Summary of the Book:

“His Excellency: George Washington” by Joseph J. Ellis is undoubtedly a thrilling narrative of an impressive biography and a delightful read for those willing to be introduced into the life of the Father of our country. The author focuses on Washington’s life experiences in a spectacularly perceptive manner, not merely attempting to tell the true story of America’s first president, but also endeavoring to analyze his contributions to world history as of a man with a personality so forceful and humane. Ellis restores the cultural and political background of a newborn state that might have accounted for Washington’s astonishing career and speculates on the governor’s ambiguous position on such problems as slavery and American Indians’ sovereignty. The author concentrates upon the effect that Washington’s governorship had upon the course of American history.

Analysis of the Book:

Ellis bases his narrative on a research of Washington’s private letters and papers, keeping the language comprehensive and the story absorbing. The book is evidently smart and moreover, represents a rare example of a historically authentic material, which is both clear and concise.

The fundamental idea of Ellis’ work is that Washington’s success was due to his practical intelligence and strong innate ambition, which eventually provided the first president with tools for creating powerful organizational mechanisms allowing him to rule the republic effectively. Thus, the author manages to observe the epic figure of the president while at the same time recognizing his human qualities.

Ellis’ work focuses on Washington’s public life. The narrative starts when the future national leader appears on the political horizon for the first time. Too short to go into too much detail, the book, however, covers most significant moments of Washington’s civic activities. We see a man who made decisions based upon rationale and sometimes, self-interest, and whose resolutions were doomed to have an impact on the world politics and the set of mind of people worldwide.

According to the author, the humane defects of an epic leader, as well as some non-heroic facts of his biography, where overshadowed by remarkable character and ability to conclude personal experience into changed ideas. Ellis writes about his hero with affection and amusing humor, producing positive impression as if reading a well-written and thoughtful biographical work, rather introducing and illuminating than educating.

Justification

George Washington, known as the leading military and political authority of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1797 is without a doubt an intriguing figure. His contributions to the history of the US are obvious and still actual now, almost three hundred years after the day of his birth. Commanding the Continental Army during the years of the American War of Independence (1775–1783), he eventually brought the American nation to victory over Britain. While serving as the first President of the United States, he gave birth to governmental structures and policies that have been in practice ever since; developed a powerful, well-fixed system of command that strived to keep the country away from wars, revolutions and poverty, and, therefore, gained admiration worldwide. The course of American history was deeply influenced, if not at all launched, by the sensible rule of this great man.

An image of Washington, who has commonly been presented as an idol of American nation and a symbol of republican ideals, has always lacked the humane constituent to me. Reading the reviews of Ellis’ book, I found the case interesting as they promised the manuscript to reveal the Father of America as a man of ambitions and intelligence, whose success was due to hard work and practical skills, not divine providence. Now, when the book is read I found myself perfectly satisfied, as I enjoyed reading and am pleased with an image of George Washington as of a personality, whose astounding career was an outcome of open-mindedness, progressive, liberal way of thinking, driven by a well-deserved practical knowledge and political wisdom.