George Washington : a life in books / Kevin J. Hayes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hayes, Kevin J., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Washington, George, 1732-1799--Books and reading.

Washington, George.

Presidents--United States--Biography.

Presidents.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (409 pages)

Place of Publication:

Oxford, England : Oxford University Press, 2017.

Summary:

" When it comes to the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton are generally considered the great minds of early America. George Washington, instead, is toasted with accolades regarding his solid common sense and strength in battle. Indeed, John Adams once snobbishly dismissed him as "too illiterate, unlearned, unread for his station and reputation." However, Adams, as well as the majority of the men who knew Washington in his life, were unaware of his singular devotion to self-improvement. Based on a comprehensive amount of research at the Library of Congress, the collections at Mount Vernon, and rare book archives scattered across the country, Kevin J. Hayes corrects this misconception and reconstructs in vivid detail the active intellectual life that has gone largely unnoticed in conventional narratives of Washington. Despite being a lifelong reader, Washington felt an acute sense of embarrassment about his relative lack of formal education and cultural sophistication, and in this sparkling literary biography, Hayes illustrates how Washington worked tirelessly to improve. Beginning with the primers, forgotten periodicals, conduct books, and classic eighteenth-century novels such as Tom Jones that shaped Washington's early life, Hayes studies Washington's letters and journals, charting the many ways the books of his upbringing affected decisions before and during the Revolutionary War. The final section of the book covers the voluminous reading that occurred during Washington's presidency and his retirement at Mount Vernon. Throughout, Hayes examines Washington's writing as well as his reading, from The Journal of Major George Washington through his Farewell Address. The sheer breadth of titles under review here allow readers to glimpse Washington's views on foreign policy, economics, the law, art, slavery, marriage, and religion. Ultimately, this captivating biography offers a fresh perspective on America's Father, uncovering the ideas that shaped his intellectual journey and, subsequently, the development of America. "-- Provided by publisher.

"Revered as a general and trusted as America's first elected leader, George Washington is considered a great many things in the contemporary imagination, but an intellectual is not one of them. In correcting this longstanding misconception, George Washington: A Life in Books offers a stimulating literary biography that traces the effects of a life spent in self-improvement"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note:

Preface

1. Meditations and Contemplations

2. Every Boy His Own Teacher

3. Exemplars

4. Travel Writing

5. The Journal of Major George Washington

6. A Memorial Containing a Summary View of Facts

7. Home and Garden

8. George Washington, Bibliographer

9. The Education of John Parke Custis

10. Revolutionary Pamphlets

11. Common Sense and Independence

12. A Green Baize Bookcase

13. Planning for Retirement

14. Haven of History

15. The Slave, the Quaker, and the Panopticon

16. Politics and the Picaresque

17. Presidential Patronage and the Development of American Literature

18. Official Letters to the Honorable American Congress

19. Farewell Address

20. Home at Last

Sources

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-045669-8

0-19-045668-X