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Inventing George Washington: America's Founder, in Myth and Memory
“Lengel’s Washington is the archetypal American soldier—an amateur citizen in arms who struggles to learn an unfamiliar and demanding craft on the job....Outstanding.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Glorious Struggle
Editor-in-Chief of the Washington Papers Project Edward G. Lengel delivers an entertaining and erudite history of America's Founding Father. In Inventing George Washington , a captivating counterpart to Lengel’s General George A Military Life , the historian looks at Washington’s life and writings, at the creation of his mythos, and at what his legacy means for our nation and ourselves.
Editor-in-Chief of the Washington Papers Project Edward G. Lengel delivers an entertaining and erudite history of America's Founding Father. In Inventing George Washington , a captivating counterpart to Lengel’s General George A Military Life , the historian looks at Washington’s life and writings, at the creation of his mythos, and at what his legacy means for our nation and ourselves.
249 pages, Hardcover
First published December 29, 2010
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253 people want to read
About the author
Edward G. Lengel
28 books126 followersIndependent historian, hiker, and voracious reader. As an author, I'm delighted to have reached the stage where I can write purely for personal enjoyment and interest, as my forthcoming works will attest!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 28, 2010
This is an interesting take on how the country has examined George Washington since the time of his death. In a sense, this is an exploration of the social construction of George Washington. The author asserts that in each era of American history, elements of Washington's persona are emphasized to fit the zeitgeist of the time or the expectations of certain groups. For instance, religion. Contemporary Christian conservatives focus on any evidence that Washington was deeply religious. The historical record is rather ambiguous on this, but there are enough bits and pieces that one can construct an argument as to his religiosity.
The author notes the issue underlying this book (Page x): "[Many] laid claim to the 'real' Washington, but their true object in many cases was to cater to the needs and desire of their political, ethnic, or religious communities. In so doing, they created a series of competing mythologies that alternatively depicted Washington as old and young, faultless and fallible, realistic and romantic, pious and skeptical. . . ."
One chapter examines the extent to which authors saw him as a "ladies' man." Another looks at romanticizing his character (while making the author a nice profit). Still another explores his "vision." There is even discussion of "evidence" that he had contact with aliens. An examination of movies/TV programs about Washington show the myths that have built up and the historical errors that sometimes become accepted as "fact."
The final chapter begins with the sentence (Page 211): "George Washington is an elusive quarry." People reinvent the person George Washington as per their views, the temper of their times, and so on. Retrieving the "real" George Washington, in essence, becomes more difficult as more interpretations adhere to him. In Gadamer's terms the current horizon of Washington is ever changing, making understanding who he was more difficult with time.
An interesting book, although more depth of coverage might have been useful. Still, a useful book making a legitimate point.
The author notes the issue underlying this book (Page x): "[Many] laid claim to the 'real' Washington, but their true object in many cases was to cater to the needs and desire of their political, ethnic, or religious communities. In so doing, they created a series of competing mythologies that alternatively depicted Washington as old and young, faultless and fallible, realistic and romantic, pious and skeptical. . . ."
One chapter examines the extent to which authors saw him as a "ladies' man." Another looks at romanticizing his character (while making the author a nice profit). Still another explores his "vision." There is even discussion of "evidence" that he had contact with aliens. An examination of movies/TV programs about Washington show the myths that have built up and the historical errors that sometimes become accepted as "fact."
The final chapter begins with the sentence (Page 211): "George Washington is an elusive quarry." People reinvent the person George Washington as per their views, the temper of their times, and so on. Retrieving the "real" George Washington, in essence, becomes more difficult as more interpretations adhere to him. In Gadamer's terms the current horizon of Washington is ever changing, making understanding who he was more difficult with time.
An interesting book, although more depth of coverage might have been useful. Still, a useful book making a legitimate point.
January 19, 2011
“Inventing George Washington” by Edward G. Lengel is an interesting look at the myths which have formed around the man who served as the first President of the United States under the current constitution. It is interesting to read how the perception of George Washington has changed through the years, and as to how various groups have tried to attribute quotes and deeds to Washington to serve their own purpose, often without realizing that he never said those words, or performed those deeds.
