Book Review over His Excellency, George Washington
Joseph J. Ellis looks at the life of one of America’s founding fathers George Washington. The conquests and failures in battle and his achievements as president have been brought out in a way no historian has been able to capture previously. It presents a biographical masterpiece that is succinct and refreshing from most historical readings and biographies. It is difficult for a biography to bring out the personal and intimate side of a subject yet this biography by Joseph J. Ellis has managed to do just that. The aim of the book is not just to present the political aspect of his life but also his personal life that motivated his political career and his dream for America. In essence, the book has managed to present both the private and public life of George Washington in an informative yet insightful way.
The book marks out the life of George Washington’s military career as an impulsive and youthful military commander and his late life as the President of a new and prosperous democracy, America. As a young man, George Washington wanted to establish himself as a military figure in Ohio Country. His ambitions in the military brought him to the brink of death on several occasions due to the tactical blunders, but his reputation as a military man always got better. He saw an opportunity in the victory by the British over the Indians and bought a track of land close to sixty thousand acres. The British at this time denied him a military commission he had needed. This made discover new ambitions that would propel him to become one of the leading planters in Virginia. George Washington despite his deep affection for Sally Fairfax, he decided to marry Martha Dandridge Custis. The dowry managed to push him to the upper carder of the Virginia planters.
Ellis describes the discovery made by George Washington about the conspiracy by the British to withhold their liberty and his ascension to being commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army. The war for independence was the longest in American History. Ellis does not give every single detail about the battles in the war; however, he uses this opportunity to reveal the character of the man. He did not win many wars, but he was skilled in power and politics. He always asked for the opinion of congress and maintained the allegiance of his men to the cause. Joseph J. Ellis reveals the impact of the war on George Washington. The war made him look at the country from a nationalistic disposition. His fear of the nation’s failure as a union made him break his promise to indulge in politics. He went on to become the president of the new union and promoted schemes that would enhance a sense of patriotism in America. People thought of him as betraying the goals of the Revolution by making it known that he wished for a central government with the same ideals the Revolution denounced. His view of America was bigger than the Revolution, and he knew it. He came to be known as a national symbol with whom the whole of America could identify.
The book has several strengths that can be draw. There are several biographies about George Washington, the founding father. Many will realize that Joseph Ellis does not offer new content about the man, but he writes in an engaging manner that appeals to everyone. He has the skill of simplifying a horde of complicated resources into few sensible sentences. He writes in a straightforward manner that is directed to the reader. He writes confidently using simple language, and at times, the writing is had a conversational tone. Another important strength of the book is in its length. While some historians who have used George Washington as a biographical subject, however, none have managed to achieve the insight and depth into the man despite their length. The book does not celebrate nor does it degrade the figure of George Washington, but serves to demystify this monumental figure and bring out his human nature. However, the greatness of the man is not lost in this process.
Ellis has portrayed George Washington in two paradigms that can be viewed as a weakness. For one, he describes George Washington as being driven by his passions, ambition, aggressiveness, egotistic and greedy. In the second, George Washington is a steadfast leader, a patriot, a wise man and presents his great achievement as the leader who unified the American nation. While it establishes the human character of George Washington, it also serves as a counter effect of the character Ellis tried to portray in the founding father.
An assessment of the books strengths and weaknesses do not just highlight the flaws in the book but determines the impact it has had on the character of George Washington. It is note worthy to recognize the style and approach of the Joseph J. Ellis. His book has a major strength. He has revealed no new details about the life of George Washington, but he offers his explanation of the man in a novel manner that is acceptable across all disciplines. He does not celebrate the figure of George Washington but instead offers the human disposition of the American icon. He presents the man both in his good nature and in flawed nature. However, it may have been a mistake to pit his passions against his principled nature. They cannot be looked at independent of each other. What Joseph J. Ellis should have done was to ensure the two sides appeared hand in hand in describing George Washington. It cannot be denied that George Washington was the most ambitious of the founding fathers, but it is also true that he was a most virtuous and selfless man. He did not seek military honor after winning the Revolution, he instead surrendered the general’s sword and sought no position of power. The effect of this was that he was considered the best man to lead America and he knew this. However, it does not portray him as being any less virtuous. Despite this, the book still manages to offer deep insight into the life of a great general, revolutionary, and American president.
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