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Riding with George: Sportsmanship & Chivalry in the Making of America's First President
Long before George Washington was a president or general, he was a sportsman. Born in 1732, his physique and aspirations were tailor-made for his age, one in which displays of physical prowess were essential to recognition in society. At six feet two inches with a penchant for rambunctious horse riding, what he lacked in formal schooling he made up for in physical strength, skill, and ambition. Virginia colonial society rewarded men who were socially adept, strong, graceful, and fair at play. Washington’s memorable performances on the hunting field and on the battlefield helped crystallize his contribution to our modern ideas about athleticism and chivalry, even as they also highlight the intimate ties between sports and war. Invariably, George’s actions, taken individually and seen by others as the core of his being, helped a young nation bridge the old to the new, as well as the aristocrat to the republican.
Author Philip G. Smucker, a fifth-great grandnephew of George Washington, uses his background as a war correspondent, sports reporter, and amateur equestrian to weave an insightful tale based upon his own travels in the footsteps and hoofprints of Washington as a surveyor, sportsman, and field commander. As often as possible, he saddles up and charges off into Washington’s old stomping grounds to see what George’s woods, byways, and battlefields look like from atop a saddle. Riding with George is “boots-in-stirrups” storytelling that unspools Washington’s rise to fame in a never-before-told yarn. It shows how a young Virginian’s athleticism and Old World chivalry propelled him to become a model of right action and good manners for a fledgling nation.
Author Philip G. Smucker, a fifth-great grandnephew of George Washington, uses his background as a war correspondent, sports reporter, and amateur equestrian to weave an insightful tale based upon his own travels in the footsteps and hoofprints of Washington as a surveyor, sportsman, and field commander. As often as possible, he saddles up and charges off into Washington’s old stomping grounds to see what George’s woods, byways, and battlefields look like from atop a saddle. Riding with George is “boots-in-stirrups” storytelling that unspools Washington’s rise to fame in a never-before-told yarn. It shows how a young Virginian’s athleticism and Old World chivalry propelled him to become a model of right action and good manners for a fledgling nation.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 22, 2017
In a few days, I will post my review. BUT we can start here before I get into it.
If you don't know GEORGE WASHINGTON after reading Smucker's book -- Riding with George: Sportsmanship Chivalry in the Making of America's First President ---- then you don't know GEORGE.
Reading 3-4 books at the same time is, well, not a very good idea. Should have stuck with this book all the way without interruption. Life goes on.
Review coming up.
If walls could talk --- AND that's what Philip Smucker was able to accomplish. He found a way for those walls to come alive. He traveled to the places that Washington visited or was engaged in battles. There he talked to History buffs that owned bookstores or were involved in the reenactment of his battles. He visited Washington's favorite places. These people opened up to Smucker.
Smucker rode trails on horseback that Washington might have been on. played the sporting games that Washington would have played and now we have RIDING WITH GEORGE a book that will make you feel that the walls did talk.
George Washinton slowly but surely was groomed to be the first President.
He enjoyed all kinds of outdoor activities - riding, hunting, games. He was competitive.
He was admired by most and seemed to be well-liked by all even the ladies but never wandered off course.
I could go on and on. But to know more --- read this outstanding book about George Washington.
If you don't know GEORGE WASHINGTON after reading Smucker's book -- Riding with George: Sportsmanship Chivalry in the Making of America's First President ---- then you don't know GEORGE.
Reading 3-4 books at the same time is, well, not a very good idea. Should have stuck with this book all the way without interruption. Life goes on.
Review coming up.
If walls could talk --- AND that's what Philip Smucker was able to accomplish. He found a way for those walls to come alive. He traveled to the places that Washington visited or was engaged in battles. There he talked to History buffs that owned bookstores or were involved in the reenactment of his battles. He visited Washington's favorite places. These people opened up to Smucker.
Smucker rode trails on horseback that Washington might have been on. played the sporting games that Washington would have played and now we have RIDING WITH GEORGE a book that will make you feel that the walls did talk.
