Washington's Revolution: The Making of America's First Leader

by Robert Middlekauff Narrated by Christopher Lane

Overview

A vivid new portrait of the formative years that made George Washington a great leader, from a highly respected and accomplished historian who is a Bancroft Prize winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

George Washington was famously unknowable, but Robert Middlekauff penetrates the mystique to reveal the fears, values, and passions that drove him. Rich in psychological details regarding Washington's temperament, idiosyncrasies, and experiences, this audiobook shows us a self-conscious Washington who grew in confidence and experience as a young soldier, businessman, and Virginian gentleman; and was transformed into an American patriot by the revolutionary ferment of the 1760s and 70s. Taking command of an army constantly in dire need-without adequate food, weapons, and, at times, even clothing and shoes, right up until the end-Washington displayed incredible persistence and resourcefulness, and evolved into a leader who understood perhaps better than anyone the crucial role the army had to play in the formation of a new American society. Washington, Middlekauff leaves no doubt, was at the heart not just of the revolution's course and outcome, but also the success of the nation that it produced. This is an essential audiobook for understanding the character of one of America's great figures.

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review - Richard Brookhiser

Middlekauff has a biographer's understanding of his subject…[He] has written about Washington's war rather as Washington himself might have, had he been a historian: carefully, thoroughly, with an eye for detail and a grasp, at all times, of the important points.

Publishers Weekly

12/15/2014
Middlekauff (Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies), an acclaimed historian of early America, shows how, from the 1760s to 1783, Washington went from being a “Virginia provincial” to a national leader, one who “held together the political structures that constituted the United States” by integrating state militias. He devotes about one quarter of his book to the French and Indian War, and three quarters to the Revolutionary War. During the latter, Washington complained repeatedly to the Continental Congress of a shortage of supplies and lost more battles than he won. But he kept the colonies in the war through daring triumphs at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, responded with equanimity to criticism when campaigns went badly, and showed great “strategic sense” in choosing to fight a war of attrition. Middlekauff praises Washington’s commitment to civilian supremacy in directing military policy and demonstrates how Washington came to be seen as “a creature apart... a chosen instrument of providence.” Though he glosses over some noteworthy events, Middlekauff’s clearly written study supports the view of Washington as a military leader who was as adept at working with ordinary soldiers as he was with querulous political leaders, revealing how much of Washington the legend was reflected in the real man. (Feb.)

From the Publisher

Praise for Robert Middlekauff’s Washington’s Revolution:

“Middlekauff has written about Washington’s war rather as Washington himself might have, had he been a historian: carefully, thoroughly, with an eye for detail and a grasp, at all times, of the important points.” —Richard Brookhiser, The New York Times Book Review

“Middlekauff writes a cogent character study of an icon, without either polishing or puncturing Washington's image. He clearly admires his subject, but recognizes Washington's limits, especially in the matter of slavery.” —Michael D. Schaffer, Philadelphia Inquirer

“It is in the nuances, the telling details and the subtle shadings where Mr. Middlekauff excels. . . . Middlekauff paints anew the familiar scenes of Washington’s war . . . a valuable one-volume account of Washington’s ascendancy.” —Jack Schwartz, The Wall Street Journal

“A useful and readable new portrait of Washington at war . . . Anyone who enters this territory is required to supply an original insight, and Middlekauff, known for his magisterial volume on the Revolution and the early national period for the Oxford History of the United States, does so, offering an important one. Middlekauff advances the idea that Washington was not only the winner of the American Revolution, but also the essence of the Revolution . . . The battles Washington fought defined not only his life but also our own . . . [Middlekauff’s] triumph is to portray Washington as a man of parts, as more than a cardboard cutout hero or a sterile vessel of virtues.” —David M. Shribman, The Boston Globe

“[An] excellent new study of Washington’s leadership . . . Expertly traces the arc of Washington’s career . . . A deeply researched and enlightening look at three transformative decades in the life of an indispensable American . . . At the heart of the book is an engaging narrative of the Revolutionary War as seen from Washington’s saddle and writing desk . . . Middlekauff’s book is a thorough, persuasive explanation of why Americans, from the era of the Revolution to the early republic, gloried in having Washington as their leader.” —Michael F. Bishop, National Review''

