The Invention of George Washington [Paperback]

Paul K. Longmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 22, 1999

BY TRACING George Washington's deliberate development from colonial planter and soldier to republican icon, Paul Longmore answers the riddle of Washington's simultaneous fame and aloofness, arriving at a portrait of Washington as a self-fashioning representative of his turbulent time. As a young Virginia planter, Washington aspired to virtues associated with the colonial gentry, but as the British system of patronage threatened his own ambitions, he adopted the radical Whig patriotism that would lead him to take up arms. As a national hero of the Revolutionary War, and in accepting the presidency, Washington defended civilian control of the military and other ideals of republican government because his own image was inextricably tied to their success. The Invention of George Washington, first published in hardcover in 1988, explores the character of our first president in modern terms, but as Longmore shows, Washington's assiduous cultivation of his own public image does not ultimately diminish his extraordinary achievements as general and statesman.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Paul Longmore has examined the origins of the national image of George Washington, an image that still seems to hide the man. (How could anyone have been that good?) It was not, Longmore shows, the work of Washington's admirers, nor yet of any 18th-century equivalent of the press agent. Washington deliberately created his image himself.

About the Author

Paul K. Longmore is Professor of History at San Francisco State University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 337 pages
• Publisher: University of Virginia Press; 1st University Press of Virginia paperback ed edition (January 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813918723
• ISBN-13: 978-0813918723
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deliberate, power hungry G.W., February 21, 2002

By 

Matthew Gunia (Justice, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Invention of George Washington (Paperback)

Paul Longmore has written an excellent book for the serious George Washington scholar. George Washington is a difficult man to understand. After reading five books on the man, along with several published books and articles on the Revolutionary War, Federalist Period, and biographies of other people who were active in Washington's days, I still have a hard time grasping why such a diverse group of people universally looked up to and respected Washington. Edmund Morgan's book, "The Genius of George Washington" helped me to understand how Washington wielded power once it was attained, and this book helps to fill in the gaps as it describes how George Washington worked his way toward greatness.

Longmore's argument in the book is that George Washington was FAR from a minor player in his rise to fame. It wasn't through a series of coincidences or through fate that Washington became the very embodiment of the American Revolution and Federalist Era. Longmore argues that Washington had, in his youth, an insatiable lust for power...but would only seek to achieve it through socially respectable means (highly developed interpersonal skills didn't hurt, either). It is through an examination of what constitutes "socially respectable," Washington's writings, and examining the change in his tone as he matures that Longmore bases his premise. In my opinion, he does a very good job of it. His arguments are strong and backed up in an extensive end-notes section. The only problem I have with his research is that I would have liked to see Longmore's view on two major incidences that happened in Washington's early life and how they affected his rise to fame: the death of his older brother/patron Lawrence; and his marriage to the filthy rich widow, Martha Custis. In all, Longmore has written an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who would like to begin a serious study of the early life of the "First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of his Countrymen."

By the way, this is not a cradle-to-grave biography of Washington, but follows his life from birth until about the time he takes command of the Continental Army.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book on the origins of the Washington image, April 21, 2000

By 

Scott E. Rosenau (Hanover, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Invention of George Washington (Paperback)

Paul Longmore's book, "The Invention of George Washington" is a wonderful book about the Washington that people have come to know over the years. Longmore looks at Washington's life chronologically and compares it with the image of Washington as the Father of Our Country. Longmore shows that one of the most important people in shaping this image was George Washington himself. Washington was constantly concerned with what others thought of him. He always lived his life as if he were on a stage with the whole world was watching. At many of these points, they were watching. Washington was setting the model for future leaders of the United States as Commander-in-Chief, and ultimately as President. Behind this image of a man doing the best for his country, however, is a man of ambition. Especially as a young man during his days commanding Virginia troops in the French and Indian war, Washington strived for recognition among his fellow colonists and from the British regulars that he was forced to serve under. As Washington matured, he was more successful at curbing this ambition. It was during these years that Washington built his reputation and became known as the Father of Our Country.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Washington, a Complex Character, November 27, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Invention of George Washington (Paperback)

Paul Longmore's biography of George Washington is a superb book. It portrays Washington as a complex Virginian. Neither a stone-like figure nor an unread hero, Washington becomes an interesting and even vulnerable leader. Well written, Longmore's book is a must for people interested in Washington and in colonial history.