“Inventing George Washington” is a history of a sort, but since it focuses on what is not true it is perhaps not as useful a reference as other histories about George Washington, or the founding of the United States, but it does have an extensive bibliography and notes section which one might find useful, though I would caution you to be sure to read Lengel’s thoughts on the books in the bibliography as in many cases they are included because they contain examples of myths.
This book is easy to read, and fairly light in tone. It is also fairly short at around 215 pages, and even then there is a bit of padding as some of the stories are somewhat peripheral to Washington, though that is not a big problem as they do fit in with the general subject matter. Some of the larger discussions include the fight between Christians and secularists over Washington’s beliefs (no winners there), the “Washington Slept Here” phenomena, and the attempts to elevate Washington above any other man, and the later attempts to lower him down to the basest level possible.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book and quick read, which will teach almost everybody that something they thought they knew about George Washington may well not be true. I hold back on giving it five stars mainly because it is a bit short and perhaps is not a subject which merits an entire book, and also due to the limits on what the reader can get out of this type of book.
“Inventing George Washington” is a history of a sort, but since it focuses on what is not true it is perhaps not as useful a reference as other histories about George Washington, or the founding of the United States, but it does have an extensive bibliography and notes section which one might find useful, though I would caution you to be sure to read Lengel’s thoughts on the books in the bibliography as in many cases they are included because they contain examples of myths.
This book is easy to read, and fairly light in tone. It is also fairly short at around 215 pages, and even then there is a bit of padding as some of the stories are somewhat peripheral to Washington, though that is not a big problem as they do fit in with the general subject matter. Some of the larger discussions include the fight between Christians and secularists over Washington’s beliefs (no winners there), the “Washington Slept Here” phenomena, and the attempts to elevate Washington above any other man, and the later attempts to lower him down to the basest level possible.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book and quick read, which will teach almost everybody that something they thought they knew about George Washington may well not be true. I hold back on giving it five stars mainly because it is a bit short and perhaps is not a subject which merits an entire book, and also due to the limits on what the reader can get out of this type of book.
October 28, 2013
Excellent work. The author goes about dealing with the myths that have grown up around George Washington in a very thorough and easy to read way. He has done even more here though,showing how social, political, economic and other factors drive the rise of mythologies surrounding popular figures. He also shows how once those mythologies take hold, no amount of evidence debunking them can completely eliminate them from the public mind.
In addition to debunking the many myths surrounding Washington, he also does a great job of debunking the debunkers - those people determined to destroy any semblance of Washington as a great person.
Some of what he goes through has been thoroughly dealt with by historians before; Washington and the cherry tree, Washington kneeling in prayer at Valley Forge etc etc. However, some even surprised me. For example I had always accepted that Washington, on his own, added the phrase "so help me God" at the end of the presidential oath. Even David McCullough repeats this uncritically in his book on John Adams. Turns out there is no evidence for this whatsoever. It is believed Chester Arthur was the first to use that phrase.
Other myths, such as the authenticity of the Washington Prayer Book or his views on firearms, despite clear evidence that they are untrue, continue to be used by unscrupulous religious and political leaders .
If you have any interest in Washington, or are an inveterate skeptic....this is the book for you!!!
In addition to debunking the many myths surrounding Washington, he also does a great job of debunking the debunkers - those people determined to destroy any semblance of Washington as a great person.
Some of what he goes through has been thoroughly dealt with by historians before; Washington and the cherry tree, Washington kneeling in prayer at Valley Forge etc etc. However, some even surprised me. For example I had always accepted that Washington, on his own, added the phrase "so help me God" at the end of the presidential oath. Even David McCullough repeats this uncritically in his book on John Adams. Turns out there is no evidence for this whatsoever. It is believed Chester Arthur was the first to use that phrase.
