Washington Books

This collection of poems, stories, narratives, folktales, oral histories and essays very aptly portrays the vital importance of salmon to the native peoples of the entire northern Pacific rim - not just as a food resource, but as a basis for their culture and a component of their identities. Several of the contributions, particularly an essay by Jeanette Armstrong, note how sustainable yield was applied in salmon fishing for thousands of years and how the discarding of this principle in modern times has led to the excessive depletion and near extinction of this species. Since I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, I am more or less familiar with the importance of salmon to the local economies and the Native American cultures of the region, so I found the sections of the book dealing with the Ainu of Japan, the Ulchi of eastern Siberia and the Nyvkhs of Sakhalin particularly informative and enjoyable. It is also a bit depressing to learn that like the U.S. and Canada (although not nearly as brutally), Japan and the USSR/Russia similarly mistreated the local populations by, among other things, limiting or restricting their access to traditional salmon runs and/or trying to force them to adopt non-traditional ways of life (assimilation). "First Fish, First People" may be attractively published, with striking cover art and attractive photos and illustrations, but it is not a coffee-table book - its diverse contributions, taken together, outline a philosophy of respect for and wise use of natural resources, as well as (and just as importantly) respect for different cultures and different ways of life. It is almost a cliche to say that it is high time that such lessons sink in at all levels of our modern globalized and hyper-industrial societies.

Aba book of the Year!!

Buy it especially for the Sherman Alexix poen at the beginning. It's touches the core of the Salmon environmental and cultural dilemna in the Northwest.

This book is a work of art, and provides evidence that the University of Washington Press, through its cooperation with other smaller publishers (such as One Reel) is doing the work that needs to be done in Northwest history and cultural studies.

This book is a collection of perpectives on salmon from representatives of the peoples around the pacific rim whose lives have centered on salmon for thousands of years. The contributors are talented indigenous writers from the United States, Canada, Japan, and Siberia. The engaging text is amply illustrated with historic and contemporary photographs, as well as drawings. The historic photographs are not the same ones that usually appear. For example, nearly every book on salmon in the nortwest has a twentieth century photograph of Indians fishing at Celilo Falls. Most books use the same photo. This book uses one that features in the forground the cable system that was used to get down to the fishing platforms, with the fishing platforms themselves in the background.

Some of the work in this book has been published elsewhere. But the context it is given here accentuates it in useful ways. For example, Sherman Alexie's poem, "The Place Where Ghosts of Salmon Jump," is engraved into a sculpture in Overlook Park behind the Spokane Public Library and is published in _The Summer of Black Widows_. But in this book it appears beside a nice photograph of the falls as it appears today, and a photo of Mr. Alexie standing on the footbridge above a section of the falls pointing downstream.

Now here is a really great educational book! I wanted to give this book together with Women's Letters by Lisa Gruenwald. Buy these together and have a wonderful women's birthday or Mother's Day gift.
JQ

This made a wonderful gift that keeps "on giving."
The facts are interesting and unusual and it's good to have an insight into the women behind the men that have been in office.
Quite frankly I think most of them could have done a better job than their husbands.
Would highly recommend this to anyone for a good read and quick reference.

I am teaching an extra-curricular high school class this semester on the history of U.S. presidents and wives. This book has some very interesting information on the wives of the presidents. I have found fascinating tidbits from this book which kept my students interested even when the presidents might have proven boring! I am enjoying reading the book on a personal note too!

This huge book bollows Mr. Harris earlier book The Presidents Fact Book where he talked of the Achievements, Events, People, Triumphs, and Tragedies of Every President. Obviously in this book he is not talking about the presidents but their wives.

The first ladies have had their own share of the making of history. In recent years, Jackie Kennedy did a lot towards the creation of the Camelot image of the Kennedy years. Hillary Clinton is certainly remembered for her efforts towards creating universal health care.

These are just two small details of the lives of two first ladies. This book has over 700 pages about their lives, their interests, their activities in the white house and the way that they worked with their husbands to assist in the governance of the country.

