The book begins with the birth of Washington and ends with his death. Washington began a life of public service at the age of sixteen when he agreed to carry a message of warning from the British governor of Virginia to the French commander who was tightening his hold on the Ohio River Valley. He enjoyed just two and one-half years of life as a private citizen after his second term as president before his death in 1799.
Albert Marrin is clearly qualified to as a historian/biographer. He earned a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University, and has an impressive list of histories and biographies to his credit. The book is extensively researched, as evidenced by the notes and citations that accompany the text. Five pages of suggestions for further readings, an alphabetical index, and table of contents makes the book easy to navigate and useful for reference. Maps and illustrations that are included are effective visualization aids.
Albert Marrin credits George Washington with almost single-handedly engineering the American Revolution. The tremendous admiration he generated gave his voice added influence, kept the Continental Army intact in spite of miserable conditions, and resulted in an unheard-of unanimous election as president by the electoral college. Marrin's admiration for George Washington does not detract from his unflinching portrayal of Washington as a slave owner. Although opposed to slavery in principle, in his own business dealings, �principle always gave way before economic need.� (p. 217) Washington was also a racist, and �believed blacks naturally inferior to whites, having low intelligence and �no ambition.�� (p. 72)
Marrin writes with a narrative style that draws the reader in and breathes life into the story. Many biographies have been written about our first president, but Albert Marrin manages to bring something special to this volume. Even readers who have read extensively about George Washington will come away from this book feeling that they have gained fresh insights on his life and the forces that drove him. �Familiar facts are given new vitality with additional information in a well-crafted, information-packed text that, despite its heavy cargo, sails smoothly along.� (Horn Book Guide, October 1, 2001)
Marrin goes beyond making connections between history and biography in this book. He shows how significantly a single man shaped and influenced history, and how history in turn brought out the best in the man, George Washington. The stories of George Washington and our young country are inextricably entwined, and this book shows that neither would have achieved such levels of greatness without the other. �Marrin's title offers a well-rounded portrait of a fascinating character, worthy of admiration despite his imperfections.� (School Library Journal, January 1, 2001)
Awards
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Booklist Editor�s Choice
Related Websites
Smithsonian�s George Washington: http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/kids/portrait.html
PBS Rediscovering George Washington: http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/
Albert Marrin: http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/puboff/bccb/1299true.html
Source
Books in Print [database online]. Available from http://www.booksinprint.com. Accessed 09 November 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY