Customer Reviews

Washington: The Indispensable Man

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THIS PURCHASE WAS EXCELLENT IN EVERY WAY--EXACT ITEM DESIRED--GREAT PRICE AND FAST SHIPMENT--TOTALLY HAPPY WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THE PURCHASE

Flexner's "Washington:The Indispensable Man" is a must read for anyone with an interest in American history. It is very readable,even for those who are not history buffs.

This is the very first time I voluntarily picked up a history book for casual reading. This book helped me break new ground in my life! I recommend this book not just because Washington is a fascinating individual but because the way Flexner writes might make one think he knew Washington personally! Its just amazing. If you aren't a "history person" like me, you'll still find this book educational and entertaining.

This work by James Thomas Flexner is a condensed version of his four-volume history of George Washington. It's clear from reading this shorter work why the author at first felt the need for four volumes on the Father of our Country; Washington's life needs space to properly relate. But for those who lack the time to read such a comprehensive biography, this work is a fine substitute. (Indeed, it years ago formed the basis for a television mini-series.)

Flexner perfectly capsulates the major events in the public life of Washington, and one finishes the biography with deepened respect for our nation's first president, whose every action set a precedent. And readers of recent biographies of Alexander Hamilton and John Adams will get another perspective on some of the great issues of the day. Familiar, for example, are the mechinations of Thomas Jefferson, who vexed Washington from within and outside the administration.

Flexner "humanizes" Washington. We witness his failings, and see the wisdom of many of his decisions, including his reluctance to engage the British in traditional battle. It's easy to agree with his refusal to take sides in the war between Britain and France. And we see the evolution of his thinking on slavery, and how far ahead of Jefferson he was in that regard.

This is an engaging read.