Customer Reviews

George Washington: Ordinary Man, Extraordinary Leader

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Fleshed out with an additional twenty years of meticulous, exhaustive research and newly revised by Robert E. Jones (Professor of History, Fordham University), George Washington: Ordinary Man, Extraordinary Leader is an informative biography of America's first President. Focusing especially on Washington's trials during the Revolution and his service as President, George Washington: Ordinary Man, Extraordinary Leader is a compelling look at both the legend and the man, his foibles as well as his virtues, and his legacy and contribution to both American and world history. George Washington: Ordinary Man, Extraordinary Leader is very highly recommended for academic and community library American History and Biographical Studies collections.

I found this bio to be quite disappointing. It is relatively brief, and many important events in Washington's life and career are only given a few sentences or paragraphs. Most of the author's observations regarding Washington's character are not presented until the end, and then they are disjointed and seem to be mere afterthoughts. The author also tends to group many subjects into a single paragraph, perhaps to hide the lack of detail. Compared to other historical bios (like McCullough's John Adams or Blumenson's Patton) this book is poorly written, difficult to read, and lacking in detail and information. I do not recommend this book at all.