The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon
Ebook
Ebooks are designed for reading and have few connections to your library.
Overview
Perhaps the most revered American of all, George Washington has long been considered a stoic leader who held himself above the fray of political infighting. What has gone unnoticed about the much-researched life of Washington is that he was in fact a consummate politician, as historian John Ferling shows in this revealing and provocative new book. As leader of the Continental Army, Washington’s keen political savvy enabled him not only to outwit superior British forces, but--even more challenging--to manage the fractious and intrusive Continental Congress. Despite dire setbacks early in the war, Washington deftly outmaneuvered rival generals and defused dissent from officers below him, ending the war with the status of a national icon. His carefully burnished reputation allowed Washington, as president, to lead the country under the guise of non-partisanship for almost all of his eight years in office. Washington, Ferling argues, was not only one of America’s most adroit politicians, he was easily the most successful of all time--so successful, in fact, that he is no longer thought of as having been political.
A brilliant new portrait of George Washington as politician and leader from the author of the bestselling Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War for Independence.
Acclaimed author: John Ferling has established himself as one of the leading scholars of the Revolutionary War and his books have steadily increased in sales. His Almost a Miracle (2007) was a category bestseller.
Provocative, original take on the key Founding Father: Ferling’s astute insights revise the conventional understanding of Washington-still one of our nation’s greatest leaders but in this portrayal, more complex and Machiavellian than the textbook figure.
Lessons in leadership: As Americans scrutinize today’s presidential candidates, studying Washington’s political shrewdness offers a new perspective on what makes a great leader of men.
- Title: The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon
- Author: John Ferling
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Press
- Print Publication Date: 2009
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Pages: 464
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781608191826, 9781608190959, 1608190951, 1608191826
- Resource ID: LLS:9781608191826
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-22T15:19:51Z
John Ferling is Professor Emeritus of History at the State University of West Georgia. A leading authority on American Revolutionary history, he has appeared in many documentaries and has written numerous books, including Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War for Independence, Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, The First of Men: A Life of George Washington, Setting the World Ablaze: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson in the American Revolution, and the award-winning A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic.