Midwest Book Review
Expertly written, organized and presented, "George Washington's Final Battle: The Epic Struggle to Build a Capital City and a Nation" is an invaluable contribution to our growing understanding of the formative impact George Washington has had upon the American nation - an impact that still continues to this present day and into the foreseeable future.
Matthew Costello
In 1791, the commissioners of the Federal District named the nascent capital city in honor of President George Washington, but as historian Robert Watson demonstrates, he went on to earn that honor during the course of his presidency. Washington's vision for a national capital was central to its planning, design, and location, but it was his administrative skills, political gravitas, and attention to detail that brought this vision to life. Watson masterfully weaves together how Washington's many life experiences shaped his ideas on self-government, nationhood, and the power of perception; truly, Washington's trials and tribulations prepared him for one of his most overlooked accomplishments—the building of the nation's capital.
David Haberstich
In clear prose, both accessible and insightful, Professor Robert Watson portrays George Washington as a great, yet flawed, hero, the leader whose character and vision helped to win the Revolutionary War and initiate the building of a new city from which the new nation could be governed. Washington understood that this country needed a national identity, and that a new capital city was an essential building block for such an identity. Watson considers this phase of Washington's career his 'final battle' and amply demonstrates his characterization of it as an 'epic struggle'.
Gordon S. Wood
A fine and full account of the much-contested founding of Washington, DC. Watson demonstrates clearly and convincingly why the first president deserved to have the nation's capital bear his name.
Alan S. Furmin
Professor Watson brings to life the very human Father of Our Country. He takes George Washington down from his pedestal and invites us to judge his triumphs and setbacks from the earthen battlefields of the American frontier to the political salons of our nascent republic. Washington combines his lifetime love for the Potomac with his determination to build a glorious capital along its shores against the determined opposition of many of his contemporaries. This astute politician gives a little here and takes a little more there to earn the victory that many of us now take for granted, but was far from inevitable.
Richard M. Yon
Unbeknownst to the millions of tourists who visit our nation's capital is the story of the contentious struggle to build a permanent seat of government, which Robert Watson so eloquently depicts in George Washington's Final Battle. Watson regales readers with an extraordinarily detailed account of the debates that overshadowed all the other issues the fledgling nation faced as it came to realize Washington's passion for creating a 'great city,' one which would unify the country and inspire all Americans. This is a must read for those interested in the Founding era!
Library Journal
12/18/2020
After the United States gained its independence, locating a permanent capital became a defining issue. It highlighted the core question of what would be the essence of America's nationhood: the power of the executive branch, the nation's future expansion, sectional rivalries, small versus large states, federalist versus anti-federalist, and slavery. Until 1800, when the government moved to Washington, United States governments met temporarily in eight different cities, mostly Philadelphia and New York. Deciding on a permanent seat was such a vexing problem that Congress constantly postponed resolving it. Watson (history, Lynn Univ.; The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn) shows that George Washington was the driving force in founding the capital named for him, as he believed that it would bind the nascent union. He envisioned a grand "metropolis" composed of cultural institutions, public accommodations, and a national university, as well as a meeting place for Congress and a home for the president. Watson shows how Washington oversaw every aspect of the project: site selection, planning, building designs, and political influence. VERDICT Aside from the idealization of Washington and some prominent historians, this is an informative narrative of the contested founding of the nation's capital for both general readers and academics.—Glen Edward Taul, formerly with Campbellsville Univ., KY
