George Washington: A BiographyWashington Irving's Life of George Washington (published in five volumes in 1856-59) was the product of his last years and remains his most personal work. Christened with the name of the great general, Irving was blessed by Washington while still a boy of seven, and later came to know many of the prominent figures of the Revolution. In these pages he describes them using firsthand source material and observation. The result is a book which is fascinating not only for its subject (the American Revolution), but also for how it reveals in illuminating detail the personality and humanity of a now remote, towering icon. Here is an intimate portrait of Washington the man, from Virginia youth to colonial commander to commander-in-chief of the patriot army to first president and great guiding force of the American federation. But one cannot read Irving's Life without marveling at the supreme art behind it, for his biography is foremost a work of literature. Charles Neider's abridgment and editing of Irving's long out-of-print classic has created a literary work comparable in importance and elegance to the original. George Washington, A Biography, Neider's title for his edition of Irving's Life, makes the work accessible to modern audiences. The extensive introduction provides a detailed analysis of Irving's life and times, and the difficulties he faced as he worked against his own failing health to finish what he felt was his masterpiece. This new edition of the superb biography of America's first citizen by America's first literary artist remains as fresh and unique today as when it was penned. |
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Page 103
... received orders from General Forbes to join him with his troops at Raystown , where he had just arrived , having been detained by severe illness . He was received by the general with the highest marks of respect . On all occasions ...
... received orders from General Forbes to join him with his troops at Raystown , where he had just arrived , having been detained by severe illness . He was received by the general with the highest marks of respect . On all occasions ...
Page 178
... received with great respect by the mayor and common council , and transports of loyalty by those devoted to the crown . It was unknown what instructions he had received from the ministry but it was rumored that a large force would soon ...
... received with great respect by the mayor and common council , and transports of loyalty by those devoted to the crown . It was unknown what instructions he had received from the ministry but it was rumored that a large force would soon ...
Page 317
... received : " I am extremely shocked to hear that your force is so inadequate to the necessity of your situation , as I had been taught to think you had been consid- erably reinforced . Your last letters proposing a plan of surprises and ...
... received : " I am extremely shocked to hear that your force is so inadequate to the necessity of your situation , as I had been taught to think you had been consid- erably reinforced . Your last letters proposing a plan of surprises and ...
Contents
Early Days | 3 |
Expeditions Beyond the Blue Ridge | 13 |
Washington in the Ohio Country | 22 |
Copyright | |
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