George Washington: A Life in Books

George Washington: A Life in Books PDF Author: Kevin J. Hayes
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190456698
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 409

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Book Description
When it comes to the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton are generally considered the great minds of early America. George Washington, instead, is toasted with accolades regarding his solid common sense and strength in battle. Indeed, John Adams once snobbishly dismissed him as "too illiterate, unlearned, unread for his station and reputation." Yet Adams, as well as the majority of the men who knew Washington in his life, were unaware of his singular devotion to self-improvement. Based on a comprehensive amount of research at the Library of Congress, the collections at Mount Vernon, and rare book archives scattered across the country, Kevin J. Hayes corrects this misconception and reconstructs in vivid detail the active intellectual life that has gone largely unnoticed in conventional narratives of Washington. Despite being a lifelong reader, Washington felt an acute sense of embarrassment about his relative lack of formal education and cultural sophistication, and in this sparkling literary biography, Hayes illustrates just how tirelessly Washington worked to improve. Beginning with the primers, forgotten periodicals, conduct books, and classic eighteenth-century novels such as Tom Jones that shaped Washington's early life, Hayes studies Washington's letters and journals, charting the many ways the books of his upbringing affected decisions before and during the Revolutionary War. The final section of the book covers the voluminous reading that occurred during Washington's presidency and his retirement at Mount Vernon. Throughout, Hayes examines Washington's writing as well as his reading, from The Journal of Major George Washington through his Farewell Address. The sheer breadth of titles under review here allow readers to glimpse Washington's views on foreign policy, economics, the law, art, slavery, marriage, and religion-and how those views shaped the young nation.. Ultimately, this sharply written biography offers a fresh perspective on America's Father, uncovering the ideas that shaped his intellectual journey and, subsequently, the development of America.

George Washington: A Life in Books

George Washington: A Life in Books PDF Author: Kevin J. Hayes
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190456698
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 409

Get Book Here

Book Description
When it comes to the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton are generally considered the great minds of early America. George Washington, instead, is toasted with accolades regarding his solid common sense and strength in battle. Indeed, John Adams once snobbishly dismissed him as "too illiterate, unlearned, unread for his station and reputation." Yet Adams, as well as the majority of the men who knew Washington in his life, were unaware of his singular devotion to self-improvement. Based on a comprehensive amount of research at the Library of Congress, the collections at Mount Vernon, and rare book archives scattered across the country, Kevin J. Hayes corrects this misconception and reconstructs in vivid detail the active intellectual life that has gone largely unnoticed in conventional narratives of Washington. Despite being a lifelong reader, Washington felt an acute sense of embarrassment about his relative lack of formal education and cultural sophistication, and in this sparkling literary biography, Hayes illustrates just how tirelessly Washington worked to improve. Beginning with the primers, forgotten periodicals, conduct books, and classic eighteenth-century novels such as Tom Jones that shaped Washington's early life, Hayes studies Washington's letters and journals, charting the many ways the books of his upbringing affected decisions before and during the Revolutionary War. The final section of the book covers the voluminous reading that occurred during Washington's presidency and his retirement at Mount Vernon. Throughout, Hayes examines Washington's writing as well as his reading, from The Journal of Major George Washington through his Farewell Address. The sheer breadth of titles under review here allow readers to glimpse Washington's views on foreign policy, economics, the law, art, slavery, marriage, and religion-and how those views shaped the young nation.. Ultimately, this sharply written biography offers a fresh perspective on America's Father, uncovering the ideas that shaped his intellectual journey and, subsequently, the development of America.

The Life of George Washington

The Life of George Washington PDF Author: John Marshall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 544

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Book Description


Reagan

Reagan PDF Author: Ronald Reagan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 9780743219679
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 964

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Book Description
Many books have been written regarding Ronald Reagan, but this collection of his letters must certainly be among the most varied and revealing aspect of the man. Organized by themes such as "Old Friends", "Running for Office ", "Core Beliefs" the book contains over 1,000 letters stretching from 1922 to 1994 . Whether discussing economic policy with a political for, dispensing marital advice, or sharing a joke with a pen pal.

You Never Forget Your First

You Never Forget Your First PDF Author: Alexis Coe
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0735224129
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN NPR CONCIERGE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR “In her form-shattering and myth-crushing book….Coe examines myths with mirth, and writes history with humor… [You Never Forget Your First] is an accessible look at a president who always finishes in the first ranks of our leaders.” —Boston Globe Alexis Coe takes a closer look at our first--and finds he is not quite the man we remember Young George Washington was raised by a struggling single mother, demanded military promotions, caused an international incident, and never backed down--even when his dysentery got so bad he had to ride with a cushion on his saddle. But after he married Martha, everything changed. Washington became the kind of man who named his dog Sweetlips and hated to leave home. He took up arms against the British only when there was no other way, though he lost more battles than he won. After an unlikely victory in the Revolutionary War cast him as the nation's hero, he was desperate to retire, but the founders pressured him into the presidency--twice. When he retired years later, no one talked him out of it. He left the highest office heartbroken over the partisan nightmare his backstabbing cabinet had created. Back on his plantation, the man who fought for liberty must confront his greatest hypocrisy--what to do with the men, women, and children he owns--before he succumbs to death. With irresistible style and warm humor, You Never Forget Your First combines rigorous research and lively storytelling that will have readers--including those who thought presidential biographies were just for dads--inhaling every page.

The Life and Letters of Washington Irving

The Life and Letters of Washington Irving PDF Author: Pierre Munroe Irving
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Authors, American
Languages : en
Pages : 504

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Book Description


Wartime Washington

Wartime Washington PDF Author: Elizabeth Blair Lee
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
ISBN: 9780252068591
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 604

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Book Description
Elizabeth Blair Lee was raised in Washington's political circles, and her husband, Samuel Phillips Lee, third cousin to Robert E. Lee, commanded the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil War. When they married, Elizabeth promised to write every day they were apart. Of the hundreds of letters with which she kept her promise, Virginia Jeans Laas has edited a choice selection that illuminates the functioning of a nineteenth-century family and the Mrs. Lee's unique perspective on the political and military affairs of the nation's beleaguered capital.

All Cloudless Glory

All Cloudless Glory PDF Author: Harrison Clark
Publisher: Regnery Publishing
ISBN: 9780895264459
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 522

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Book Description
Volume Two takes the nation's first president from the end of his career as a great general, through his final days at Mount Vernon, to the often tumultuous years of his presidency.

Worthy Partner

Worthy Partner PDF Author: Joseph E. Fields
Publisher: Praeger
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 554

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Book Description
A collection of all the known Martha Washington papers.

Joseph Roth: A Life in Letters

Joseph Roth: A Life in Letters PDF Author: Joseph Roth
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393060640
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 585

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Book Description
The tumultuous life of the Austrian writer best known for "The Radetzky March" is described through letters that recall his father's and wife's mental illnesses, numerous mistresses, and travel to Paris.

George Washington, the Writer

George Washington, the Writer PDF Author: George Washington
Publisher: Calkins Creek
ISBN:
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
A collection of letters, diary entries, speeches, and other documents written by George Washington, with brief introductions and archival photographs.