WASHINGTON

Rating:
Summary: Recommended...
Review: As a biography of one of our most famous and respected Presidents, I had high expectations for this book. Given that the author had devoted 30 years of his life to studying Washington and that this was a one-volume abridgment of his original 7-volume biography, I expected more excitement.

Though I learned quite a bit about George Washington the man, Freeman spends too much of the book with weekly and monthly accounts of the lengthy revolutionary war, most of which Washington and his meager army spent waiting for the British to make a move. Too little actually happened to warrant devoting so much of the book to this period.

However, the description of Washington's youth and Presidential years are very well done. Overall, a decent (although dry) account of Washington's life.

Rating:
Summary: Notable attempt at capturing salient points from larger work
Review: Harwell does a good job of pulling together and redacting DS Freeman's epic VII Volume (actually VI - he died before publishing the 7th) account of George Washington's life. I often find myself wishing he would annotate, at least on a chapter basis, which volumes of the larger work he is pulling his info from.

A basic understanding of the extreme hardships early Americans (Colonists) went through can be gathered through this book, and this understanding should be required basic knowledge in all schools. The birth of this nation, was founded on some of the most remarkable physically, financially, emotionally and seemingly impossible acheivements by a few who had the courage to see the delivery through. Freeman captured these trials and victories in marvelous detail.

Rating:
Summary: Notable attempt at capturing salient points from larger work
Review: Harwell does a good job of pulling together and redacting DS Freeman's epic VII Volume (actually VI - he died before publishing the 7th) account of George Washington's life. I often find myself wishing he would annotate, at least on a chapter basis, which volumes of the larger work he is pulling his info from.

A basic understanding of the extreme hardships early Americans (Colonists) went through can be gathered through this book, and this understanding should be required basic knowledge in all schools. The birth of this nation, was founded on some of the most remarkable physically, financially, emotionally and seemingly impossible acheivements by a few who had the courage to see the delivery through. Freeman captured these trials and victories in marvelous detail.

Rating:
Summary: More for D. S. Freeman's effort than anything else!
Review: His decades of efforts for the multi-volume biography is a gift to all fans of American History. Even though it drags in a few spots, this edited version is one of the best one volume biographies of the "Father of Our Country"

Rating:
Summary: More out of appreciation for D. S. Freeman
Review: His decades of efforts for the multivolume biography on Washington is a gift to all fans of American history. While this summary drags in a few places, it is the best one volume biography of the "Father or Our Country" available. Particularly pleasing is the concise chronological arrangement of the materials.

Rating:
Summary: More out of appreciation for D. S. Freeman
Review: His decades of efforts for the multivolume biography on Washington is a gift to all fans of American history. While this summary drags in a few places, it is the best one volume biography of the "Father or Our Country" available. Particularly pleasing is the concise chronological arrangement of the materials.