Washington by Ron Chernow

Washington

A Life (pulitzer Prize Winner)

Ron Chernow, illustrated

Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · September 27, 2011

From the author of Alexander Hamilton, the New York Times bestselling biography that inspired the musical, comes a gripping portrait of the first president of the United States.

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Who it’s for
A substantial life of Washington, built for steady reading and the usual public-history questions.
Themes
American history, Biography, Founding Fathers
Pacing
Steady

About this book

From the author of Alexander Hamilton, the New York Times bestselling biography that inspired the musical, comes a gripping portrait of the first president of the United States.

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Winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography “Truly magnificent . . . [a] well-researched, well-written and absolutely definitive biography” —Andrew Roberts, The Wall Street Journal “Until recently, I’d never believed that there could be such a thing as a truly gripping biography of George Washington . . . Well, I was wrong. I can’t recommend it highly enough—as history, as epic, and, not least, as entertainment.” —Hendrik Hertzberg, The New Yorker Celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation and the first president of the United States. With a breadth and depth matched by no other one volume biography of George Washington, this crisply paced narrative carries the reader through his adventurous early years, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, his presiding over the Constitutional Convention, and his magnificent performance as America's first president. In this groundbreaking work, based on massive research, Chernow shatters forever the stereotype of George Washington as a stolid, unemotional figure and brings to vivid life a dashing, passionate man of fiery opinions and many moods. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash Broadway musical Hamilton has sparked new interest in the Revolutionary War and the Founding Fathers. In addition to Alexander Hamilton, the production also features George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Aaron Burr, Lafayette, and many more.

History in Motion

A substantial life of Washington, built for steady reading and the usual public-history questions.

Come here for

  • cultural-literacy anchor
  • a long, immersive historical read

Expect

  • Revolutionary-era sweep
  • presidential context, not just one famous portrait

Where it sits

Presidents & World Leaders97%
Revolutionary America (1775-1800)81%
Political Lives41%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Lives in History
  • Presidents & World Leaders
  • Revolutionary America (1775-1800)
Authors
Ron Chernow, illustrated
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
Published
September 27, 2011
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
American history · Biography · Founding Fathers
Reading lane
Lives in History