Praise for Ron Chernow’s Washington

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“Superb . . . The best, most comprehensive, and most balanced single-volume biography of Washington ever written. [Chernow’s] understanding of human nature is extraordinary and that is what makes his biography so powerful.”

—Gordon S. Wood, The New York Review of Books

“Chernow displays a breadth of knowledge about Washington that is nothing short of phenomenal. . . . Never before has Washington been rendered so tangibly in such a smart, tenaciously researched volume as Chernow’s opus. . . . A riveting read.”

—Douglas Brinkley, Los Angeles Times

“Until recently, I’d never believed that there could be such a thing as a truly gripping biography of George Washington. . . . Well, I was wrong. Ron Chernow’s huge (900 pages) Washington: A Life , which I’ve just finished, does all that and more. I can’t recommend it highly enough—as history, as epic, and, not least, as entertainment. It’s as luxuriantly pleasurable as one of those great big sprawling, sweeping Victorian novels.”

—Hendrik Hertzberg, The New Yorker

“ Washington is a true achievement . . . that speaks to the triumph of Chernow’s narrative structure, the depth of his research, and how alive he is to the emotional content of dry material. . . . Chernow’s goal is to humanize Washington. He succeeds handsomely, depicting an irreducibly complicated figure.”

—T. J. Stiles, The Washington Post

“Chernow’s book rewards its readers with an epic tale of true greatness and enormous self-sacrifice.”

—Alan Taylor, The New Republic

“[A] splendid achievement . . . grand.”

— The Times Literary Supplement (London)

“This book brings a lost world to light and skillfully places Washington—statesman, general, family man, lover—firmly in it. . . . If anyone wants to read about Washington, this book, rich in detail, meticulous in its research, sensible in its judgments, is the one to read.”

— The Telegraph (London)

“This is beautiful expository writing, a combination of detailed, spellbinding narrative, and zinging judgment. . . . This is a book for every American—a masterpiece of biography.”

—General Wesley K. Clark, The Daily Beast

“ Washington: A Life keeps its distance from Washington mythology, and its narrative informs as much as it entertains. . . . Chernow lets the reader know he wants to give an accurate portrayal of an enigmatic historical figure. In this book’s pages, he does it in a way that not even the most gifted portrait artist of Washington ever could.”

—W. Ralph Eubanks, NPR’s All Things Considered

“Fascinating . . . Chernow’s narrative is so rich, its scale so massive and epic, that what is new fits seamlessly into the wider picture. . . . Chernow has gone into Washington’s world, almost into his mind, and inhabited it. Under his gaze, from the very first page, that world begins to speak and stir, and great Washington steps before us, as if on an enormous stage, distant but clear, breathing. If I have not said so already, this is far and away the best life of George Washington ever written.”

—Max Byrd, Salon.com / Barnes & Noble Review

“Riveting . . . Chernow has written award-winning biographies before tackling the ‘Father of our Country,’ but this is his best book to date. It will be considered the definitive biography of George Washington, and awards and accolades are sure to follow.”

—The Associated Press

“There were as many sides to George Washington as there are to a diamond, and in his epic and highly readable biography Washington: A Life , Ron Chernow holds each of them up to the light. Prepare to be dazzled.”

— New York Post

“Impossibly thorough and a damn good read.”

—GQ.com

“Vast and tenaciously researched . . . deeply rewarding . . . and it does genuinely amplify and recast our perceptions of Washington’s importance. . . . This new portrait offers a fresh sense of what a groundbreaking role Washington played.”

—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Just as he resuscitated Alexander Hamilton in a heralded 2004 biography, Ron Chernow now resurrects Washington. . . . He makes excellent use of Washington’s own voice—the man’s angry letters are like thunderbolts—and turns constitutional debates and bureaucratic infighting into riveting reading.”

— Entertainment Weekly

“Chernow’s great skill lies . . . in his ability to draw out hidden threads and find the man inside the legend. . . . The beauty of this biography is in the perfect pitch between the light and the dark, the enigmatic and the familiar. This is truly A Life .”

—Amanda Foreman, Mail on Sunday (London)

“Hugely researched [and] engagingly written.”

— The Sunday Times (London)

“ Washington: A Life is a sweeping, compelling, and convincingly written story, a landmark accomplishment that embellishes Chernow’s already distinguished reputation as a biographer.”

— St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Nearly every adult American carries his portrait with them wherever they go, but the man painted by Gilbert Stuart remains enigmatic. Ron Chernow, a renowned biographer and historian, looks beyond the myths to reveal a man much greater than all of the myths combined.”

— The Dallas Morning News

“[A] marvelous, mammoth biography . . . The author has transformed the most marbled—or wooden—of presidents into flesh and blood.”

— The Christian Science Monitor

“Chernow writes immensely readable books, thanks to a novelist’s mastery of two techniques: telling a compelling story and creating unforgettable characters. Those skills are on full display in his new biography: Washington: A Life .”

— The Seattle Times

“ Washington: A Life is a prodigious biography, expertly narrated and full of remarkable detail.”

—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker

“Today, books about Washington continue to appear at such an astonishing rate that the publication of Ron Chernow’s prompts the inevitable question: Why another one? An obvious answer is that Chernow is no ordinary writer. . . . His Washington . . . is vivid and well paced . . . his understanding of psychology is acute and his portraits of individuals memorable. Most readers will finish this book feeling as if they have actually spent time with human beings.”

— The New York Times Book Review

“[ Washington ] is so good in explaining the American Revolution, the founding of this country, and the complicated man who served as its first president that it could serve as a textbook for high school students. In fact, even history buffs who have put a dent in the mountain of books about the Founding Fathers should consider this one because of the quality of the writing and psychological insights. . . . The reader finishes this biography dazzled by Washington [and] grateful to Chernow.”

— USA Today

“He really did have trouble with his teeth, but everything else most of us know about George Washington will need some readjustment now that Ron Chernow has produced his splendidly detailed biography of the first president of the United States.”

—Manuela Hoelterhoff, Bloomberg News

“Chernow has a crisp, clear style, and once again his depth of research helps him become a master of details—the small, vivid moments that bring the larger themes to life. . . . A single volume that shines a bright, clear light on the father of our country.”

— Minneapolis Star Tribune

“An enthralling account.”

— The Kansas City Star

“Now the brilliant biographer Ron Chernow . . . demonstrates in his magnificently written, richly detailed, and always compelling Washington: A Life just how and why his subject attained such an exalted status. . . . Chernow’s latest accomplishment is historical biography at its best.”

— BookPage

“The massive yet briskly paced Washington: A Life is a rollicking read, sure to redefine perceptions and correct assumptions.”

— Kirkus Reviews

“[A] vastly enlightening, overwhelmingly engaging treatment of a great man . . . ‘Another book on Washington?’ is a question rendered pointless by this one, which happens to be the author’s masterpiece. Definitive Washington is the point and effect of this biography.”

— Booklist (starred review)

“This broadly and deeply researched work is a major addition to Washington scholarship—every era should have its new study of him—and it should appeal to informed lay readers and undergraduates interested in stepping beyond the typical textbook treatment.”

— Library Journal kfBnmGLVm27ynWa8HBLiHxsC7Vt1utf0JGNTzlgCvW9FUCphqKk0LYv6rP1n/fGn