“Robert Middlekauff writes not just as a biographer, but also as both a political and an intellectual historian . . . a fine narrative.” —The Daily Beast

“Historian Robert Middlekauff rejects the traditional narrative in his important new work on Washington’s military leadership during the Revolutionary War . . . This fine work suggest that independence was not a certitude but an astonishing achievement that owed much to a man who, like his country, came to maturity in war.” —Edward G. Lengel, Military History Quarterly

“Robert Middlekauff introduces the real Washington: an ordinary man guided toward greatness by the extraordinary demands of his time. Equal parts biography and history, Washington’s Revolution is a rare look at the Washington we never knew, from his challenging childhood to the final days of the Revolutionary War.” —Matt Staggs, Biographile

“In his newest book, Robert Middlekauff, Bancroft Prize winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist, traces George Washington’s rise from an ordinary “Virginia provincial” with a dangerous temper to a controlled military and political leader, possessed with great strategic insight . . . Middlekauff makes a point to reveal the self-conscious, fiery, and passionate man behind the composed façade.” —New Criterion Critic’s Notebook 

“This is not just another account of George Washington's leadership in the Revolutionary War; it is special. It is perceptive, balanced, judicious, and, most important, clearly and succinctly written. A marvelous achievement.”  —Gordon. S. Wood, author of The Radicalism of the American Revolution

“Of the many volumes on Washington, this one wrestles most thoughtfully with the complexities of his military leadership, from his youthful service in the Virginia militia to his command of the Continental Army. Middlekauff moves beyond the platitudes. His Washington is a commander who has to be educated, who has shortcomings as well as virtues. He had to master a staggering array of problems but also to project a confidence that everyone came to respect, even when adverse circumstances were swirling through ‘the cause.’ Washington's Revolution shows why it really was his cause to win or lose, even when he insisted on serving as a republican commander.” —Jack Rakove, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning Original Meanings

“Middlekauff’s many fans as well as readers who have not previously encountered this famous historian will alike relish his familiar narrative skill and the deep understanding of Washington here displayed.” —Daniel Walker Howe, author of What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848

“Middlekauff writes a cogent character study of an icon, without either polishing or puncturing Washington's image. He clearly admires his subject, but recognizes Washington's limits, especially in the matter of slavery.” —Michael D. Schaffer, Philadelphia Inquirer

“Robert Middlekauff’s Washington’s Revolution  is a brilliantly concise, insightful, and emotionally riveting account of two vitally important stories in the history of America: the remarkable role of General George Washington in determining the strategy and outcome of the Revolutionary War and the effect of that often-traumatic military experience in shaping the mind and soul of the ‘father of his country.’ As we read Middlekauff’s fascinating story of the Revolutionary War, we gain new understanding of the transformation of Washington from a provincial Virginian to an advocate of the common cause of the American nation. Perhaps even more important, we gain knowledge of the role of America’s number one military hero in establishing the principle of civilian control over the military. This book is both immensely enlightening and pure pleasure.” —Richard Beeman, author of Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution

“Especially insightful . . . In assessing Washington's generalship, Middlekauff furnishes ample evidence . . . [A] fine biography.” —Alan Cate, Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
“Middlekauff, an acclaimed historian of early America, shows how, from the 1760s to 1783, Washington went from being a “Virginia provincial” to a national leader . . . [This] clearly written study supports the view of Washington as a military leader who was as adept at working with ordinary soldiers as he was with querulous political leaders, revealing how much of Washington the legend was reflected in the real man.” —Publishers Weekly