And yes, there is a color section of pictures featuring mostly the clothes they wore.

Alisa Kwitney's FLIRTING IN CARS--and it was a book that delivered exactly what the cover ordered--a little hope, humor, sensitivity, and of course romance. Who could ask for anything more?

First and foremost the book focuses on the relationship of Zoe Goren and her daughter Maya. Because that is the reason Zoe is ripped from her favorite place of all time--the city. She's a single mom looking out for her daughter (and her daughter's education with dyslexia) so they head from middle of the city, to smack dab into the country. But not without some difficulty. And when I say difficulty, culture shock is only half of it. Zoe can't drive. Oh and wild animals? Yeah, not so friendly when they are in your house. Even if you do have a cat around.

This book delivered a lot of punch for its 323 pages. I fell in love with Zoe. Her honesty, bluntness, and to-hell-with-you attitude (listen, this woman? Yeah, she knows what she wants and goes after it. No excuses made). And her daughter Maya. Well, I think every woman can identify with her self-confidence issues. I mean who likes to be 13 and not fit in? No one. Then suddenly you find yourself fitting in somewhere... well it can only be called sweetness. And this is where the book thrives. Mother/daughter relationships. Parenting, and how we make some tough choices sometimes, that can hinder dreams and hopes we thought we had. It's all there, wrapped in this great relationship of a hard-working, dedicated mom and her daughter (I can only hope for so much with my daughter).

But I am forgetting something. The whole Out-of-City aspect of the book! Hey, I did the opposite. I moved from the rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan and landed myself in Chicago. Sure it was the 'Burbs, but for anyone that has done that little conversion. It's city. It took me 2 years to feel comfortable roaming the skyscraper, cement clad streets on my own. Now, I'm sad to not be in the concrete regularly. Kwitney also does a good job at creating the isolation that one feels by feeling like an outsider in a small (or big) town. Everything is so unfamiliar--foreign even. And coming from a small town, her whole feelings of being the outsider? Not such a stretch. I feel like that when I go home now. Once you leave the rural... well, it's hard going back. And Zoe had never been there (or wanted to go there) in the first place.

Oh--but does she have a surprise in store for her. First there is Mack (he's the romantic interest). Then there is Frances and Gretchen--also transplanted city folk--that, well, help Zoe's isolation issues. And of course a slew of other characters. They keep the country interesting and sorta sway Zoe away from her beloved city. Or at least as much as they can.

And this might be my only complaint with the book. The transition. It takes a BUNCH longer than a year to realize the country/city can work for anyone, you just need to find your place. Hell, it's taken me 10 years to finally find the common ground that works from me (I am 40 minutes from the city. And that is just fine by me). Less than a year and Zoe's completely happy with her beginning driver status, found Mack, and well given her career a face lift? A little like a sitcom. At least in novel form.

But please, don't let that deter you. The characters here are fun, playful, and definitely what keep you reading. The alternating points of view of Zoe and Mack are fun. Sexy. Hot. And well... just read the book. Let's just say, the sex is good (oops, sorry, a bit of a spoiler there). And the relationships all around are believable and definitely make for a wonderfully witty adventure that will make you beg to see where these characters DO land in about 5 years. I mean does Zoe land in the country forever?

I read this a while ago so it's not completely fresh in my mind. That being said, I did enjoy it enough that I wanted to give it 5 stars. This is definitely one of the chick lit books out there with substance. The characters were likeable and the plot line was interesting, with just the right number of twists. I will be buying more from Kwitney.

Kwitney's latest novel had me up until 2 am turning pages as fast as I could. Her charm works not because we don't know who's going to wind up with one another, but because we want to see how they'll deal with the inevitable ups and downs and culture clashing. Flirting in Cars features Zoe, a Manhattan-based single mom and journalist and Mack, an EMT and driving instructor just back from Iraq, living in his country hometown in upstate New York. Their worlds collide when she has to hire him to drive her around town because she never learned to drive, her dependency awkward and unwelcome from a woman used to being the master of her domain. She feels like she's sacrificing her former cosmopolitan life for her daughter, and Kwitney quickly shows just how lonely, and gossipy small town life can be. Interspersed with the story are op-ed pieces Zoe writes for a city paper back home which further juxtapose her sense of reluctance to leave it behind.