Other myths, such as the authenticity of the Washington Prayer Book or his views on firearms, despite clear evidence that they are untrue, continue to be used by unscrupulous religious and political leaders .
If you have any interest in Washington, or are an inveterate skeptic....this is the book for you!!!
January 20, 2012
George Washington, hailed by a modern biographer as “indispensible,” was once a man, but he has become a kind of inkblot, a projection of the times in which we live, a projection of the causes dear to our hearts. This book, written by the editor-in-chief of The Washington Papers project, has grown from a life time of study. When Washington died, in 1799, Americans felt as if they’d lost a father. His death deprived the country of the grand old man a mere decade after the Founding of the Republic, at a time when both political divisions and external threats were running high. After all, he’d been our first president, our greatest general, and a public person for much of his life. By the turn of the 19th century, an image had already begun to separate from the real, human Washington, and death accelerated the process. With a razor wit and a wealth of source at his fingertips, Mr. Lengel dissects the growth and proliferation of every Washington story you ever heard, from the treacle dispensed by “Parson” Weems to the accusations of revisionists and the outright fabrications of today's tv ranters. Creating a multiplicity of Washingtons, as Americans attempt to find the person behind the symbol, continues to be a profitable and politically useful enterprise. Entertaining and highly recommended.
October 24, 2012
George Washington often kept his public persona and private life separate. In death his nephew who inherited his estate after his widow died tore up most of his papers and gave them to people in pieces not in whole letters. Others who obtained some letters kept some and threw out others. So it became difficult to understand Washington as a human being. This wonderful short book covers not Washington's life but the way he has been perceived over the years. In most of the 19th century he was regarded as a revered hero and used in children's religious books as a model of Christian piety. In the 1920s a biographer wrote him as a fake and baffoon which severely affected his image ever since. The author leads up to a modern society whose concern is only about "facts" yet repeats false information both positive and negative. I found this book to be wonderfully different. It could be about how society deals with any public figure over the years and I appreciated the author's insight. Poor George! I think some of his image troubles come from being taught to young children where adults usually have to simplify information then to hold the interest of high school students teachers try to debunk the information given about him in a negative light. George himself is never really of interest in these situations.
December 21, 2010
I was completely enamored with Lengel's book to address the difference between what is actually proven fact about George Washington and that which has been conjured by writers, producers, mystics, and many others to immortalize the "Father of our Country." Lengel begins with the story of George and his father, Augustine, and the cherry tree incident. From there, Lengel goes on to tell how writers such as Weems who embellished the events in Washington's life to the point that his tales were more fairy tale like than reality.
Of course, as I learned in the book, Weems was only the first. I was amazed that myths of Washington amassed speeches of many 20th century politicians. It is unfortunate that many statements attributed to Washington have been passed as truth when there is no documentation. I laughed when he talked about a woman named Edith Ellis, who in 1944, heard the voice of George Washington. She spent 110 days talking with George as he wanted to expunge the true facts from the abundant stories.
I found this book to be very readable, honest and accurate based on his research, and respectful when discussing the myths, legends, and facts of the life of George Washington.
Of course, as I learned in the book, Weems was only the first. I was amazed that myths of Washington amassed speeches of many 20th century politicians. It is unfortunate that many statements attributed to Washington have been passed as truth when there is no documentation. I laughed when he talked about a woman named Edith Ellis, who in 1944, heard the voice of George Washington. She spent 110 days talking with George as he wanted to expunge the true facts from the abundant stories.
I found this book to be very readable, honest and accurate based on his research, and respectful when discussing the myths, legends, and facts of the life of George Washington.
July 4, 2014
E.G. Lengel debunks myths in Inventing George Washington. Especially effective in puncturing the religious myths (GW on his knees in prayer at Valley Forge). Good read but fails in developing the real man.
May 27, 2019
Lengel, the editor-in-chief of the Papers of George Washington, has here wittily explored legends, folk tales, pious lies, and other miscellaneous craziness loosely surrounding the reputation of George Washington. For historians, the most valuable chapter may be Lengel’s debunking of the debunkers Rupert Hughes and William E. Woodard, for laymen, the chapter deflating oft-told religious legends.
