Washington [Paperback]

Douglas Southall Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1995

An abridgment by Richard Harwell of the Pulitzer Prize-winning seven-volume biography. One of the most important American historians and biographers of the 20th-century, Freeman won immediate recognition and his second Pulitzer for this thorough and exhaustive study of the "Father of Our Country". Kammen, himself a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, helps to place this valuable historical work in a fresh, new perspective.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Freeman's epic seven-volume biography of the founding father is here abridged into 896 pages. Illustrations.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Carol Freeman is a former local history reporter for the Sunderland Echo and has previously compiled Images of England: Sunderland for Tempus. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 896 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684826372
• ISBN-13: 978-0684826370
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #771,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Notable attempt at capturing salient points from larger work, January 10, 2003

By 

"mdh1812" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Washington (Paperback)

Harwell does a good job of pulling together and redacting DS Freeman's epic VII Volume (actually VI - he died before publishing the 7th) account of George Washington's life. I often find myself wishing he would annotate, at least on a chapter basis, which volumes of the larger work he is pulling his info from.

A basic understanding of the extreme hardships early Americans (Colonists) went through can be gathered through this book, and this understanding should be required basic knowledge in all schools. The birth of this nation, was founded on some of the most remarkable physically, financially, emotionally and seemingly impossible acheivements by a few who had the courage to see the delivery through. Freeman captured these trials and victories in marvelous detail.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Abridgement of a Great 7 Volume Biography, June 21, 2005

By 

C. M Mills "Michael Mills" (Knoxville Tennessee) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Washington (Paperback)

Every year there are biographies published on the life and career of George Washington. Years pass but still no one has matched Douglas Southall Freeman for a biography on the Father of our nation. Freeman was the dean of Southern historians winning many awards (including the Pulitzer Prize) for his unsurpassed life of RE Lee in 4 volumes; Lee's Lieutenants in 3 volumes and 7 volumes on the life of Washington (he died before he completed this overwhelming project!)
Richard Harwell abridges the work as he has also done on Freeman's volumes on Lee. Overall he has done an excellent job.
I do wish the book had included more maps to follow the battle action.
Many of the sections of the book will seem dry. Freeman's work
is basically a military history as he rarely comments on the social scene in colonial and early America.
While not williing to spend time with Freeman through his seven volumes on Washington I found this one volume work to be
essential in my understanding of Washington.
Washington was a man who loved duty, honor and country. He was
honest and ambitious. Frugal Washington never gave up on American independence. He was kind and though somewhat aloof could also be there for his friends and nation when in need.
No wonder he and Lincoln are always at the top of presidential polls.
In this sober work of scholarship you will meet a great man and enjoy the words of a great scholar. Recommended.

38 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but disappointing, May 12, 2000

By 

Scott Pfost (Bristow, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Washington (Paperback)

As a biography of one of our most famous and respected Presidents, I had high expectations for this book. Given that the author had devoted 30 years of his life to studying Washington and that this was a one-volume abridgment of his original 7-volume biography, I expected more excitement.

Though I learned quite a bit about George Washington the man, Freeman spends too much of the book with weekly and monthly accounts of the lengthy revolutionary war, most of which Washington and his meager army spent waiting for the British to make a move. Too little actually happened to warrant devoting so much of the book to this period.

However, the description of Washington's youth and Presidential years are very well done. Overall, a decent (although dry) account of Washington's life.