George Washington : Writings (Library of America) [Hardcover]

George Washington (Author), John H. Rhodehamel (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Library of America | Publication Date: February 22, 1997

Bringing together 450 letters, orders, addresses, and other significant historical documents penned by America's first president during the course of his life, a substantial anthology is arranged chronologically beginning with a journal written at age sixteen.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Library of America was red hot this year. In addition to this collection of Washington's most important papers, the publisher also produced volumes of Nathaniel West, Wallace Stevens, John Muir, and a gangbusters, two-volume collection of American crime fiction. (Classic Returns, LJ 4/1/97)
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1184 pages
• Publisher: Library of America (February 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188301123X
• ISBN-13: 978-1883011239
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( W ) > Washington, George

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Customer Reviews

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75 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In this splendid book, Washington finally speaks for himself, July 24, 1998

By 

R. B. Bernstein "R. B. Bernstein, Adjunct Pro... (Brooklyn, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: George Washington : Writings (Library of America) (Hardcover)

George Washington is far more revered than known; but, as this splendid book proves, when you come to know him you feel even more admiration for him. This installment in the indispensable LIBRARY OF AMERICA series gathers hundreds of Washington's letters, as well as his more formal public statements as Virginia legislator and revolutionary leader, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, advocate of federal constitutional reform, and First President of the United States. The formal public statements display the heavy style that Washington fell into when consciously speaking to posterity. It is in his letters that Washington's vigorous mind, strong emotions, and sound judgment emerge most cleary -- and that portray his humanity and his nobility most clearly and accessibly. Readers of this volume would be well-advised to read John Rhodehamel's superb chronology (appearing at the back of the book) first, and then turning to the text. If they do this, they will have! a sound chronological and historical basis for setting Washington's writings, public and private, in context and for seeing the critical founding decades of the American republic as he saw and experienced them.

-- Richard B. Bernstein, Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School; Daniel M. Lyons Visiting Professor in American History, Brooklyn College/CUNY; Book Review Editor for Constitutional Books, H-LAW; and Senior Research Fellow, Council on Citizenship Education, Russell Sage College

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great measure of the man, November 20, 2004

By 

Mark Klobas (Tempe, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: George Washington : Writings (Library of America) (Hardcover)

All too often, George Washington comes across as a monument rather than a person. As the victorious general of the American Revolution and as our nation's first president, he is often depicted as the indispensable figure in the struggle to establish America as a nation, with his decisions and actions almost providential in nature. Yet Washington the man is lost amidst the adulation, leaving the reader with an incomplete picture of who he really was.

This collection of Washington's writings is an indispensable aid in the process of understanding the man behind the legend. The editor, John Rhodehamel, has selected 446 key documents from Washington's life, including letters, addresses, and general orders issued to his men. Written in the strictly formal style of the Virginia planter seeking to maintain the dignity of his position in society, his prose often cloaks the anxiety he felt about his status, the revolutionary cause, and the survival of the new republic. Together they convey a distinctly human figure, one whose stature only grows with a better understanding of the difficulties he surmounted. This is the book for anyone seeking to supplement other works on Washington with the original sources, or for those who simply want to read about Washington's life in his own words.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Washington's earlier writings, August 25, 2009

By 

Theodore Kobernick (Vancouver, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: George Washington : Writings (Library of America) (Hardcover)

Washington's earlier writings reveal how his character developed, and show aspects of his personality and activities more private (though rarely intimate) than his public writings. John Rhodehamel has made an excellent selection of these writings. These Writings should be read carefully, and after having read a biography.

Washington reveals himself as incredibly goal-oriented: not just one goal; all of them. The Rules for Living he copied and studied as a young man were his lifelong guide to behavior. Almost all of his writings show him as a most considerate person. When his goal required the physical courage and endurance of his first mission to the French, he was almost superhuman. When his goal required years of perseverance, he persevered.

He shows a sense of his own worth, but is nevertheless modest in describing his accomplishments.

Washington's letters come from a mind not only solid, but also brilliant. He was capable of making decisions: instantly if the situation demanded speed; or after deep and thoughtful examination. His letters display his command of a wide range of endeavors: from farming, to experimenting with soils, political commentary and participation, public works and their financing; even the right path for his young stepson to pursue.

When he was the colonel of the Virginia Regiment in the French-Indian War, a study of his writings shows that although his rank was colonel, he was responsible for every aspect of their military efforts -- except for political decisions. In other words, he functioned as a general. Not only a general, but the commanding general, answering only to the government. There, his writings show how he learned to build an army, officers and men who, under his leadership, became effective veterans. This of course was exactly what he later did in creating the Continental Army from scratch. He learned the importance of military intelligence from Braddock's disaster, when the British were surprised. So he hired spies -- even before he was appointed commanding colonel. Again, historians note that he had a "secret service" during our War of Independence.

Washington's letter to Bryan Fairfax (his Tory friend) shocked me. He wrote from Valley Forge, was furious with Britain. The tone of the letter begins with moderation, but soon changes to fury. Punctuation goes down the drain. The anger is understandable: he charges Britain with intentionally pushing the colonies into rebellion, so as to have an excuse to wipe out their rights; he charges the British with forging letters, which they claimed were his. Why, o why, do we never read this in the history books?

All of this, and much more, is revealed in his letters. Surprisingly, a love letter is included, about the time he was about to marry Martha Custis. He was in love with another woman, a friend's wife, and there is a suggestion that previously his love might not have been unrequited.

He always took on responsibilities, and fulfilled them! It amazed me how young he was when he had responsibilities far beyond his contemporaries. Letters show that he loaned generously to friends: at least one large loan was unsecured and free of interest, and he let it ride for six or eight years. He also subsidized the son of a friend, so he could attend Princeton.

It's fascinating to see his development -- from a loyal and enthusiastic "Englishman" into a leader of pre-Revolutionary activity, and into the major patriot, whom contemporaries credited with keeping the Revolution alive.

It's exciting to discover the inner workings of this really great American.