P. T. Barnum’s creation of Washington’s 161-year-old nurse is a great tale but has less to do with Washington than with Barnum’s sharp eye for the sucker. Although Lengel appropriately mentions sighters of Washington’s ghost or his reincarnations, the space given to a detailed recounting of their delusions might have been better spent providing accurate information about the myths Lengel has busted. For instance, we are twice told that the Hessians were not drunk at Trenton; it would have been helpful to know on what authority.
Nevertheless, the book is throughout an enjoyable read. There are even some laugh-out-loud sections, among which are the author’s description of the pseudo-historical movie, When the Redskins Rode (1951), as well as an account of Lengel’s own misadventures as a historical consultant for a Mount Vernon orientation film.
P. T. Barnum’s creation of Washington’s 161-year-old nurse is a great tale but has less to do with Washington than with Barnum’s sharp eye for the sucker. Although Lengel appropriately mentions sighters of Washington’s ghost or his reincarnations, the space given to a detailed recounting of their delusions might have been better spent providing accurate information about the myths Lengel has busted. For instance, we are twice told that the Hessians were not drunk at Trenton; it would have been helpful to know on what authority.
Nevertheless, the book is throughout an enjoyable read. There are even some laugh-out-loud sections, among which are the author’s description of the pseudo-historical movie, When the Redskins Rode (1951), as well as an account of Lengel’s own misadventures as a historical consultant for a Mount Vernon orientation film.
October 31, 2020
Throughout history we have made George Washington be the person the country needed him to be - from hero to villain. It was really interesting to see how the "myths" and "legends" about him came about. Mostly they were just made up or expanded from "credible sources," usually someone's great-grandfather who knew people that served someone who worked with George. A lot of what we think we know about him isn't real. "In reality, Washington - like everyone else - moved through life unevenly, facing a multitude of challenges. Sometimes he succeeded in overcoming them, and sometimes he failed." We can appreciate that about him.
While I mostly thought the book was interesting and the author knows his stuff since he works with the Papers of George Washington group, I thought the writing left something to be desired.
While I mostly thought the book was interesting and the author knows his stuff since he works with the Papers of George Washington group, I thought the writing left something to be desired.
June 1, 2017
This may have been a case of having overly high expectations but I was a little disappointed by Inventing George Washington. I was good but I wanted great. Lengel does offer some really interesting analysis of how America has viewed Washington over time blending historiography, myths, and the political use of the founders in a compelling way. But, that blend may have been the problem. Each strand seemed distinct and Lengel's efforts to combine them into a central thread fell a little short for me.
The book also assumes a fairly high degree of familiarity with Washington. Interestingly, Lengel argues that America lacks a true understanding of Washington as a person. While I enjoyed much of the book, I came away still feeling that lack.
The book also assumes a fairly high degree of familiarity with Washington. Interestingly, Lengel argues that America lacks a true understanding of Washington as a person. While I enjoyed much of the book, I came away still feeling that lack.
August 30, 2017
This is a well written but depressing read. It explains how history has been distorted to the point that most of us probably have no clue who George Washington really was. It is written by a Washington scholar and explains the monetary and political motivations through the centuries that caused people to make up lies about George Washington that were then given as facts to school children and the general public. Even the visitor center at Mount Vernon found it necessary to gild the truth rather than just present history.
It makes me question all I have read from sources I would expect to be truthful.
I am glad there is a project that seeks to preserve Washington's papers and hope there will one day be factual representations of our first president.
It makes me question all I have read from sources I would expect to be truthful.
I am glad there is a project that seeks to preserve Washington's papers and hope there will one day be factual representations of our first president.
May 15, 2017
Shows how Washington is re-mythologized by each generation to suit its ethos. In that way the book makes for an interesting history of the American psyche. Lengel has undertaken to dispel many of the popular stories about Washington that have been propounded over the years for various reasons. He never was offered a kingship. He never prayed in the snow at Valley Forge. He never was slapped on the back by Gouverneur Morris on a dare from Alexander Hamilton. (I am particularly disappointed about that one.)
