His Excellency: George Washington

Joseph J. Ellis, one of the leading historians of the Revolutionary period, adds his meticulous knowledge, astute analysis, and poetic writing to this historic biography of our first president. Ellis examines George Washington as a political and military commander whose “statue-like solidity” hid volcanic passions and emotions, while at other times seeming as distant as his effigy on Mount Rushmore.

This is the reckless young officer who, by his incredible survival in battle, had partially persuaded him that he was unkillable. This is the freely spending landowner who developed a sharp distaste for imperial rule as a result of his indebtedness to English merchants. We see the hesitant president who attempted to rise above the partisanship of his cabinet members and the general who lost more battles than he won. His Excellency is a wonderful book that is essential to comprehending both the subject matter and the country he founded.