In Realistic Visionary the renowned George Washington
scholar Peter Henriques seeks to humanize the first president without
diminishing him. Henriques’s Washington makes mistakes, is sensitive to
criticism, and is slow to accept blame, but he is also the greatest man of his
age, a relentless pragmatist who could nonetheless envision what a free and
united America could be for "millions unborn."
Rather than revisiting Washington’s life in its entirety,
Henriques constructs a biographical portrait by addressing the vital themes and
events through which Washington the man is revealed. What emerge most clearly
in Realistic Visionary are Washington’s successful struggle to channel his
monumental personal ambition into public service and his unrivaled ability to
turn his ambitious visions for the fledgling nation into reality.
Noah, have you read any other biographies of Washington? I'm reading Presidential Courage by Michael Bechsloss, and his portrait of Washington is a little different than this seems to be. I suppose it depends on the biographer!
ReplyDeleteNo I've never any other Washington boigraphies, it was a gift. But as it is History like I read it.
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