone two and today we have people "debating" who would be best for the job and an ELECTION! He also refused to talk about certain topics because they were too heated/not appropriate for discussion. Ha! Nothing is off limits these days.

Some parts were very interesting for me and others dragged. I felt the second half of the book with the Constitutional Congress was loooooong and dragged. I would have preferred much more about Washington as a person that what was going on in our country back then.

On to Adams!

SusieBW · July 2015

I read the Chernow book on Washington, and while it had the same level of detail about his childhood (that information just isn't around, I guess), it did seem to give some more insight into him as a man, as opposed to solely as a public figure, than Ellis did.

What is so interesting to me about all of the founding fathers (but Washington more than the others, I think), is that they absolutely understood the enormity of the Revolution and what a global game-changer it would be if it all went according to plan. They understood, as they were living their lives, that they were individuals whose names would live on in the global consciousness for hundreds of years. To that end, Washington would send trunks of his papers home from the front for safe keeping, because he understood that those papers were worth keeping, and that hundreds of years in the future, people would probably be interested in his thoughts and actions. That's fascinating to me.

I'm only through Madison so far, and planning to read Alexander Hamilton before I continue with the presidents, but like you, I'm really looking forward to FDR and Eisenhower. FDR is my favorite president.

Jen748 · July 2015

I'll get the blog updated!

PS. Which bio are you reading for Adams?

packfan20 · July 2015

@Jen748 I have Abigail & John: Portrait of Marriage by Edith Gelles already on my Kindle but I saw David McCollough has an Adams book but my library doesn't have the Kindle version and I don't know if I want to hold an 750+ page book!

Jen748 · July 2015

packfan20 said:

@Jen748 I have Abigail & John: Portrait of Marriage by Edith Gelles already on my Kindle but I saw David McCollough has an Adams book but my library doesn't have the Kindle version and I don't know if I want to hold an 750+ page book!

It's a hefty one, but you should read McCollough's...then you can watch the HBO mini series!

Jen748 · July 2015

packfan20 said:

@Jen748 I have Abigail & John: Portrait of Marriage by Edith Gelles already on my Kindle but I saw David McCollough has an Adams book but my library doesn't have the Kindle version and I don't know if I want to hold an 750+ page book!

PS. The pres blog has been updated w/ your review!

Presidential Challenge - Washington

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