Zoe eventually agrees to take driving lessons from sexy Mack, even though she still has her misgivings about the process. Once they start flirting, then dating, both of them have to deal with their own stereotypes and intimacy issues, along with expectations for the future. Kwitney paints Mack equally as well as someone in conflict between how he's thought of by those around him, and who he is and aspires to be, as a man torn between the world he left in Iraq and his home. Zoe opens up new intellectual worlds to him, but also reminds him that they are very different and wonders whether they can bridge the gap. An environmental issue in the town draws them and their neighbors into action, while they both get to know each other and spar with each other. There are misunderstandings but also plenty of tender moments, and Zoe has to learn to let go of some of her rigid worldviews, especially about what the country offers versus the city. Mack also has to adjust, even as he feels at odds with those around him who he's known his whole life, fenced in by the changes inside him.

There were a few story lines I'd have liked to hear more about; Mack's friend in Iraq who died and their closeness, and Zoe's estrangement from her family. All in all, though, Kwitney again does a fabulous job of imbuing her characters with chutzpah, warmth, and complexity. There's a family argument that's delightful if only to watch the curmudgeonly brother-in-law make a fool of himself. And Zoe's tenderness toward her daughter and her and Mack's sense of family, along with each of them realizing that their relationship is about a lot more than sex, make this book a delight. Charming, funny, sexy, and heartwarming all in one. I was originally intrigued by the story line because I myself live in Manhattan and haven't driven in many, many years after a car accident, and Kwitney handles that part of the plot quite well, but there's a lot more here than just a woman who's afraid of cars, and she does Zoe and all her fears, as well as her feistiness, justice.

I just read Alisa Kwitney's latest book, "Flirting in Cars," and I couldn't put it down -- until I had to because I'd finished it. It's a funny and insightful look at relationships between city and country people, men and women, and parents and children. It's a romantic comedy grounded in the reality of country living. The characters are interesting and convincing, perhaps because unlike most in this genre, the author shows them working and parenting, not just flirting. There's a lot of flirting and more too, of course, but the real fun of the book is in the dialogue. Kwitney, like Austen, has the gift of revealing characters (their weaknesses, their aspirations) through conversations. She has a keen but empathetic eye, whether it be looking at two vets bonding over fixing a car or a gaggle of mothers at a private school cocktail party. Highly recommended to distract you from whatever chores you ought to be attending to instead.

I am a dislocated Appalachian that took the food bull of Seattle by the horns, but that was before this book. Now I am sure I will be THE Seattle epicure-genius among my circle with this book tucked into my collection. I am amazed by the variety of food resources, from chocolatiers to ethnic markets, where to get the greatest baguettes. I also love the anecdotal sections on the pioneers/owners of some of these purveyors. Oh, and recipes! There is humor, knowledge, pleasure, and respect written here, and a love for Seattle and the food treasures it offers. Buy it.

Yes, I know of no other book guide to Seattle's ethnic food culture. Considering how important a food town this is, it's really a shame this book wasn't written sooner. But, it's here & it's very good. I agree w. almost all of Ms. Calcott's food recommendations.

My quarrels are w. what is left out. What happened to ethnic restaurants?? I know there are many of them & it would've added to the size of the book & the time it took to research it. But a food guide that leaves out restaurants has left out something very important.

Richard

The book is delightful to read. I am not from the Seattle but it makes me want to visit, just to hang out in places like James Cook Ltd for cheese or Gelatiamo for ice cream or Il Fornaio for bread. It provides great inside information on the `in' places to go to. Miss Calcott is a food connoisseur. I can relate when she says she dreams about food. My imagination often takes me to enchanting places like Florence and Paris and thoughts of fabulous food are never far behind. The anecdotes that precede each section are interesting. Well done!

