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Summary: A New Kind of War
Review: George Washington lived for 67 years, but most of his life, most of the story of this book lie between the years of 1775 and 1781 when under his leadership the fledgling United States was at war with the most powerful nation in the world. During this war he developed a war fighting style that eventually won the war. (To be sure, he was not up against England's best who were somewhat occupied with a fellow named Napoleon.)Washington's technique was not unlike what later military leaders would use, pull back when faced with superior forces, attach where the enemy is weak and attack when an attack isn't expected. But Washington was doing this when it hadn't been done, this wasn't the way gentlemen armies of Europe fought a war. A particualr strength of this book is the emphasis on how Washington handled the troops. Without the underpaid, almost starving, ill clad soldiers he couldn't ahve won. And he kept them together.
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Summary: Get the wartime scoop on our first George W!
Review: George Washington was a renaissance man! Planter and large land owner in tidewater Virginia (his estimated worth says Chadwick would be $75 million in today's currency). Surveyor.
Slave Owner, gambler (he loved to play cards far into the night)
and faithful (though sterile) husband to Martha.
Preeminently, though, Washington was a soldier and politician of immense skills. Washington was the commander of the continental army who won the Revolutionary War, became our first president and remains as an example to all Americans.
Chadwick discusses in great (sometimes tedious) detail the problems Washington faced during the war. Disease, starvation,
difficult officers, mutinies of the troops and combatting the British Army. Washington had to deal with a Congress whose ability to provision and arm the forces in the field left much too desire. Throughout the war Washington was able through his broad political skills to win alliances with local officials, governors and congressional officials to perserve to the ultimate victory in Yorktown.
As President of the U.S. Washington led to the formation of a strong federal government made our three branch government work
through strong and forceful leadership.
Chadwick has a somewhat dull matter of fact style but one comes away from a reading of this long book with a deep appreciation of all that the great Washington endured to make America a free nation.
The book is short on battlefield descriptions and very long on the events occuring during the winter encampments of the ragtag army at hellholes such as Valley Forge and Monmouth.
This is a good book for the general reader interested in expanding one's knowledge on our nation's first president.
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Summary: George Washington - The Irreplacable Man
Review: George Washington's War is a portrait of Washington's irreplaceable leadership in the American War of Independence. Bruce Chadwick vividly describes the tremendous difficulties Washington overcame to keep an army in the field, and his underrated qualities as an administrator and tactician. In the end we see Washington as the central figure in America's long struggle to gain her independence.
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Summary: Read David Hackett Fisher First
Review: I had the misfortune of reading this book immediately after finishing David Hackett Fischer's excellent book "Washington's Crossing" which is an in-depth look at the events surrounding the battles of Trenton and Princeton in the winter of '76. Picking up this book and reading the first chapter which covers the same period I was astonished by Chadwick's lack of understanding of the events that transpired, when compared to Fisher's analysis. I ended up scribbling corrections in the margins it was so off base. As an example, he reports the oft-quoted myth that the Hessians were drunk that morning when Fisher does a good job of dispelling that misconception. He reports Cornwallis' request to go home (later cancelled by Howe) as a measure of the British confidence and arrogance, when Fisher reports in detail that this decision was based on concern over Cornwallis's wife's health. Fisher makes a good argument that the Howes and Corwallis were actually sympathetic to American claims due to their Whig commonalities but Chadwick misses this concept completely. The list goes on. If you want to read a great analysis of revolutionary war history, read Fisher instead and skip this pap. Chadwick is compelled to add his PhD to the title page and cover... this this should have been a clue that this was a bad investment(...) of $25.
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Summary: George Washington - the stuff legends are made of
Review: In his new book, George Washington's War, Bruce Chadwick has assigned it a subtitle of "The forging of a Revoluationary Leader and the American Presidency". After reading the book, I believe that it lives up to the billing of a revolutionary leader, but the forging of the American Presidency is a little lacking.
