The Ascent of George Washington by Of History John Ferling

The Ascent of George Washington by Of History John Ferling

Even compared to his fellow founders, George Washington stands tall. Our first president has long been considered a stoic hero, holding himself above the rough-and-tumble politics of his day. Now John Ferling peers behind that image, carefully burnished by Washington himself, to show us a leader who was not only not above politics but a canny infighter--a master of persuasion, manipulation, and deniability. In the War of Independence, Washington used his skills to steer the Continental Army through crises that would have broken less determined men; he squeezed out rival generals and defused dissent from those below him. Ending the war as a national hero, Washington allowed himself to be pressed into the presidency, guiding the nation with the same brilliantly maintained pose of selfless public interest. In short, Washington deftly screened a burning ambition behind his image of republican virtue--but that image, maintained not without cost, made him just the leader the overmatched army, and then the shaky young nation, desperately needed. Ferling argues that not only was Washington one of America's most adroit politicians--the proof of his genius is that he is no longer thought of as a politician at all.

John Ferling is an emeritus professor of history at the State University of West Georgia and the author of A Leap in the Dark: The Battle to Establish the American Republic, which won the Pulitzer Prize.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781608190959
ISBN 10	1608190951
Title	The Ascent of George Washington
Author	Of History John Ferling
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published	2010-05-16
Number of pages	464
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.