Wow!!! a complete review like the big cities. Very comprehensive by a first rate writer. I had the pleasure to meet Katy at a party ne week and is she knowledgeable. about Seatle. You would think she had lived here all her life.

A food lover's bible!!

This is a must see, must read book about "Forest Giants." If I had the loot to RV this would be a road map to follow. As a nurseryman I appreciated the detailed information about each species, the beautiful handrawn representatives of each major tree of the group -- be it Incense Ceder, Fir, Spruce etc.

Despite 35 plus years in horticulture, this book had much I could learn from. It is wonderfully written and illustrated.

I cannot think of no better book I could have gifted myself for my Christmas yet to come.

Secateur

This book rocks! It inspires as well as informs! The line drawings are especially amazing. Van Pelt selects specific angles for each drawing, such that he captures the unique qualities of each individual tree. These renderings are beautiful and accurate. Each one can be studied for hours. The photographs could have been a bit more creative, but he follows an effective strategy by showing a human in most pictures. This allows the reader to understand the immense size of these giants. The text provides an excellent natural history, conveying to the reader an intertwined tale of ecology, history, and discovery. Lastly, I was especially impressed with the fact that Van Pelt included so many tree species and individuals. By doing this he has allowed us to truly appreciate the diversity, beauty and uniqueness of these amazing trees.

This is an awesome book of personal accounts, illustrations, and photographs of magnificent individuals of Pacific coast conifers. Van Pelt knows these trees like no one else, having journied to, measured, and stood in awe at each of the giants depicted. His writes with witty reverence and from a deep understanding of the ecology of giant trees. Featured in the book are the author's beautiful line drawings of the trees, which capture the amazing structural complexity of their crowns in a way not possible with photographs. This book is a must for all tree lovers and those interested in coffee table adventuring into the last great forests of the Pacific coast.

This book affects people deeply. Certainly it did me. It is a simple and absolutely passionately beautiful account of giant trees, how they're discovered, how they're measured. Van Pelt's drawings are amazing. I think this book is a classic and I think it will live in print for many, many years.

This was a really refreshing novel written in a light and humorous way, yet dealing with serious relationship issues. Have been to Fox Island and loved the portrayal of that area. Tony & Price Shadowbrook are charming characters and give an intriguing look into a married couple's and writing team's inner life. Was very disappointed to learn there are only three books in this series!

This Hidden West series is GREAT. I wish there were more. The Bly's combine local history, mystery, suspense and romance all into one great book. Well written. Religion isn't pushed in the book, it comes naturally.

This book is a about a husband and wife writing team. They work together but definately don't always see eye to eye. I liked it because it showed marriage in a positive light. The couple often talk to God when they are having struggles. This book helped to remind me that when I have struggles I can talk to Him wherever I am whenever I like. You wind up really liking this family. I bought the other two books in the series and am excited to read them.

This series is one of the best I've read. The books are easy, quick reading and hold your interest. The stories incorporate intrigue as well humor in the relationship of the husband/wife team characters. I recommend buying all 3 in the series!

With a format that reminds of Bram Stocker's milestone, The Gelwick Faxes is, to some extent, an updated version of the classic, as Jonathan Harker's sense of dread once again takes center stage, now in the form of journalist in the wrong (or right) place, Allan Gelwick.

Though at first giving the impression of a screenplay, the payoff comes swiftly, heralded by the sense that you are really there during this hotel ballrom siege. As well, one of the terrorists, "The Colonel," a female, has a thing or two to say about the DC culture.

You know a writer has done something right when he expeditiously exctracts Stockholm Syndrome-like feelings from the male reader regarding said Colonel.

In the end, we are left with a great thriller, and an interesting tour of Washington. Recommended.

A brillaint book with some loose ends some great characters some not so good .
All in all a real great book.A Must Read .

The Gelwick Faxes was a compelling page turner. I found myself reading it in one sitting, far past the bedtime I had intended. The unique storytelling idea of faxing to interested parties outside of an ongoing hostage situation was innovative. The faxes to obscure parties made this story more realistic and gave the main character many layers. I found myself recognizing characters, trying to guess their next move, and then being surprised by the next plot twist. The author has some very insightful observations that can be frightening if one thinks this fiction probably has a ring of truth to it.