Library Journal

★ 02/01/2015
Since the inception of the Papers of George Washington Project in 1968, a vast array of new material about America's first president has come to light. A consequence of the project has been the publication of many topical studies about Washington, such as The Ascent of George Washington by John Ferling and "Mr. President" by Harlow G. Unger. Here Middlekauff (emeritus, history, Univ. of California, Berkeley; The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763–1789) explores the future president's evolution as a leader from his time as a young Virginian through his successful military leadership of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Washington grew from holding a provincial world view to having a mixed, complex understanding of his world. By the end of the revolution, he was well positioned to assume preeminent political leadership of a new nation, first as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 through 1788 and then as the first U.S. president. Between 1732 and 1784, he transitioned from a Virginian to an American to a world citizen. He became a nationalist without discarding the ethos of his native land. VERDICT Focused and succinctly written, this biography will be of interest to readers and scholarsof Washington and of the American Revolution.—Glen Edward Taul, Campbellsville Univ. Libs., KY

APRIL 2015 - AudioFile

This audiobook on George Washington’s development as a leader and as a man is given a splendid reading by Christopher Lane. The biographical account covers the period of Washington’s early life through the end of the War of Independence. Listeners hear how his self-awareness and conscious efforts to improve himself molded him throughout his life. Lane’s baritone voice is winsomely sonorous, and he narrates at a perfectly expressive easygoing pace, allowing the listener to easily follow the text. This production is a near-perfect match of text and voice—a pleasure to listen to. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2014-11-20
Bancroft Prize winner Middlekauff (Emeritus, American History/Univ. of California; Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies, 1996, etc.) sets out to chart the evolution of George Washington's viewpoint during the crucible of the Revolutionary War."At its beginning, [Washington] was a provincial," writes the author, "and during its course he became an American. But he was a most unusual American by war's end: He was an established citizen of the world." Although an engaging concept, the author's thesis proves to be unsupported by the text. Washington certainly thought of himself primarily as a Virginian, but Middlekauff demonstrates that as early as 1775, he "wished in effect to erase state lines…to banish provincialism in favor of unity," at least within the army. While Washington recognized that French support was indispensable to American victory and thus made great efforts to flatter and cajole French commanders into serving his purposes, nothing appears to suggest that Washington was then considering the place of an independent America among the world's nations or was otherwise adopting a broadly internationalist viewpoint officially or personally. Middlekauff delivers a comprehensive if uncritical review of the war in the theaters in which Washington exercised day-to-day command. His ability to form and reform a perpetually dissolving army in the face of appalling privation made him indispensable to the cause, and the author emphasizes his consistent adherence to the principle of civilian control of the military, an attitude critical to the subsequent development of the republic. But Middlekauff offers few glimpses into the character of Washington as a fallible mortal with an evolving perspective; the image of him that predominates is the familiar one of the austere warrior, "a man set above all others, a unique being—not a god, but at the least a chosen instrument of Providence." A capable Revolutionary War history that breaks no new ground.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172417184
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	02/03/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Washington had demonstrated throughout the war his commitment to civilian supremacy in the American republic. His convictions about the relationship of the army to Congress remained firm and clear, never wavering in the face of appeals that he take matters into his own hands and, in effect, exercise the powers of a king or dictator. Such action on his part, or the army’s, would be giving up the meaning of the Revolution, a surrender he would not accede to, as he explained to his officers at Newburgh. He made his belief in civilian control even clearer virtually every day, in the way he dealt with Congress. There was no question of yielding power to them—he had never claimed such power; he was the servant of the American people and of Congress, nothing less and nothing more.
 
All the time that he served as commander of the Continental Army, he was in fact also the leader of the Revolution. His unspoken and undefined responsibilities in this role transcended those of his assignment as commander in chief, and he became, as the war developed, a symbol of the freedom the young republic embodied. He was the political leader of the Revolution, though he drafted no legislation and signed no laws. But if he failed, it was widely understood, the Revolution failed.
 
For Washington, more than any American leader in or out of Congress, by his actions and example, held together the political structure that constituted the United States. Several of his officers came to proclaim this fact through their insistence that the army was the Revolution and Washington its leader. It was the institution—despite its failures and, at times, its weakness—that held together, demonstrating to the enemy that American independence possessed a reality that could not be crushed. Had Washington not persevered in the service of the cause he called “glorious,” the Revolution would have given way to slow collapse. None of the Americans around him in the army, the Congress, or the states commanded the moral force he embodied. Success in maintaining the American effort would not have been achieved without him.
 
