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Summary
Summary
America's first president has become an icon, but Washington the man has remained something of a mystery, even today. Already a national hero well before his legendary presidency, George Washington revealed himself not only as a strong leader, but also as a pragmatic, skilled, and modest politician. Here is the full story of the life of George Washington, told with quotes from his voluminous correspondence and accounts by his peers, and accompanied by detailed historical illustrations. David A. Adler brings to life the man behind the great soldier and statesman, and unveils the dignity and humility that were the backbone of the public figure, lauded as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his fellow-citizens."
Author Notes
David A. Adler was born in New York City. He attended Queen's College in New York City and later, earned an MBA in Marketing from New York University.
He writes both fiction and non-fiction. He is the author of Cam Jansen mysteries and the Andy Russell titles. His titles has earned him numerous awards including a Sydney Taylor Book Award for his title "The Number on My Grandfather's Arm," "A Picture Book of Jewish Holidays" was named a Notable Book of 1981 by the American Library Association and "Our Golda" was named a Carter G. Woodson Award Honor Book.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-10-This comprehensive look at America's premier founding father literally spans his lifetime and attempts to focus (with the small amount of data available) on how Washington's early character formation impacted his decisions as a military officer and later as president. The book possesses a definite sense of flow with good-sized text and relevant black-and-white reproductions on every page. The illustrations are largely engravings from the late 19th century. Maps and genealogical charts are clear and helpful. The writing style is accessible without ever falling prey to oversimplification and even high-schoolers (particularly reluctant readers or ESL students) would find this volume useful for reports. The author does fictionalize Washington's "thoughts" or dialogue, but even this fictionalization is well documented in the meticulous source notes that are appended. Adler relies heavily on late-19th- and early-20th-century biographies of Washington. Surprisingly, many excellent recent biographies and Colonial-period retrospectives were absent from the bibliography. Informative appendixes include biographical profiles of Washington's generals and cabinet, a chronology, a list of important battles, and source notes. A thorough index with text and illustration entries and see-also references assists students seeking specific information. A solid choice for libraries needing biographies of famous Americans.-Courtney Lewis, Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School, Kingston, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Middle School, High School) The unanimous election of George Washington as the country's first president opens this well-researched and thoughtfully structured account of the man and his time. Adler then jumps backward, tracing family history and recounting George's childhood, his teenage years as a surveyor, and his beginnings as a military man. Most of the book is devoted to the long years of war and the presidential period. Adler is evenhanded in dispelling myth, exploring many aspects of Washington's personality and character, and covering his evolving attitudes as a slaveholder. While the title might suggest a rather more pictorial account, the selected prints, including numerous small portraits, are modest and useful but not really dominant in the book. Adler appends a generous assortment of material: quotes from Washington's letters, biographical sketches of Washington's generals and cabinet members, a chronology of Washington's life, a list of battles, extensive source notes for each chapter, a lengthy bibliography, a shorter list of websites, illustration credits, and an index. Modest, intelligent, and widely respected, Washington is an ever-appealing figure worthy of yet another well-rendered biography. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
George Washington was a "silent man of action" involved in the French and Indian War, the Continental Congress, the American Revolution, and the Constitutional Convention. This straightforward account of Washington's life and times provides a good introduction to the causes of the break with England as well as the character of the man. Notably, primary sources are allowed to speak for themselves at times and readers are able to make their own conclusions, supported and guided by a clear text. Washington's letters, for example, demonstrate how his opinion on slavery gradually changed over time. Letters, maps, engravings, drawings, and portraits, all carefully attributed to their sources, enliven the text. Though carefully documented, with lists of famous quotations, battles, generals, and cabinet members, 50 pages of such supporting material overload the volume, and still there's little to guide young readers and their teachers to the wealth of good resources available. An attractive volume nonetheless--and a useful research tool for young biography fans. (chronology, Web sites, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10+) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 5-7. Adler follows up his well-received B. Franklin, Printer0 (2001) with an equally perceptive study of another iconic figure. Distilling major scholarship from the previous two centuries, he does nothing to tarnish Washington's reputation. Yes, he owned slaves, had a fiery temper, and exhibited such stingy ways that he sometimes drove his steward to tears, but he was also a canny, courageous, natural leader who learned from his mistakes, struggled with self-doubt, and held views toward slavery that were, for the time, moderate. Adler enhances his profile with a coherent, if distant, account of the Revolutionary War, small illustrations of many of the people and places he mentions, generous extracts from period letters or news accounts (in an evocatively battered looking typeface), capsule biographies of Washington's generals and cabinet members, and, finally, discursive endnotes and meaty resource lists. Marrin's George Washington and the Founding of a Nation 0 (2001) features more rousing accounts of battles, but this offers clear views of Washington's public and private lives as well as sharp insights into his character and his times. --John Peters Copyright 2004 Booklist