I must confess that when I heard about a book with a story line composed exclusively of faxes and e-mails, I had my doubts about it. After reading it, however, I must confess that the author has hit upon a unique manner of presenting his tale. Of course, this type of scenario won't work in a lot of situations, but this work concerns a hostage crisis, so the fax idea is perfect. The suspense and excitement builds throughout the book, until the somewhat unexpected climax. Once or twice I found some faxes which were not necessary to advance the story (they were, in fact, distracting), but on the whole this is a work, short as it is, well worth reading.

Most school-age children grow up learning about George Washington Carver, and about all his wonderful inventions with peanuts. In fact, because of these inventions, he became known as "The Peanut Man," an identity that George Washington Carver wanted to shed.

George was born to a slave woman in southern Missouri, but when he was young his mother was kidnapped and he never saw her again. George and his brother Jim were raised by the farm owners, and treated as their own kids. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Carver encouraged George to further his education when they realized how talented he was with plants.

George went on to go to school and colleges, eventually earning his master's degree in Iowa before being called to Alabama to work. When he first arrived there, he was shocked by the poverty and devastation. He quickly developed the motto "Make grass grow"-and he promptly did just that, made grass grow on the campus, and then in the agriculture department that he directed.

There are some facts that are misrepresented about George in public education--for instance, I always heard that George Washington Carver invented peanut butter. According to this book, he didn't, but did come up with several other imaginative uses for it.

I read the book in one sitting out loud to my 12- and 6-year-old daughters. I appreciated how educational it was, but it was a bit hard to read all at once. It didn't hold my six-year-olds attention long either. My older daughter, on the other hand, was fascinated by the story as this was more information than she'd ever seen on this interesting historical character.

George Washington Carver is highly recommended for public school teachers, and home school students alike. Stock full of information, your child (and you!) are sure to go away with little known tidbits about this wonderful inventor.

Armchair Interviews says: Most interesting and educational.

Books about George Washington Carver are typically written for an older age range, so it's refreshing to find a picturebook biography on the subject complete with color illustration and vintage black and white photos throughout. Kids in grades 3-5 will find it most accessible, following his early life as a slave and orphan, his college achievement as the first Afro-American to attend Iowa State, and to his work in conservation. An outstanding coverage, not to be missed!

Bolden, Tonya. George Washington Carver. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2008.

This very handsomely designed book chronicles the life of an extraordinary man. His story unfolds in clear informative text and fascinating archival photographs and other visuals including Carver's own scientific drawings and artistic paintings. It documents his heroic persistence to obtain a college education in a country laced with racism and then describes his impressive career as a researcher and educator. Carver taught and modeled a "waste not, want no" philosophy, believed that "every human need could be met by things that grow" and when he could no longer teach funded the creation of a foundation that would benefit students in the future. We need a teacher like him even more in the early twenty-first century. This absorbing, respectful and inspiring biography belongs on every library shelf.

In New York City, the early months of the year are known for two things: Cheek chilling winds of a bitter nature, and assigned biographies of famous people. All around the city children and their parents scramble to find something ANYTHING on their assigned subjects. And in February's Black History Month some familiar names start to crop up. "Harriet Tubman. Do you have ANY Harriet Tubman books?" "Jackie Robinson. I'll take whatever you have." "I'm sorry, but do you have any books on," glances down at paper, "George Washington Carver?" It's funny, but a librarian can start to get a little picky about the biographies they're handing out after a while. We have a couple George Washington Carver books on our shelves. There's Aliki's A Weed Is a Flower and of course David Adler's A Picture Book of George Washington Carver. You'll find some books for older kids as well, but these are usually either too complex for the fourth graders who need them, or too dull. So imagine my delight when I heard that Tonya Bolden not only had a new biography coming out, but that it was also going to be on George Washington Carver! My personal philosophy when it comes to biographies is that you can never have too many on one subject or another, and to my mind no children's author has ever done this man justice. Now, with eye-popping visuals and a great deal of research, Bolden presents a man who accomplished much more than merely finding a use or two for the peanut.

