Washington: A Life

Washington: A Life (2010) by Ron Chernow. George Washington, father of our country, is brought to vivid life by Chernow in this biography. Chernow has done an enormous amount of research in preparation for writing this book, and it is reflected in the telling quotes from letters and papers that he is able to dredge up to illustrate his points. At times the book, which is 800 pages long, gets a little bogged down in detail; but would we be satisfied with less detail in a biography about a monumental figure such as Washington? Although I found reading the book to be a long slog, I also found it very rewarding. Washington's life was indeed fascinating, and many of the historical incidents which we learned about in history class are here brought to life and explained at length. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys biographies, or who has an interest in American history. Grade: A