George Washinton slowly but surely was groomed to be the first President.
He enjoyed all kinds of outdoor activities - riding, hunting, games. He was competitive.
He was admired by most and seemed to be well-liked by all even the ladies but never wandered off course.
I could go on and on. But to know more --- read this outstanding book about George Washington.
September 25, 2017
Really enjoyed this book! Artfully blended info about George Washington with the author's own travels exploring his ancestor's footsteps! A great balance of historical fiction with modern-day impressions.
July 3, 2017
Book received from Edelweiss.
This is a slightly different take on George Washington and the various things that happened in his life that helped shape him as a person. The writer is a descendant of George Washington and seems to be able to relate to our first President as a person because of it. He focuses on how Washington's strength, the way he was able to move about in polite society, and his sportsmanship helped him attain what became our highest level of government, with little in the way of formal schooling. It was a different look at our first President and I enjoyed the read.
This is a slightly different take on George Washington and the various things that happened in his life that helped shape him as a person. The writer is a descendant of George Washington and seems to be able to relate to our first President as a person because of it. He focuses on how Washington's strength, the way he was able to move about in polite society, and his sportsmanship helped him attain what became our highest level of government, with little in the way of formal schooling. It was a different look at our first President and I enjoyed the read.
July 22, 2017
War correspondents are by nature both reporters of the conflict unfolding around them and of their own experience of the battle. Perhaps that dichotomy led Philip G. Smucker to go beyond the typical historian’s chronicle of events and documentary evidence to tell the story of the forces that he believes shaped his fifth-great-uncle and the Father of our Country, George Washington. In addition to the usual research of journals, letters and printed accounts of the period, Smucker embeds himself in the story by trying out several of the sporting and gentlemanly pursuits that “Uncle George” pursued, traveling to many of the locations that were key in Washington’s history.
Smucker does a good job of detailing how Washington’s colonial Virginia experience formed his character, showing how Washington’s physical size and strength were well suited to both the rugged country and to the sporting pastimes of the day like horse racing and fox hunting. These boyhood experiences would translate later to success on the battlefield – his ability to keep his seat while under attack would later be factors during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Smucker goes beyond merely interviewing members of the Virginia fox hunting community to recounting his being kitted out for a hunt and riding in a hunt. Similar “following in the footsteps” episodes follow the author as he visits Williamsburg and bowls with George Washington, learns to do the minuet with an expert in colonial dancing, takes fencing lessons and drinks with historical reenactors of several battles. These vignettes add to the book’s readability and underscore George Washington’s physical prowess, sportsmanship and well-honed code of honor as a uniquely American hero.
I found Smucker’s very readable blending of historical research with the travelogue sections and personal vignettes to be a fitting format to tell the story of Washington as the man uniquely suited to lead the new United States of America. I recommend Riding With George.
Smucker does a good job of detailing how Washington’s colonial Virginia experience formed his character, showing how Washington’s physical size and strength were well suited to both the rugged country and to the sporting pastimes of the day like horse racing and fox hunting. These boyhood experiences would translate later to success on the battlefield – his ability to keep his seat while under attack would later be factors during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Smucker goes beyond merely interviewing members of the Virginia fox hunting community to recounting his being kitted out for a hunt and riding in a hunt. Similar “following in the footsteps” episodes follow the author as he visits Williamsburg and bowls with George Washington, learns to do the minuet with an expert in colonial dancing, takes fencing lessons and drinks with historical reenactors of several battles. These vignettes add to the book’s readability and underscore George Washington’s physical prowess, sportsmanship and well-honed code of honor as a uniquely American hero.
I found Smucker’s very readable blending of historical research with the travelogue sections and personal vignettes to be a fitting format to tell the story of Washington as the man uniquely suited to lead the new United States of America. I recommend Riding With George.
