The Invention of George Washington

by Paul K. Longmore

Washington was the central actor in the great American drama of revolution & nation-founding. His image was an essential aspect of the role he played, but scholars have usually examined the life & the legend apart from one another. Longmore here illuminates the relationship between the man, the myth & the American people. In addition to a comprehensive look at Washington's career, we are shown how he embodied the ideals of his age & made an effort to shape contemporary perceptions of him. "The Invention of George Washington" traces the relationship between Washington's career & image from his service in the Seven Years' War thru the Declaration of Independence. It shows the linkage between that image & the cultural & political values of his generation. It demonstrates that from the very beginning of the Revolution, his fellow Americans, influenced by contemporary political thought & the needs of a historically transforming moment, substituted him for King George III. Altho biographers have commonly presented Washington as a reluctant leader who preferred private life to the swirl of public affairs, he was, in fact, an eager, active & astute politician. Longmore's study recounts not only his growth as an American nationalist & republican revolutionary, but also his development as a skillful political leader & actor who fashioned his public self to match the expectations & ideals of his fellow citizens. Shrewd, ambitious & talented, he collaborated with his generation to make himself the embodiment of the revolutionary cause & the new nation.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction

337 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 1988

Reviews

[Sam Audia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throughout his life, the ambition for distinction spun inside George Washington like a dynamo, generating the astounding energy with which he produced his greatest historical achievement, himself.

[Emjaybeautiful · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on George Washington -- "Making of the President 1788" lol. Not a biography that you should pick up for basic background information on Washington. However, once you have read a few biographies, you will appreciate this one. You need the basics to judge whether Longmore's points are valid. Recommended.