BIOGRAPHY

First and Always: A New Portrait of George Washington

by Peter R Henriques
Univ. of Virginia. Sept. 2020. 208p. ISBN 9780813944807. $27.95. BIOG
COPY ISBN
George Washington (1732–99) has one of the most enduring legacies in America’s historical memory. Though many have tried, it’s still a challenge to separate the man from the myth. In this collection of essays, Henriques (history emeritus, George Mason Univ.; Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington) seeks to give a realistic assessment of the Founder’s character as revealed through his life. Based on his biography of Washington, Henriques addresses questions asked about Washington that have existed since his lifetime—for example, the relationship with his mother, his staunch and humorless manner, his relationship with his slaves, the unjust near execution of a British officer in the 1782 Asgill affair, his qualities of leadership, and his partisanship at career’s end. In the final essay, Henriques applies ideas of psychoanalyst Carl Jung to answer: What made Washington tick?
VERDICT For general readers interested in Washington as an individual, Henriques’s efforts should be lauded. Despite presenting his subject as flawed, one who succeeded in gaining fame across the ages in spite of them, the author’s high admiration of Washington is palpable. His analysis and narrative style, however, fall short of Joseph Ellis’s Founding Brothers.
Reviewed by Glen Edward Taul, formerly with Campbellsville Univ., KY , Aug 14, 2020
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers: Her Life, the Imperial Ideal, and the Politics and Turmoil That Shaped Her Extraordinary Reign
by Somerset, Anne
NONFICTION

Shirley Chisholm in Her Own Words: Speeches and Writings
by Chisholm, Shirley
NONFICTION

Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King
by Jones, Dan
NONFICTION

Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music
by Sheffield, Rob
NONFICTION

Martin Van Buren: America’s First Politician
by Bradley, James M.
MEDIA

Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey’s Cold War
by Werth, Barry
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?