Much like "Washington’s Crossing" (see my reivew). No truly new information, but a more detailed look at Washington’s major battles and a frank assessment of the man, both militarily and in general (no pun intended).

Interesting and comprehensive account of colonial America and the founding of the United States of America, as seen through the eyes of George Washington. The book doesn't cover just his military career, but the making of a man, a nation and a world. Not just a biography, the book highlights the importance of intelligence, logistics, education, leadership, self control and good manners. Our first President was a unique individual, in the right place at the right time.

Coincidentally, was listening to the RevolutionsPodcast on the English Civil War at the time ... amazing how the concepts of representation and republic spanned 2 generations to bear fruit in the USA.

Highly recommended for an understanding of how the world got to be the way it is today.

I read this for a class, but really enjoyed learning about George Washington the General. He wasn't perfect and that was a relief.

George Washington has become such an iconic and mythic figure that Americans are loath to say anything negative about him, and react curiously whenever scholars look critically at him. Because of his heroic status in our popular imagination (and because of the American victory in the Revolution), Americans simply assume that Washington was a “great general.” Lengel shows how this is not the case.

Lengel begins with Washington’s service during the the French and Indian War which he pretty much started, and where his record was less than exemplary. Despite an extraordinary rise in rank, Washington suffered mostly defeats, overreacted to his failures, blamed his men for his own mistakes and frequently lashed out at his critics. Still, he displayed a remarkable coolness under fire, could adapt and inspire in battle, and gained some valuable lessons.

When colonial resentment over British policies flared up, Washington was outraged but had no idea how to resist. Independence for the colonies was far from his thoughts. His attitude was principled, and he refrained from any emotional rhetoric or grandstanding. Then, of course, came war, and George Washington’s generalship, and victory, and, in our popular imagination, the idea that Washington’s generalship was the main cause of our victory.

In this well-written and readable work, Lengel thoroughly deconstructs this myth as he examines Washington’s mixed leadership of an army plagued with desertion, poor discipline, and misfortune. Washington was not a leader on par with Napoleon or any of the other “great generals.” He wasn’t even a professional soldier. His military career was mixed, and his failings are often glaringly obvious. Washington doubted his own ability to lead the army to victory. While well read in military history and theory, Washington had no practical training in field command. Washington definitely wasn't a skilled tactician. His reconnaissance was usually non-existent, his defensive tactics were amateurish, and his attacks were rash. He often put his troops at risk merely for the sake of redeeming his personal honor. Washington was often vulnerable in the face of the most simple tactic: a demonstration in the front and a turning of the flank. It is surprising how often Washington fell for such a basic trick.

He usually acted by instinct, with mixed results. Washington was not a creative military thinker, and fought largely by the book. Washington was not a “soldier’s general.” He nor his officers interacted personally with soldiers, and his soldiers did not trust him as a leader until much later and never really had any affection for him. He was not a skilled orator. He could be shockingly temperamental and vindictive. Much of his behavior, such as his preference for the title “His Excellency” would be called vain today, although it was accepted socially at the time.

Despite this, Washington had tremendous dedication and almost superhuman stamina. He was very much a micromanager. And while his tactical ability was suspect, he had a good grasp of strategy. He had a great understanding of politics and its relation, and necessity, to warfare. Still, he was never able to create a genuine professional army, even by the time the war ended. While his generalship was not especially great, it was enough to keep the army going.

An excellent book, though a few errors puzzled me. Lengel places Fort Ticonderoga on the Hudson River. It is actually on Lake Champlain. He also writes that after retrieving the cannons from Ticonderoga, Henry Knox took them down the Hudson. Knox took them across Lake George to Albany and then to Boston.

An extraordinary review of a complex character, stripping away all the myth and leaving only a detailed and balanced analysis of Washington’s flaws and strengths as a military figure.

good primer on washington's military career. but found myself still curious about many things barely touched on, like his relationship with junior officer hamilton, more details on the famous crossing of the delaware, etc.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a portrait of George Washington’s life as a military commander and especially focusing on his role as the commander in chief of the continental army during the revolutionary war. This book was insightful and thoughtful. I am not an expert in military history so I wondered about some of the analysis of the battles and actions of the army during the war. The one word that kept coming to my mind while I was reading this book was vision. George Washington had vision for the army, the country, everything. He was determined, dedicated, a host of other things but mostly he had vision. This book definitely made me grateful for the leaders of our country during the revolution and especially for this remarkable man. The book wasn’t all praise and was willing to criticize Washington when he deserved it. However, his faults made Washington seem all the more real and understandable. I also think that the thing we have to thank Washington the most for was his commitment to liberty and an elected government, even a flawed and imperfect one. For me his willingness to lay down power that was given to him was his most important accomplishment (and he had many).

Lengel documents Washington's military career in a captivating way. He humanizes Washington and, through his personal papers, he tells the story of an ambitious Virginian who was able to capture American independence. While Washington may not have been a brilliant military strategist such as Napoleon or Lee, Washington was brilliant in his personal connections. Can you imagine commanding a military of a republic which was nervous of standing militaries and dictatorships? Where you had to answer to 13 governors who were the respective heads of a united confederation of states as well as a Continental Congress? Without ample resources? Without trained soldiers and officers? Washington carefully cultivated the loyalty of his men and the civilian population. His brilliance in administration and personal relationships, as well as his belief in the cause of American independence made him the best leader for the time. I also really enjoyed learning about Washington's military life prior to and after the American Revolution.

Good, quick description about military life of George Washington

Much less interesting than Washington's Crossing, which was the other book I used to write my counterfactual essay on the Battle of Trenton. The language is almost too simplified, leaving room for holes of information that need to be filled. Despite the girth of this book, it could be read and understood by a young audience, which I suppose that's good for individuals looking for a simplified version of Washinton's military career.

Very good book. Extremely detailed and fair to the subject and the time period. This is the man most responsible for our independence and our way of life. Democracy would never have spread around the globe without this "experiment" in the USA and the USA would never had remained a country if not for the bravery, wisdom, and hard work of this man.

Focuses on Washington's military leadership. Labors somewhat and omits some of the most interesting details of Washington's career, but overall not bad.