December 2, 2017
I liked learning about all the myths and the motives behind the myths that surround George Washington (many that started while he was still living!). I liked the way the author broke up the book into themes of the myths (his loves, his visions, he slept here, etc.). The only thing I didn’t like as much is that the book addresses what’s not true but does little to address what is true. I guess that would’ve meant a much longer book!
Big picture takeaway: question the veracity of any story about someone famous and how it may further the storyteller’s agenda.
Big picture takeaway: question the veracity of any story about someone famous and how it may further the storyteller’s agenda.
October 6, 2024
This book is probably best approached if you've already read a reputable biography of Washington. It's most interesting tidbits of how people have used and abused Washington's memory. Unfortunately, too much falsehood is accepted "fact." I would have liked to see a bit more analysis of how Washington is wielded for political purposes rather than some of the basically tabloid level stuff that has been made up about Washington.
October 16, 2017
Very interesting, very academic
The book dispelled my myths and brought Washington back to a real human, full of all the doubt, loves and emotions of every human instead of the lofty demigod he had become to many of us. It is a very academic read, well written and very well researched. You can feel the admiration the author has for the first president.
The book dispelled my myths and brought Washington back to a real human, full of all the doubt, loves and emotions of every human instead of the lofty demigod he had become to many of us. It is a very academic read, well written and very well researched. You can feel the admiration the author has for the first president.
March 29, 2023
Great little history book about the origins of tall tales about ol' George. The author does a particularly excellent job of demystifying and humanizing the founding fathers in ways I had not before experienced.
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September 29, 2020read this for school and didn’t have the best time; not rating
January 19, 2021
Interesting book about how the myths and legends surrounding America's first president came to be.
October 26, 2020
While most books on George Washington end, naturally, upon his death, this book picks up the story there and takes it to the present day. It's a slim but fascinating little book that charts the shifting reputation over the years of The Father of Our Country, and the accumulating myths that have shaped our understanding of him.
You'll need to have some knowledge about George Washington to fully appreciate this book - it works best as a companion piece to a full-scale biography, because this book tells you what's not true but doesn't tell you a lot about what is true. Lengel does an excellent job shattering myths, and not just the low-hanging fruit (no pun intended) of the cherry tree and silver-dollar-over-the-river stories. He dispels many other tales told over the years, and purported Washington quotes that are either embellished or completely invented, and goes on to give precise and somewhat troubling examples of where these myths are still being repeated as fact today - even, in a refreshing mea culpa, in an earlier book that the author himself wrote.
The charlatans and the kooks who spread some of these fabricated stories are easy targets. But Lengel also takes aim at an otherwise esteemed author like James Thomas Flexner, who wrote a popular four-volume biography of Washington decades ago. If Flexner's account can't be trusted, whose can? Lengel doesn't say. It would have been nice if he could have supplemented his narrative and lent his expertise to share some trustworthy sources that readers could consult for accurate information about Washington's life, to counterbalance all the inaccurate information he dispels.
And sometimes the stories themselves take up too much space in the book - you have to get through pages and pages of apocryphal tales at times, just so Lengel can go on to demolish them. And if only the entire book could have been as entertaining as the last chapter, in which Lengel hilariously describes his consulting work on a historical film in which the filmmakers seemed determined to take historical liberties.
Myths about Washington persist, Lengel concludes, because "rightly or wrongly, many Americans have developed the perception that facts are dull." We believe what we want to believe about Washington, and ignore the parts we might not want to believe, because "we wish to encounter him as a genuine human being... yet there is this nagging feeling that we might not really like him if we knew him too well."
If you really want to know Washington well - read a good biography of him. And then read this book. You'll come away with a better appreciation of the man and the myth.
