4 books
—
1 voter
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Grand Idea: George Washington's Potomac & the Race to the West” as Want to Read:
The Grand Idea: George Washington's Potomac & the Race to the West
by
The war had been won. Now what? This was the pressing political question for the United States in 1784, and a consuming one for George Washington. He had laid down his sword and returned home to Mount Vernon after eight and a half years as commander of the Continental Army. He vowed that he had retired forever, that he would be a farmer on the bank of the Potomac River, un
...more
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Grand Idea,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about The Grand Idea
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
`The Grand Idea' is a book with a very loose central theme - George Washington's vision (share by many others) of the westward expansion of the young United States, and his idea to use the Potomac River as the crucial tie that would bind the trans-Appalachian western frontier to the coastal population center. The book meanders, (much like the undisciplined and changeable river in its subtitle), all over from that center, covering much of the history of the republic from the end of The Revolution
...more
Interesting and different. This is an outlook on G. Washington's life that I was not aware of. I will be looking for these places when I visit DC. I really liked the way some other eras in history are tied together. Nice perspective!
A focused look at George Washington's scheme to create a navigable waterway to the West becomes a more general history of the times. Funny, succinct, and very interesting.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book but I felt that Achenbach got a bit bogged down in the second half detailing events after the death of George Washington. I wish that Achenbach had made more of a mention in the beginning that this book would detail the history of the Potomac long past Washington's time (and indeed into present day) so I might have been less surprised when I got to a chapter that was basically detailing all of the current constructions on places that were significant
...more
Nice historical look at early westward expansion. Essentially told through the details of George Washington's letters, papers, and various historical records of his interest in expanding the country and making a killing at land speculation. The books specifically follows Washington's interest developing the land in and around the Potomac River as an important commercial route through the region.
Lots of details about Washington the Explorer. How he navigated the river, where he stayed, people he ...more
Lots of details about Washington the Explorer. How he navigated the river, where he stayed, people he ...more
George Washington's conviction that the Potomac was essential as a gateway to the Western territories, and the best way to cement the West to the rest of the Union was sincere, and dramatized the idea that in the early republic, guaranteeing a union was dicey. But he saw the division as between the settled East and the raw, unsettled and eager West, not between North and South. Achenbach presents a fine quick portrait of Washington in his glory years, showing him as a reluctant politician, but a
...more
Achenbach's book follows the George Washington in the period following the War for Independence. The general feared the new nation could be divided, and believed canals could help with transportation and trade. The story may meander, but it gives a history of the other main character, the Potomac River. It gave an interesting portrait of Washington, and a glimpse of the communities which stretch from the George Washington Memorial Parkway to Cumberland, Maryland.
A smooth and very readable account of Washington's failed plan to develop the Potomac into the primary trade hub for the East. I am generally leery of histories written by journalists, but Achenbach has done an admirable job condensing the story into a format which the majority of the reading public and the casual history buff will enjoy.
A great read if you want to learn about a lesser-known facet of Washington's personality and life.
A great read if you want to learn about a lesser-known facet of Washington's personality and life.
Felt like it took me a long time to finish this one, but it was a really interesting glimpse at the history of the Potomac. I loved the author's funny asides and slighty snarky comments. It could have been dry and difficult, but instead it was a good look at an aspect of Washington's personality and life that seems to be generally disregarded in most biographies.
Awesome book by Joel Achenbach, humor writer for the Washington Post. A surprisingly sober and insightful look at an odd topic -- George Washington's relationship with the Potomac River. Achenbach channels Washington and makes him human better than any of the historians out there, and I've read quite a few.
Brings George Washington down to human proportions -- not an easy task. Joel Achenbach is so masterful at taking bigger than life topics and making them accessible to the layperson. He's one of my favorite science writers, and here he does a great job at analyzing Washington's steadfast dream to utilize the Potomac River for travel and trade.
This is interesting portrait of Washington. It covers more of the man and his business then politics and government. Those topics get touched since so much of his life was in government It is a good example of how western expansion was on people's mode before the LA purchase and that alternatives to expansion were possible and a completely different US might have evolved.
A great introduction to Washington's early years and exploits before the Revolutionary War and his compulsion with exploring and establishing the Potomac region as the gateway to the West. Can be a bit dull when it discusses geography in parts, but overall really interesting.
A great recording of George Washingtons activities between being commander of the Revolutionary war and being elected president. Great for history buffs!
Less boring than expected.
Took me a long time to get into it. But, it was an interesting look at an important time in our country's history, and it made George Washington come to life.
Boring, but still a good book on a part of Washington's life that is often forgotten.
One of my many Founding Fathers reads. Very interesting insight into our First President's civilian life. Achenbach is an entertaining story teller.
Especially interesting if you know that part of the country at all.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“But perhaps we see a different set of sins in our own time: a reluctance to take on any new Great National Projects, a general self-indulgence, a culture built on consumption, whole generations raised in an environment where dreams are purchased at the mall. If we could somehow select the virtues of early Americans from amid their failings, we might choose their optimism, their endurance, their inventiveness, their willingness to do something big and difficult--like dig a canal across the mountains or build a new kind of road on rails. These people took on challenges that a more sober and settled population might consider too ambitious, if not downright insane.”
—
1 likes
“Geologists think the mountains were formed by several distinct tectonic events over the course of 500 million years, a span of time that represents a thick slice of the planet's geological record. The Appalachians once soared as high as the Rockies or even higher. They were most recently thrust upward about 290 million years ago, which makes these mountains older than the bones of the first dinosaurs. They predate the appearance of deciduous trees. They are older than flowers. There were mountains here before the Earth had ever seen anything as fantastic as grass. Some of the rocks were formed in the Precambrian Era, in that gray epoch when life was pondering a wholesale leap from one cell to many.”
—
1 likes
More quotes…
