Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: In my opinion this has been a mixed year for historical fiction. I was extremely disappointed with The Tides of War a book I looked very forward too. I had mixed feeling about James Brady's look at the Korean War. However, I was lucky enough to read the historical gems The Peking Letter and the Emperors General. The Peking Letter was a fictional look at the Chinese Civil War and the Emperors General was a fantastic look at MacArthur and the occupation of Japan after WWII.William Martin's Citizen Washington is a great example of a awesome work of historical fiction. I picked this book up after being inspired by the movie the Patriot to learn more about the Revolutionary War Period. And this book was a great find. The author tells the story of George Washington through the eyes of several fictional and real figures. However the author is really telling the story of the colonial period, slavery, the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the growth of American Political Parties. The author did a great job and this book, even though ultimately fiction really draws the reader into the time period. Ultimately the most accurate histories are going to be non-fiction secondary sources and the actual primary sources. However, anyone reading this book will really learn alot about George Washington and his times. I also enjoyed the end parts of the book where Jefferson and Hamilton tell much of the story and in doing so illustrate the differences between the Democractic-Republicans and the Federalists. However, the biggest and most important part of this book is what a great man George Washington was. From this book you see what this man really did for our country as both a military leader and President. George Washington was not a saint, the book deals with his flaws, but he is a genuine 100% hero worthy of all the praise our history shows him. If you want to learn about Washington and the Revolution READ THIS BOOK. If you just want to read a good book GET THIS BOOK. This book is time well spent. I look forward to reading more of the authors works. Also, I recommend educators who teach American history on either the high school or college level use this book. Students can learn alot from it while not being bored.
Rating:
Summary: Talent Deserves Recognition
Review: Special note needs to be made of Barry Bostwick's stellar performance reading CITIZEN WASHINGTON. Having listenned to numerous books on tape, I consider the readings that dramatize the voices of the characters as the most entertaining. Bostwick was able to create a different voice for every character, including John Adams, Martha Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Negro slaves, and many others. His interpretation of the famous and common men and women of varying ages is worthy of a "Book on Tape Oscar". I don't think listenning to the tape should replace reading the book, especially one of such high quality as CITIZEN WASHINGTON. However, listenning to the story is an entertaining and vital adjunct, giving life and adding realism to an excellent and creative recollection and interpretation of history. A "Great Job" and sincere "Thank You" to both Mr. Martin and Mr. Bostwick. Both the book and the tape are excellent and very highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Very Informative and Entertaining
Review: This is an excellent historical novel about George Washington. The novel presents Washington through the eyes of many of the people who knew him, including his wife and his slaves as well as the other great men of the day. It is a good approach for describing a very complex man with many sides. The book focuses primarily on Washington's life up until the time he became President. The book does cover his entire life, but his years as President are skimpy by comparison to the rest of his life. The author's interest is more on who Washington was as a man than on his public accomplishments. Focusing on his formative years provides more insight into his character. Nevertheless, the novel demonstrates the truly great accomplishments Washington made to American history. Without Washington, we would not have won the Revolutionary War: he provided the military strategy, the determination, and the leadership needed to win. Without Washington, we would not have become a country: he provided the leadership the 13 colonies needed to come together as a union. Without Washington, we would not have become a democracy: he resisted efforts to anoint him king, and he voluntarily relinquished power--first as commanding general who won the War of Independence, and later as the nation's first President. Washington was an admirable person, and deserves the adulation the nation gave him then and since. But of course he had his flaws, and Citizen Washington conveys them, particularly via the characters in the novel who did not idolize him. Such was Washington's force of personality, though, that even his detractors were in awe of him. This novel is particularly valuable as an adjunct to a nonfiction account of Washington's life, the best of which is James Thomas Flexner's Washington: The Indispensable Man.
Rating:
Summary: Humanizing
Review: William Martin's latest efforts supports his position as the premier historical novelist of this generation. Like Michener and Vidal in earilier years, Martin is able to bring history alive and shsow us that history is a story and not a recitation of dates so often taught in school. Accurately researched and presented in wonderful detail, Martin sets about doing what Hesperus asks Christopher to do. Find Washington the human. At first I was conflicted reading a narrative that showed Washington as a man with feet of clay like all of us. By the the end of the book I admired Washington more because he was human. By the same devices used on Washington, Martin begins to show us how all the Founding Fathers may be more like us than different or better. I have read all of Martin's novels. Annapolis is by far my favorite but I can't think of any of his historical works that would merit less than 5 stars. Another reviewer wished that this book could be used in a schools curriculum. I wished all his books would become standard. There are fewer literary licenses taken in Martin's works than there are errors in current history books. I went to Washington College in Maryland, a school founded by a financial donation from George in 1782. I have a special spot in my heart for this man now made more special by this book.
Rating:
Summary: George In Person
Review: Wonderful read. I feel like I know the man now, not just the politician.
| 
