The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789

by Edward Larson Narrated by Mark Bramhall

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

""An elegantly written account of leadership at the most pivotal moment in American history"" (Philadelphia Inquirer): Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson reveals how George Washington saved the United States by coming out of retirement to lead the Constitutional Convention and serve as our first president.

After leading the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War, George Washington shocked the world: he retired. In December 1783, General Washington, the most powerful man in the country, stepped down as Commander in Chief and returned to private life at Mount Vernon. Yet as Washington contentedly grew his estate, the fledgling American experiment floundered. Under the Articles of Confederation, the weak central government was unable to raise revenue to pay its debts or reach a consensus on national policy. The states bickered and grew apart. When a Constitutional Convention was established to address these problems, its chances of success were slim. Jefferson, Madison, and the other Founding Fathers realized that only one man could unite the fractious states: George Washington. Reluctant, but duty-bound, Washington rode to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to preside over the Convention.

Although Washington is often overlooked in most accounts of the period, this masterful new history from Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward J. Larson brilliantly uncovers Washington's vital role in shaping the Convention-and shows how it was only with Washington's support and his willingness to serve as President that the states were brought together and ratified the Constitution, thereby saving the country.

Editorial Reviews

Washington Times

Eloquently written. ... Larson synthesizes a vast amount of primary source material with great aplomb. ... Serious scholarship presented in an engaging and concise manner.

Daily Beast

Fantastic... The Washington who emerges in these pages is always human, flaws and all, and yet he still manages to be a figure worth revering for his unwavering sense of duty.

New York Times Book Review

Larson is a sure guide through the complexities of writing and ratifying the Constitution. ... Dramatic. … Restoring the politics to Washington’s rise adds motive and depth to the nationalist who rose north to the rescue.

Dallas Morning News

Larson is an exceptionally fine and engaging writer. ... He has taken up what might seem to be a niche in this great man’s life and career, and found there the core of his personality and his greatness.

Philadelphia Inquirer

A detailed and elegantly written account of leadership at the most pivotal moment in our nation’s history.

Journal of the American Revolution

Utterly fascinating. ... Very readable and highly recommended.

Wall Street Journal

Fine and engrossing. … Larson engagingly argues that the stretch between 1783 and 1789 was as important to Washington-and to America-as all that preceded and followed it. … [A] splendid account.

Kenneth R. Bowling

Highly readable. ... Clears away the naive myths that have so long obscured Washington’s ideas and role during the 1780s.

Douglas Bradburn

Ed Larson - with his signature wit and light touch - delivers a living, breathing man, who is revealed to be a true visionary leader, but who also possesses the political savvy and ability to get things done. ... An important addition to the literature on the founding of the United States.

Andrew O'Shaughnessy

One of the best illustrations of the ability of individuals to change the course of history.

Akhil Reed Amar

A fresh and elegant portrait of the hero we thought we knew, but didn’t, quite. ... An indispensable book about America’s ‘indispensable man.’

Lawrence M. Friedman

A fascinating account. ... This is an important book, elegantly written, which adds greatly to our understanding of the way in which one man’s personality and popularity helped create a strong new country out of the fragments of the old colonial system.

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2014-07-22
Illuminating history of an overlooked period in the life of our first president. During the years between the end of the American Revolution and the commencement of his first term as the first president, George Washington remained a busy farmer, slave owner, behind-the-scenes political figure and national hero. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larson (Law and History/Pepperdine Univ.; An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science, 2011, etc.) returns with a focused look at some years that many other historians have eschewed in favor of covering the more fiery Revolution and the more storied presidency. Larson shows us a Washington who craved being home, a man who only reluctantly allowed politics or necessity to draw him away. Larson begins with Washington's resignation of his command and his journey home to Mount Vernon from New York (it took him two weeks—with much cheering and celebration along the route). He then traveled west to inspect some of his holdings and had to decide whether to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Of course, he did choose to go, and he chaired the proceedings. In the central chapters, the author deals with the Convention, with Washington's quiet though essential role, and with the battles and compromises between federalists and antifederalists that the document demanded—and very nearly did not achieve. Larson also reminds us of Washington's medical and dental problems and his decision to have some implants using the teeth of slaves (who were paid for the privilege). Following ratification (which did not happen immediately or easily), pressure grew for Washington to stand for president—which, of course, he did, despite his numerous protests. Larson identifies Washington's three goals—"respect abroad, prosperity at home, and development westward"—and includes an account of an inaugural dish that makes turducken seem unambitious. Profound, even affectionate, scholarship infuses every graceful sentence.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170267040
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/07/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged

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