On Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow published in 2010:
How well do we know our heroes? How well do we want to know them?
Ron Chernow is a biographer who has studied the lives of some of America’s most influential politicians and businessmen. His biography of George Washington is a comprehensive summary of the life of the first president of the United States. The book begins with brief commentary on Washington’s paternal American ancestors and ends with the death of Washington’s wife, Martha.
A consistent tension between Washington’s ambition and sense of duty rings through the text as he moves from surveyor to soldier to land and slave owner to General to President. Washington dutifully maintains a strict outer reputation while using his societal positions to advance his inner ambitions. He marries Martha Washington but continues to fraternize with Sally Fairfax. He is often diplomatic with politicians but tyrannical towards subordinates. He privately dislikes slavery and autocracy while publicly benefitting from enslaved people and abuse of political power.
Washington is a stoic warrior who struggles to control his moods and insecurities. He was a hero to many before and after his life both because of and in spite of his hypocrisies. He finds the courage to lead a rebel army against an empire, deny a third presidential term, and write abolition into his will, but even his most honorable duties seem somewhat tainted by ambitions for financial security and public esteem. Hero or not, Washington lived a remarkable life.
How well do we know our heroes? How well do we want to know them?
Sources:
Chernow, R. (2011). Washington. Penguin Books.
Deliberating Truth 