Born during the Civil War, George was raised by a couple that had owned his mother before him. Quick to learn, if a bit sickly, George had an affinity for the natural world around him and was as interested in art as he was in working with plants. He got his schooling at the Neosho school and after a variety of jobs he attended college and became the first black professor at what is now Iowa State University. Booker T. Washington was quick to pick up on George's skills and convinced him to come to the Tuskegee Institute. There, Washington did everything he could to teach others about revering and respecting nature. He helped farmers learn how to yield better crops and make the most from their land. He found infinite uses for the peanut and the soybean. In 1943 he died, but his legacy of caring for the earth and its products lives on and is more important now than ever.

As I read through this book, it became pretty clear that I knew next to nothing about Carver aside from his peanut-related accomplishments. Right from the start Bolden sucks you into his strange and interesting story. Born during the Civil War, George and his mother were kidnapped by raiders when he was a baby. George was rescued. His mother was not and he never saw her again. I also didn't know that his notoriety as "the Peanut Man" was around even during his lifetime and that he had to fight against it, to some extent. I was particularly grateful for Bolden's Afterword too, which is not afraid to bring up criticisms of Washington that he was a "non-threatening Negro" because he did not openly protest segregation. I respect any children's book which isn't afraid to show a little of its subject matter's complexity. To me, this Afterword fits the bill.

If Tonya Bolden is known for anything, it may be for her remarkable ability to write visually stimulating, interesting biographies without a lot of photographic elements on hand. Her Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl was an excellent example of this. With Carver she has had a slightly easier time of it. Somehow she was able to find great photos of many of the important people in Carver's life as well as images of him as young as thirteen or so. The book is designed to resemble a photo album both in its paper and in the lovely little corners that look as if they are holding each photograph in place. I also found it interesting that Bolden would sometimes, perhaps with space in mind, put interesting tidbits in her photo captions and not the proper text. For example, George was raised by Susan and Moses Carver who were opposed to slavery. Says the caption next to their photographs, "Some suggest that George's mother was a mercy purchase, but it is unclear why she was not therefore immediately freed."

Sometimes it's a lot easier to write a biography about a firecracker. Writing one about a quiet man who enjoyed painting flowers is heads and tails more difficult, but no less important. In one section Bolden says, "If he had had the temperament of a Frederick Douglass or an Ida B. Wells, he might have packed away that microscope and raised rallies for equality of opportunity and against night riders and lynch mobs. Carver was no magician, no Douglass, no Wells. He was his own unique self with much to offer flowing from his innate and studied insights into nature's ways and gifts." As such, I've read few biographies of quiet scientific people that quite compare to Bolden's beautiful 41-page title. She shows how our contributions to the world hinge upon the gifts we choose to use.

I openned this book expecting to read a story about a house and how it was built. I was surprised, and impressed, to discover that what went on as Mt. Vernon took form was far more interesting than I had expected. This is not so much a book about a house as it is the story of how George Washington related to the slaves on whom he relied to execute his architecture. In other words, the story here reverberates far beyond the boundaries of the plantation. It went to the heart of the republic, and it goes to the heart of this nation. Slavery is encoded in our national DNA (sorry, Jefferson). The Dalzells make it clear that it is also mortared in the wood and plaster (cut and painted to look like stone) of our national edifice. Are you tormented, or at least intrigued, that a slaveowner could style himself father of a republic dedicated to freedom? Maybe Washington was, too. Find out. Visit Mt. Vernon, and do it by reading this book.

Knowing Professor Dalzell and Mrs. Dalzell personally, I was incredibly curious to see how they blended the two seemingly connected but perhaps contrasting topics of George Washington and his home. Essentially, they were connected very successfully. The entire history of the home itself is told vividly with photographs, anecdotes, and objective descriptions of its development. Following, Washington's own personal, military, and political history is told in light of the times, and in the book's shining ability, in relation to the home itself. The Dalzell's cleverly-melded arguments and discussions leads the reader to a full knowledge of Mt. Vernon and its inspiring owner.