He succeeded in large part because he understood that the Revolution represented a rare opportunity—something quite new, in fact—to lead a people in defense of principles long honored in conceptions of liberty, stifled or suppressed elsewhere in the world. He did not fully sense the possibilities, or the range, of political liberty when the war began in 1775; nor did anyone else in or out of Congress. The war itself called out his best efforts and stiffened his resolve to honor the ideals proclaimed in the great state papers issued in the early years of resistance, culminating in the Declaration of Independence.
 
In assessing his performance in conventional military terms—his thought on strategy, his tactical capabilities and action, and his administrative record throughout the war—the basic comparison has to be with his British enemy. Washington’s strategic sense proved to be of a very high order. He saw early on that, because of the disparity in military strength, the wisest course for his army lay in fighting a war of attrition. Such a war would not yield outright military defeat of the British, but, pursued with care, it held promise of wearing them out until they were willing to accept American independence. If the likelihood of defeating the British army on the battlefield was slim, or nonexistent, the Americans still had to fight—attrition did not mean avoidance of the enemy.
 
Washington knew much about the British army: It was not large, but its level of competence had been high for many years. Its leaders in the 1770s and after were not brilliant, but Gage, the Howe brothers, Clinton, and Cornwallis were able professionals. British regiments were better than competent; their men and field-grade officers were skillful. Perhaps the greatest advantage the British had was their navy. Washington assumed from the beginning of the war that naval power—not just the weight of shipboard guns, but the capacity for moving and supplying troops—was of great importance. He faced a European country of surpassing naval experience and power.
 
In contrast to the British military, the Americans had to summon an army from nothing, and putting it together had to be done repeatedly. Had knowledge existed of how to create an army from nothing, the American task still would have been daunting, for the will to give up old allegiances to provinces and to adopt fresh ways of dealing with the world as it existed was not strong. Washington supplied much that was missing in political will and in insight. But the underlying circumstances of the new nation, divided and uncertain of how to proceed, and fearful of a standing or professional army, dogged his action through- out the entire war. He, with the unreliable assistance of the states, created an army, only to see it dissolve, many times. He responded by pulling it together again and again, including not just its regiments of infantry but its logistical services as well. He began as commander with an army outside Boston that was little more than a collection of town and county militias. There were virtually no structure, procedures, regulations, or army-wide logistical and other organizations in support. A body of officers experienced in military organization and in combat was also lacking. The creation of an army while conducting military operations had few precedents and had to be done during a siege and, later, under the most pressing kinds of fighting.
 
Despite the persistence of the underlying circumstances of a weak central authority, he fought his way through using what was available to hold off superior forces in almost every battle. Only at Yorktown did he go into battle with a favorable hand. When his army’s prospects were at their bleakest, as in December 1776, he seized control at Trenton and Princeton—not because his army was stronger, but because he had imagination and daring. He also demonstrated that he knew how to run a battle and in the process to inspire an army and a nation. His and his army’s fortunes had desperate moments after these brilliant attacks, but they sustained Washington’s vision and his hold on the Revolution. Whatever the course of the military conflict, he insisted on a policy of attrition, and his strategy under all sorts of circumstances remained steady.
 
That the American conception of civil supremacy remained firm even when the army seemed the only reliable institution in the war— and its commander the center of authority—owed more to Washing- ton, a general, than to anything else. War, he knew, could dissolve the claims of the civilian world to ultimate authority. Such claims in America were hardly more than a wish in the dark days of the war. Washington made the claims a reality. His thought indeed amounted to a form of constitutionalism. Here, on this matter of the people and the army, he insisted that the people’s voice should be loudest.
 
Washington’s imagination—his conception of what freedom meant in a free nation—is sometimes overlooked in the certitude of his physical bravery. He was a general, after all; he fought and he overcame enormous obstacles. But he also possessed a grand imagination, a vision of his new country. That vision, often a daring instrument, set him apart and made him the great leader of the Revolution.

Excerpted from Washington's Revolution by Robert Middlekauff. Copyright © 2015 by Robert Middlekauff. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Videos