You'll need to have some knowledge about George Washington to fully appreciate this book - it works best as a companion piece to a full-scale biography, because this book tells you what's not true but doesn't tell you a lot about what is true. Lengel does an excellent job shattering myths, and not just the low-hanging fruit (no pun intended) of the cherry tree and silver-dollar-over-the-river stories. He dispels many other tales told over the years, and purported Washington quotes that are either embellished or completely invented, and goes on to give precise and somewhat troubling examples of where these myths are still being repeated as fact today - even, in a refreshing mea culpa, in an earlier book that the author himself wrote.
The charlatans and the kooks who spread some of these fabricated stories are easy targets. But Lengel also takes aim at an otherwise esteemed author like James Thomas Flexner, who wrote a popular four-volume biography of Washington decades ago. If Flexner's account can't be trusted, whose can? Lengel doesn't say. It would have been nice if he could have supplemented his narrative and lent his expertise to share some trustworthy sources that readers could consult for accurate information about Washington's life, to counterbalance all the inaccurate information he dispels.
And sometimes the stories themselves take up too much space in the book - you have to get through pages and pages of apocryphal tales at times, just so Lengel can go on to demolish them. And if only the entire book could have been as entertaining as the last chapter, in which Lengel hilariously describes his consulting work on a historical film in which the filmmakers seemed determined to take historical liberties.
Myths about Washington persist, Lengel concludes, because "rightly or wrongly, many Americans have developed the perception that facts are dull." We believe what we want to believe about Washington, and ignore the parts we might not want to believe, because "we wish to encounter him as a genuine human being... yet there is this nagging feeling that we might not really like him if we knew him too well."
If you really want to know Washington well - read a good biography of him. And then read this book. You'll come away with a better appreciation of the man and the myth.
June 12, 2022
6/10
There are a lot of interesting facts and ideas here but they are not expanded upon. Like there are a lot of instances of how Washington has been portrayed through time such as a romantic lover or religious icon but few are discussed in depth. There are so many interesting things. one could say about what fantasies we make about Washington says about us, historical, political, etc but the book does not go into. Thankful I have more interesting sources that discuss this type of thing.
There are a lot of interesting facts and ideas here but they are not expanded upon. Like there are a lot of instances of how Washington has been portrayed through time such as a romantic lover or religious icon but few are discussed in depth. There are so many interesting things. one could say about what fantasies we make about Washington says about us, historical, political, etc but the book does not go into. Thankful I have more interesting sources that discuss this type of thing.
August 16, 2014
What this book did do: debunk a bunch of myths you have probably already heard are myths or you hold dear and true and hate to hear are myths. GW didn't write those letters that were published trashing the country, there was a pear tree and he probably didn't chop it down, he didn't fall on his knees and pray, have quasi religious mystical experiences that he based his actions on or get baptized in the semi-frozen Potomac.
What it didn't do: Tell us much about who GW actually was. I know a large part of this is due to the fact that the author, who is a foremost authority on Washington's papers didn't want to speculate. He explains very clearly what we do know and why and how so much of his writings came to vanish or be falsified. Since the man is the historian in charge of much of the public collection of his papers he would know.
You can tell the author is annoyed by those who still (as recently as a few years ago) use outdated and false sources to forward their own political and social agenda's. I agree, but still it would have been nice to know a little bit more about the man.
What it didn't do: Tell us much about who GW actually was. I know a large part of this is due to the fact that the author, who is a foremost authority on Washington's papers didn't want to speculate. He explains very clearly what we do know and why and how so much of his writings came to vanish or be falsified. Since the man is the historian in charge of much of the public collection of his papers he would know.
You can tell the author is annoyed by those who still (as recently as a few years ago) use outdated and false sources to forward their own political and social agenda's. I agree, but still it would have been nice to know a little bit more about the man.
May 17, 2011
If I was to compare this to only history books, it would earn a 5star rating. It was interesting and very easy to read and follow, but smartly written. Basically it sets out to show the commonly-believed myths about George Washington and how they came to be.
Written by one of the main editors of the George Washington Papers project (therefore having access to ALL of Washington's papers that are still around), you gotta figure he'd know.
