Customer Reviews

George Washington: A Biography

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Volumes 3, 4, & 5 are the essential bedrock of any respectable American's library -- the starting point from which any serious investigation of the American Revolution commences -- there is only one word to describe Freeman's achievement -- SUPERB -- to fault Freeman for his detail suggests the mind of an adolescent seeking easy crib notes for a school paper -- the footnotes (relegated to back pages of less scholarly histories) tempt the reader down little-trodden paths of historical investigation leading to new & fascinating insights -- it is the detail and Freeman's lean transcendent prose that make the difference in comparison to the abridgement -- for any American with an interest in our history -- how independence was wrested from defeat by the sheer will perserverence & determination of one man -- a man who refused to be cowed or mentally defeated by the world's great superpower or by even more insidious enemies -- those selfish conservatives who wished to find common cause with Britain to return to the status quo & maintain their perogatives without risk of loss -- how Washington overcame all odds despite the obstinate stupidity of Congress -- the incompetence of state legislatures & governors (including Jefferson) as well as the greedy selfishness & studied indifference of the propertied classes -- these volumes describe Washington's monumental achievement -- but the biography does not concern itself solely with the man himself but also with that dedicated band of true-believers inspired by his example -- some of modest talents -- some of great -- and some who proved unable to keep the faith -- but most important of all it descibes the achievements possible what a great leader can achieve with an army of starving ragamuffins & scarecrow refugees, the refuse of colonial society, unmarried men of small means representing all races, nations, & ages (& not a few women as well) bound together by hope for a better future (based on promises Congress failed to keep) and their undying love & respect for Washington -- volumes 3, 4, 5 represent the essential core of classical American history -- books I'd want along if I were marooned on a desert island -- these volumes are nothing less than the prose outline of an AMERICAN ILIAD.

This is by far the best and most definitive biography of George Washington to date. Meticulously researched with extensive and interesting footnotes, it is a must for anyone looking for an accurate account of this amazing man's life. I have read hundreds of books on Washington and this one is at the top of my list. The author won a Pulitzer Prize for this one and it is well deserved.

My set dates from 1948, and although there have been many excellent books on Washington since that time focusing on various periods or themes in his life, this work by Douglas Southall Freeman still remains the gold standard. Freeman also wrote "R.E. Lee, A Biography", "Lee's Lieutenants", and edited the 52 volume set of the "Southern Historical Society Papers." In my opinion, Freeman's contribution to American history has not been eclipsed or equalled by any other writer.

Freeman presents Washington with scholarly fairness although his reverence for the man is clearly apparent. Washington lost more battles than any successful general in history, and his perseverance in the face of adversity was not just remarkable, it was well-nigh block-headed. Somehow he always saw hope, even later during his difficulties in his presidency with Jefferson when the young republic threatened to disintegrate from internal stresses brought about by the people's unrealistic expectations after freedom had been won. Yet there was no Terror like in France, no excesses so often experienced in modern times like in Soviet Russia, Communist China, and Latin America that often accompany revolutions. That the United States experienced none of these events can be attributed in the main to Washington's steady leadership. No other President was ever confronted by such issues or dangers -- even Lincoln could call on a majority of the population to support him (in the northern states.) Washington was the beacon that guided the nascent republic through uncharted waters in perilous times. For this he deserved to be remembered better in American schools and universities where too often he is denigrated for the teacher's or professor's personal agenda. Freeman remembers Washington as he should be remembered.

There is much to learn here, and every historian or scholar interested in American history should have this seven-volume set on his shelf.

Recommended to all. Hopefully you can find it.

THE definitive biography of our first president. Freeman can only be faulted for providing too much detail. If you really desire to find out about George Washington, read this book. It should be required study material for contemporary, so called historians.

Ok well I read this book for the first time, and I can say confidently that Freeman must've known Washington personally. The detail in which Freeman goes into does not leave the reader questioning anything about Washington. Everything is there in the book!! A must read for the lovers of history!