While reading this book it is easy to get caught up in the patriotic fervor that was felt by many Americans that fought in Washington's army during the war years. There is no question that Washington was a great military commander and a fantastic leader of men.
The book is most memorable when describing the winters at Valley Forge and at Morristown 2 years later. Chadwick does a wonderful job of giving the reader fantastic details about the horrors of wintertime in these regions and the woes that the soldiers were forced to contend with while struggling for food, clothing, and shelter.
The book also reveals a less awe-inspiring picture of Washington - a man who could curse like a sailor and one who had very few qualms about executing a person that had committed a serious crime. Although this latter characteristic is tempered by the fact that he would frequently sentence multiple men to death for a crime and then pardon all but the most egregious offenders, it is still one that is not so noble for a man considered to be a great American hero.
I enjoyed the book tremendously, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a solid picture of Washington as a wartime commander. If, however, the reader is searching for a book that comprehensively paints the picture of how Washington formed the office of the Presidency, this is not the one - it just doesn't give enough details except to say that much of Washington's Presidency was based on lessons learned as a military commander.
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Summary: The Real George Washington
Review: This book blew my mind. George Washington was truly a born leader, and he demonstrated what were really entrepeneurial smarts all throughout the war, but especially in the winter! I also really appreciated the tidbits at the end about how he dealt with the same problems as modern day presidents...and there wasn't even a two party system until he was already in office!!!
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Summary: Needs Editing
Review: This book is a solid introduction to the subject, but it needs editing and fact-checking should it go into a second edition. Here are some examples. When the author discusses Catherine Van Cortlandt's fate, along with that of other Loyalists, her husband is referred to by two different first names in the same sentence, or it could be his name and part of the place name "Morristown." It's really confusing. In defense of the author, it may be an egregious typo; part of the joys of computer-generated text. "Scrip," i.e. money, is continually called "script." "Shillings" are called "schillings." Maybe the folks at Morristown paid for goods with Austrian money - I don't know. In any case, things like this should have been caught by an editor or proofreader. The author's discussions of leadership and some of Washington's dealings with Loyalists are eerily parallel to events of today and are thought-provoking. The segment in the book on smallpox and disease and medicine in the Continental Army was especially interesting. Another insightful bit was that on newspapers and Washington's use of them to shape opinion. In conclusion, you'll enjoy the book, but be careful of editing pitfalls.
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Summary: a different view of george washington
Review: this not a typical washington versus the redcoats. the author has written a real life political drama. washington is a great political leader because he is able to save his army during the winters by utilizing his skills in having the civilians , farmers local politicos support the cause . the book is a real primer on leadership. that our current politicos should read and put in practice today.
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Summary: Dry and Dull Perspective
Review: What makes good history writers versus dull (bad) history writers is the ability to, through the written word, effectively communicate the writer's perspective, while at the same time entertaining the reader. Chadwick crams a lot of information but a lot of information does not necessarily make for a very enjoyable read. The author's plodding writing style, repeating of the same ideas, and the need to present as much detail information as possible is a book more along the lines of a PHD thesis. Even the chapters are broken into subchapters, as though the author were addressing a university facility group or class, as opposed to the general reader. Stay away from this book. Read Leckie's Washington's War; an accurate, detailed, and at the same time enjoyable read.
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Summary: Look elsewhere
Review: While Chadwick's book is loaded to the teeth with information, I also found that it was in strong need of some better editing. The book is quite lengthy and much of that is owed to the fact that Chadwick is so redundant with much of his information. The same information is presented over and over again, often times within the confines of the same chapter. It also falls prey at times to the marble image of Washington that has been handed down to us through the course of history. While Chadwick does make efforts to point out Washington and the seemingly lower attributes he posessed, it never really comes across with the one thing that trully made Washington the man that he evolved into: His abilty to see the bigger picture and his place in it despite his own inclinations to the contrary. This book seems to have so much potential but falls short. Try "George Washington's Crossing" and "His Excellency, George Washington." Between the two, a much clearer image of George Washington as field commander, commander-in-chief and great individual emerge.
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