For an Architect practicing in any era since Monticello was built, it has always been easy to enter into Jefferson's process--to commune with the models and the methods he sat down with as he designed (time and again) the house that he built as a monument to his ideas and his place in history. In part, this has been because he planned and drew much as we do today. We have the drawings. We know (and can quickly avert our eyes from) the form of labor. We can hold these two-dimensional maps up to the brilliant artifact, and be satisfied, with ourselves, that we have made a connection to the past. Mount Vernon, however, has had to wait for the Dalzells to read, for us, the full and fully three-dimensional process of its becoming. This beautifully written book brings to George Washington's home, a context of meaning and National symbolism that time and distance had almost obliterated. The book is a restoration project: and as such, it is a key compliment to the preservation work so ably executed over the years by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. I heartily recommend this book to architects (amateur and professional), their clients (who may find comfort in learning that building has always been a trial), architectural historians, or anyone at all who is curious about the faithfulness of our democracy to the designs of one of its primary draftsmen.

Mount Vernon was both architecturally innovative and a true mirror of Washington's feelings and mind. He never wrote an autobiography and his diaries consist largely of farm accounts, but in Mount Vernon, the authors write, "he produced a text from which it is possible to coax a remarkably full sense of his political convictions and of how, over time, they changed." The book, George Washington's Mount Vernon, combines the public and the private sides of his life and uses the combination to enrich our understanding of both.

This is by far the best and most definitive biography of George Washington to date. Meticulously researched with extensive and interesting footnotes, it is a must for anyone looking for an accurate account of this amazing man's life. I have read hundreds of books on Washington and this one is at the top of my list. The author won a Pulitzer Prize for this one and it is well deserved.

THE definitive biography of our first president. Freeman can only be faulted for providing too much detail. If you really desire to find out about George Washington, read this book. It should be required study material for contemporary, so called historians.

Ok well I read this book for the first time, and I can say confidently that Freeman must've known Washington personally. The detail in which Freeman goes into does not leave the reader questioning anything about Washington. Everything is there in the book!! A must read for the lovers of history!

Volumes 3, 4, & 5 are the essential bedrock of any respectable American's library -- the starting point from which any serious investigation of the American Revolution commences -- there is only one word to describe Freeman's achievement -- SUPERB -- to fault Freeman for his detail suggests the mind of an adolescent seeking easy crib notes for a school paper -- the footnotes (relegated to back pages of less scholarly histories) tempt the reader down little-trodden paths of historical investigation leading to new & fascinating insights -- it is the detail and Freeman's lean transcendent prose that make the difference in comparison to the abridgement -- for any American with an interest in our history -- how independence was wrested from defeat by the sheer will perserverence & determination of one man -- a man who refused to be cowed or mentally defeated by the world's great superpower or by even more insidious enemies -- those selfish conservatives who wished to find common cause with Britain to return to the status quo & maintain their perogatives without risk of loss -- how Washington overcame all odds despite the obstinate stupidity of Congress -- the incompetence of state legislatures & governors (including Jefferson) as well as the greedy selfishness & studied indifference of the propertied classes -- these volumes describe Washington's monumental achievement -- but the biography does not concern itself solely with the man himself but also with that dedicated band of true-believers inspired by his example -- some of modest talents -- some of great -- and some who proved unable to keep the faith -- but most important of all it descibes the achievements possible what a great leader can achieve with an army of starving ragamuffins & scarecrow refugees, the refuse of colonial society, unmarried men of small means representing all races, nations, & ages (& not a few women as well) bound together by hope for a better future (based on promises Congress failed to keep) and their undying love & respect for Washington -- volumes 3, 4, 5 represent the essential core of classical American history -- books I'd want along if I were marooned on a desert island -- these volumes are nothing less than the prose outline of an AMERICAN ILIAD.