July 8, 2017
I took this book on vacation with me for something to read on the beach and finished it in two days. It's a fairly quick read, but the level of detail it provides on the early formative years, as well as George Washington’s life experiences is quite enlightening. I particularly liked how the author blended together personal interviews of historians, visits to historic sites, and conversations with historical re-enactors, to form a complete picture of the events of the first President’s life. I recommend reading this book for entertainment, as well as understanding how the United States came into being.
July 1, 2017
Riding with George: Sportsmanship & Chivalry in the Making of America's First President is interesting and an easy read for everyone who has ever wondered how the United States avoided reverting to a monarchy after the revolution with George as its king. Going far beyond sports, it is insightful in its analysis of the influences on the development of Washington's personal philosophy, character, and the code he lived by.
Including numerous anecdotes that highlight Washington's development, the book is entertaining while providing plenty of well researched information. I was also amused by the author's personal experiences and observations as he tried to experience as many of the activities and sports as possible that Washington practiced and enjoyed.
The reader is left with a sense of wonder at how Washington's life prepared him for his roles during and after the American Revolution. It is amazing to learn how an ambitious and driven young man transformed into the steady and fatherly leader of the Continental Army and the new nation's first president.
One is left to wonder, along with George, himself; how divine providence may have acted to create an individual so well equipped to lead the Continental Army and to establish the United States Presidency.
I enthusiastically recommend Riding with George to everyone interested in learning background information about the American Revolution and how George Washington became the first President of the United States!
Including numerous anecdotes that highlight Washington's development, the book is entertaining while providing plenty of well researched information. I was also amused by the author's personal experiences and observations as he tried to experience as many of the activities and sports as possible that Washington practiced and enjoyed.
The reader is left with a sense of wonder at how Washington's life prepared him for his roles during and after the American Revolution. It is amazing to learn how an ambitious and driven young man transformed into the steady and fatherly leader of the Continental Army and the new nation's first president.
One is left to wonder, along with George, himself; how divine providence may have acted to create an individual so well equipped to lead the Continental Army and to establish the United States Presidency.
I enthusiastically recommend Riding with George to everyone interested in learning background information about the American Revolution and how George Washington became the first President of the United States!
July 8, 2017
Riding with George has something to offer for both those familiar with the life of George Washington and those who don’t call themselves history buffs. It’s an interesting idea for a new look at Washington: How did his experiences as what we would call a jock affect his military and political careers?
The author does an excellent job describing Washington’s upbringing and his life as a military man. His look at life in 18th century Virginia is well done, and he is particularly good when it comes to Washington’s military exploits. Smucker dives into historical reenactments with gusto. He even takes time to learn 18th century dance!
However, he gets into trouble when the America of 2017 intrudes on the story. He comes off as judgmental when it comes to working class America. He wonders during a trip to Charles Town, WV if “the gene pool in West Virginia had taken yet another nose-dive”. A visit to Valley Forge means stopping by the local casino, filled with “aging, desperate, hobbled, diabetic, overweight, chain-smoking types”. Braddock, PA is a “decadent landscape of rancid streets” where residents “live mostly hand to mouth or needle to arm”. You get the idea.
On the whole, the book felt like a partially finished project. I wished that Smucker’s editor had kept the occasionally purple prose in check. (e.g., people don’t say goodbye, they bid adieu; overweight people aren’t fat, they’re rotund).
Better checking would have been in order as well. For example, Louis XVI was guillotined nine months before Marie Antoinette, not three months after her.
In place of the standard bibliography and notes, the reader is directed to the book’s website. At best, this is inconvenient. At worst, should the website come down, readers will be left with a biography with no bibliography or end notes.
I enjoyed the book but in the end couldn’t help wondering if Smucker should have devoted his considerable gifts to writing a novel about George Washington’s early life instead of a non-fiction piece.
The author does an excellent job describing Washington’s upbringing and his life as a military man. His look at life in 18th century Virginia is well done, and he is particularly good when it comes to Washington’s military exploits. Smucker dives into historical reenactments with gusto. He even takes time to learn 18th century dance!
