Young George Washington and the French and Indian War, 1753-1758 [Hardcover]

Robert M. McClung (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002

The Father of His Country was not always that stellar commander and stern first president who gazes serenely from the famous portraits we have of him. George Washington was once, in fact, a proud, ambitious, and sometimes foolhardy young man whose brashness triggered a major war between the superpowers of his time.

Using Washington's diaries as a source, Robert McClung tells the story of George's uneven beginning steps into greatness. With French and British facing off for control of North America, the 21-year-old Virginian took on military responsibilities far beyond his ability. Sent to warn the French out of the Ohio Valley, he wound up ambushing them in peacetime, being nearly wiped out in return, and being branded as an "assassin." He was with Braddock when that British general's force was nearly annihilated; later, he struggled to maintain discipline over his militia, while he argued with his superiors to the point of insubordination both about battle tactics and the preferments of rank. When the British defeated the French at Fort Duquesne, Washington resigned and retired to a gentleman's life at Mt. Vernon.

George Washington always had courage and great ambition. What he learned as a young man was how to deal with the Indian allies; fight in the woods; keep control of troops; provision his men; and - most of all - curb his fiery temper. These were the things that would pave his way to greatness seventeen years later when he was called to lead the Continental Army into battle against their mother country.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-In examining Washington's life during five busy years in the 1750s, the author presents his perspective on a pivotal period for this important man. The prologue promises to show how the future president grew from an "impetuous" youth into a mature man whose naive mistakes prepared him for his eventual role in the American Revolution. McClung vigorously claims that it was these early errors in leadership that "triggered a war between two mighty European nations" as outlined in the chapter "Shots That Set the World on Fire." Washington's journal from his early 20s is a major source, as are first-person accounts from other figures, with direct passages sometimes filling up almost an entire page. Nevertheless, much of this respectable scholarship is surplus information for a teen audience, and the dry style will not hold the attention of even ardent history buffs. The maps are helpful and well executed; the reproduced black-and-white illustrations less so. Albert Marrin's George Washington and the Founding of a Nation (Dutton, 2001) gives a portrait that is sufficiently thorough for the vast majority of high schools. Consider this one only for very specific needs in schools with advanced-placement classes and an acute focus on American history.
Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Opening with a quote from a Washington biographer--"No man is more completely misunderstood than George Washington"--McClung sets out to put the record straight. The book focuses on the period more than 20 years before the Revolutionary War, during the French and Indian Wars. It offers a history of the conflict and a convincing portrait of the young leader as he moved from an inexperienced, impetuous, and impolitic 22-year-old major who professed himself charmed by the sound of whistling bullets to a 27-year-old veteran who wanted to resign his command, marry, and return to Mount Vernon. Writing with authority and conviction, McClung makes a good case that Washington's experiences in his first war, coupled with his determination to improve himself over the next two decades, molded him into a commander capable of leading the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolution. Quotations from Washington's letters and diaries give him a voice in the book. The captions for the illustrations, which include reproductions of period maps, paintings, and prints, are admirably informative in identifying each according to subject, medium, and source. A bibliography is appended. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 121 pages
• Publisher: Linnet Books; 1St Edition edition (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020802509X
• ISBN-13: 978-0208025098
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,062,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book on time period for the age group, January 24, 2005

By 

Terry Crock (Massillon, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Young George Washington and the French and Indian War, 1753-1758 (Hardcover)

A good book for those in grades 6 and up concerning George Washington's involvement in the French and Indian War. Many adults, let alone children, do not know why George Washington was given consideration to be commander in chief of the armed forces in the American Revolutionary War. This book gives us that information.

The book starts with Washington's perilous trip to warn the French to leave the Ohio Valley in 1753, takes us through Washington's defeat at Fort Necessity and Braddock's disaster, and ends with Washington's resignation in 1758 after the French abandoned Fort Duquesne (pronounced Dew-cane), which is at the site of present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The book's 114 pages (plus a bibliography and index) is not the most exciting writing I have ever read, but it is not boring either. There is enough detail given to make the book interesting, but not enough to make it tedious for the casual reader. The only fault I would give the book is that the author is quick to blame Washington for not only the mistakes he made, but also for events that Washington had little control over. However, if the author took the space to explain every point of view, the book would have been, by necessity, much longer.

For those wanting a book with not too much detail concerning Washington's involvement in the French and Indian War, this would be a good book to read. And for the age group it was written for (roughly junior high age students I believe), it is a very good choice. The book is long enough to include all the important events without being so long so as to bore those who have only a casual interest in the subject. For those who have little or no knowledge of George Washington's involvement in the French and Indian War (and, in fact, his part in STARTING the war), the book would be especially appropriate, even for adults.

As a book in general, I have given the book a 3 star rating. However, if I were to judge the book as a book written for ages 11 and up concerning George Washington involvement in the French and Indian War, I would rate it higher.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book On George Washington, November 16, 2004

By 

Highlander (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Young George Washington and the French and Indian War, 1753-1758 (Hardcover)

This book was well done for readers of any age,and details the part of George Washington's life that many will probably be unaware of.A good read.