He doesn't set out to reveal the "true" Washington, just to reveal how these myths came to be and what they might mean.
I will give him credit that he tries to hide his disdain for the religious myths and those who originated them and those who continue to use them today; though, he's not always successful.
It's only a few hundred pages from what I remember and VERY interesting the whole time. I would highly recommend reading this!
Written by one of the main editors of the George Washington Papers project (therefore having access to ALL of Washington's papers that are still around), you gotta figure he'd know.
He doesn't set out to reveal the "true" Washington, just to reveal how these myths came to be and what they might mean.
I will give him credit that he tries to hide his disdain for the religious myths and those who originated them and those who continue to use them today; though, he's not always successful.
It's only a few hundred pages from what I remember and VERY interesting the whole time. I would highly recommend reading this!
April 2, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author, who is also an historian, does a fantastic job of going through the legends and myths surrounding the Founder, some of which began before George Washington's death and continue to this day. The author deftly dismantles some of the more sensational myths, as well as shares a healthy dose of benign but thoroughly entertaining legends, such as the scattering of "Washington Slept Here" claims which are all too common among the inns and b & b's along the east coast. This book is not about who and what George Washington was as much as it is about what people have made him to be in the centuries since he lived and died.
For anyone with even a remote liking for American history, this book is sure to please. It is a pleasant read, free from the dry details that too often plague history books.
For anyone with even a remote liking for American history, this book is sure to please. It is a pleasant read, free from the dry details that too often plague history books.
April 10, 2016
A first rate read about the way Washington has been imagined over time. This book is well written, engaging and humorous. Mr. Engel has worked on the George Washington Papers Project and as a result is an expert on the topic. He examines ways in which Washington was remembered in a positive vein( the inventions of Parson Weems) as well as a negative manner.( the debunkers of the 1920's and 1930's.) He also looks at ways Washington's memory was exploited over time including PT Barnum's having a woman in his circus who claimed to have known the young Washington.( total make believe) The book ends with modern takes on Washington including Flexner's biography which was made into a mini series and a discussion of the recent film used at Mount Vernon. This is a fine read clearly showing how history and perspectives evolve.
September 17, 2012
Choose to read this for a book summary I had to do for Historical Methodological Bibliographical Research class. It was very good, it did not focus on George Washington's life but of his evolving image throughout time. Such as the godly man of the 1800's the, the romanticist in the 1850's and the hard charging cigar smoking worker of the 1930's. It's interesting as Lengel points out that a societies values can easily be viewed through their heroes. As George Washington's image is constantly changing, so is America's values. George Washington of a certain era can easily show you who those people were who lived in that era.
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August 3, 2011In this slim volume, the editor in chief of the Papers of George Washington charts the changing ways in which Americans have perceived the Father of Our Country, from a wave of myth-making in the early 1800s to a wave of debunkers in the last century. Lengel explores the waxing and waning and waxing again of Washington in the nation’s memory. It is an informative look, but uneven in quality: Lengel seems most animated when writing about his experience as an advisor to the producers and director making the new film for the Mount Vernon Visitor’s Center.
March 8, 2011
What we think we know about history and historical figures is often nothing more than myth and folklore handed down through the generations. Much of our "knowledge" of George Washington is a case in point. This book doesn't try to explode as much as it tries to put the various myths regarding Washington into some form of historical context. Well written and highly recommended.
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July 28, 2011An exciting and amusing historiography of George Washington by American authors since 1798. My favorite is a story by a friend of E.A. Poe's who has General Howe slip into Valley Forge one night in the dead of winter to offer Washington the Faustian bargain. George like Christ in the 40 day temptations in the Wilderness stays true and rejects temptation.
January 12, 2011
Lengel has written a very readable book that dispels some of the most popular, and erroneous, myths about George Washington. He also offers insights into why the historical representation of our first president has been deemed too important to be left to just the truth.
Rating:< 3.5/5
Rating:< 3.5/5
February 21, 2016
Parts of this may be a little slow for people who don't love history, but I found it fascinating.
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