However, he gets into trouble when the America of 2017 intrudes on the story. He comes off as judgmental when it comes to working class America. He wonders during a trip to Charles Town, WV if “the gene pool in West Virginia had taken yet another nose-dive”. A visit to Valley Forge means stopping by the local casino, filled with “aging, desperate, hobbled, diabetic, overweight, chain-smoking types”. Braddock, PA is a “decadent landscape of rancid streets” where residents “live mostly hand to mouth or needle to arm”. You get the idea.
On the whole, the book felt like a partially finished project. I wished that Smucker’s editor had kept the occasionally purple prose in check. (e.g., people don’t say goodbye, they bid adieu; overweight people aren’t fat, they’re rotund).
Better checking would have been in order as well. For example, Louis XVI was guillotined nine months before Marie Antoinette, not three months after her.
In place of the standard bibliography and notes, the reader is directed to the book’s website. At best, this is inconvenient. At worst, should the website come down, readers will be left with a biography with no bibliography or end notes.
I enjoyed the book but in the end couldn’t help wondering if Smucker should have devoted his considerable gifts to writing a novel about George Washington’s early life instead of a non-fiction piece.
July 17, 2017
An in depth revelation of our first President's life from childhood and beyond. The reader learns not only about Washington but of his family and mentors who shaped his life. Fascinating details about his surveying career, equestrian prowess, bloodsport interests, chivalry and so much more. A highly recommended read for history buffs or anyone desiring deeper insights into 18th century colonial life and specifically the life and times of George Washington. A delightful read.
April 6, 2019
Using re-enactments as a source of information about George Washington is an interesting twist on doing research. This book was interesting on some levels, but was somewhat repetitive and I thought the author took some license for describing what George was "thinking." How could he know that? It is surmise at best.
June 29, 2017
Riding with George is a must read for anyone even with just a passing interest in George Washington and how he acted, and reacted, during the Revolutionary War and his presidency. There are many biographies on George Washington but these books focus on his military and political activities. This book looks at the inner-George during his formative years as a youth and his early military career. Philip Smucker has done an excellent job of delving into how Washington was affected by the early loss of his father, his upbringing by his mother, and his tutelage by the Fairfax family. All of his early life is made relevant by interweaving it with Philip’s recreation of many of George’s early activities and training to become a member of the gentry. To me, reading this book was like going home because there are many names and places familiar to me. I know David Muraca and have visited Ferry Farm, Mt. Vernon and Fort Necessity; I volunteer as a costumed historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg and know many of the other interpreters who have dedicated their lives to helping guests understand life in 18th century Virginia as George lived it. One item I would like to see added to the book’s next edition is maps of the area. It is difficult to understand the distances traveled on horse and foot without maps. There are a few minor grammatical errors; but, these do not distract. I would have preferred that Philip had taken a stronger moral stand against fox hunting as he did against the other blood sports, especially big game hunting. Chasing a wild animal for sport, even if it isn’t killed, robs the animal of precious energy reserves need to survive and should not be considered sport or entertainment.
February 7, 2018
Riding with George is an amusing and informative book that teaches you everything you need to know about George Washington’s life and ideals. Smucker really makes the history come alive by recounting his own personal stories of his time researching the book (some of which will make you laugh out loud), and pairing them with the facts of history. He investigates how George Washington sought to live his life, and how it affected those around him. This fantastic book has quickly become one of my favorites on George, and is a must read for other Washington enthusiasts.
August 15, 2018
I am glad I read the book but parts of it were quite slow. Never was made to show the transition of George Washington into a leader and all that entailed. There was focus on his desired to be the part of a leader and the need to have the appropriate characteristics including manners and chivalry. He spent a lot of time as a surveyor and therefore on a horse. He was a very thoughtful man and had a number of close relationships with both men and women. He really wrestled with the slavery issue and it presented probably more of a conflict to him than many other leaders of that time.
September 24, 2017
Riding with George is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable read. Most of us know George the War Hero and first president but here we learn of his formative years ,his teachers and mentors. Anyone interested in this time period should have this book in their Library
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews