![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
The Ascent of George Washington, by John Ferling
Book review time. I just finished reading The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon by John Ferling. As much of a Presidential nut as I am, I realized I haven't read very much about our first President, perhaps because he was everywhere in school, every history lesson, and so on. Whatever it was, I was more interested in reading about other Presidents. Nevertheless, I came to this book thinking I knew a great deal about Washington. But I find that some of my assumptions were wrong, and some of what I should have known, I didn't.
Ferling has set out not to canonize Washington (again), but rather to show that he was just as much a politician as any of the most recent Presidents. Indeed, if we believe everything in this book, Washington was a far better politician than what we're used to in the late 20th/early 21st centuries.
Ferling takes as his thesis that George Washington's goal in life was to be known, to be respected, and to be remembered. From there, he tracks everything Washington did from the time he reached adulthood, through commanding the rebel army, serving as the first President, and even the three years of his ultimate retirement, and shows how it wasn't Washington stumbling into success, and it wasn't just luck of the draw that got him where he went, but that it was all a carefully plotted trajectory designed to make Washington the icon we know today.
I didn't have any trouble with the early years of Washington's life, as Ferling depicts them. Realizing that he didn't want to be a poor, unrecognized younger son of a middle class family, Washington set out to join the upper ranks of society, to expand his holdings, and to find the fame he knew was there for the careful taking. To that end, following his elder brother's lead, he joined the army, got himself a commission, and sought glory. But then we start to see Washington as a man with a goal: buying up land grants as cheaply as possible, urging political changes that might ultimately benefit him personally, and so on.
Where the tale diverges from communal wisdom is during the Revolutionary War. Obviously, Ferling isn't trying to retell the whole of the war; he's only focusing on Washington's actions which are designed to enhance his own reputation. But in Ferling's telling, it appears that Washington took part in fewer than five battles during the eight years of the war, and that his only end was to build up his own reputation, while tearing down those of his potential rivals. It's somewhat disconcerting to see such an American symbol brought down to earth so forcefully, but I can't say he's wrong. Ferling introduces us to many other military leaders, seemingly all of them more competent and talented than Washington, and shows us how Washington was able to besmirch their reputations, while keeping his own pristine. And we also learn that Washington was quite aware that he was being used a symbol to rally the American colonists, and that he worked to build up that role himself.
Indeed, the man who had glory thrust upon him seems to disappear behind this new Washington, who maneuvered situations in order to be in positions that would allow him to "reluctantly" accept the charge of the public. Washington the selfless, who wouldn't take pay for his eight years commanding the army, gives way to Washington the scheming, who knew the emerging country didn't have the money to pay its soldiers, but managed to get the Continental Congress to cover all his expenses.
After the war, Washington retired to Mount Vernon, only to "reluctantly" accept the role as President of the Constitutional Convention. It was that convention which Washington knew would lead to more power for the central government, and thus enhance the value of his holdings and enable him to profit. It's also interesting how Ferling paints Washington the would-be President. Coming out of the Constitutional Convention, Ferling tells us, Washington knew he was the only choice for the first President, but his reticence to take the office was once again designed to enhance his image as the reluctant servant of the public, rather than the grasping social climber Ferling says he was. There was no other reason to delay his acceptance so long.
Ferling also goes into some detail on the feud between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson during Washington's first term as President. Indeed, Hamilton is shown to be almost as important to Washington's image as he was himself. Hamilton, according to Ferling, saw in Washington a figure-head that would enable Hamilton to make the new country in his own image. But Ferling's Washington wasn't as aloof as he is often thought to have been. He knew Hamilton was using him, but made use of Hamilton's efforts on his own behalf.
This isn't a fun book to read, but it is interesting. If Washington is a demigod in your pantheon, you may not want to read this. But if you want to see how Washington rose to those heights, John Ferling will show you the way.
Ferling has set out not to canonize Washington (again), but rather to show that he was just as much a politician as any of the most recent Presidents. Indeed, if we believe everything in this book, Washington was a far better politician than what we're used to in the late 20th/early 21st centuries.
Ferling takes as his thesis that George Washington's goal in life was to be known, to be respected, and to be remembered. From there, he tracks everything Washington did from the time he reached adulthood, through commanding the rebel army, serving as the first President, and even the three years of his ultimate retirement, and shows how it wasn't Washington stumbling into success, and it wasn't just luck of the draw that got him where he went, but that it was all a carefully plotted trajectory designed to make Washington the icon we know today.
I didn't have any trouble with the early years of Washington's life, as Ferling depicts them. Realizing that he didn't want to be a poor, unrecognized younger son of a middle class family, Washington set out to join the upper ranks of society, to expand his holdings, and to find the fame he knew was there for the careful taking. To that end, following his elder brother's lead, he joined the army, got himself a commission, and sought glory. But then we start to see Washington as a man with a goal: buying up land grants as cheaply as possible, urging political changes that might ultimately benefit him personally, and so on.
Where the tale diverges from communal wisdom is during the Revolutionary War. Obviously, Ferling isn't trying to retell the whole of the war; he's only focusing on Washington's actions which are designed to enhance his own reputation. But in Ferling's telling, it appears that Washington took part in fewer than five battles during the eight years of the war, and that his only end was to build up his own reputation, while tearing down those of his potential rivals. It's somewhat disconcerting to see such an American symbol brought down to earth so forcefully, but I can't say he's wrong. Ferling introduces us to many other military leaders, seemingly all of them more competent and talented than Washington, and shows us how Washington was able to besmirch their reputations, while keeping his own pristine. And we also learn that Washington was quite aware that he was being used a symbol to rally the American colonists, and that he worked to build up that role himself.
Indeed, the man who had glory thrust upon him seems to disappear behind this new Washington, who maneuvered situations in order to be in positions that would allow him to "reluctantly" accept the charge of the public. Washington the selfless, who wouldn't take pay for his eight years commanding the army, gives way to Washington the scheming, who knew the emerging country didn't have the money to pay its soldiers, but managed to get the Continental Congress to cover all his expenses.
After the war, Washington retired to Mount Vernon, only to "reluctantly" accept the role as President of the Constitutional Convention. It was that convention which Washington knew would lead to more power for the central government, and thus enhance the value of his holdings and enable him to profit. It's also interesting how Ferling paints Washington the would-be President. Coming out of the Constitutional Convention, Ferling tells us, Washington knew he was the only choice for the first President, but his reticence to take the office was once again designed to enhance his image as the reluctant servant of the public, rather than the grasping social climber Ferling says he was. There was no other reason to delay his acceptance so long.
Ferling also goes into some detail on the feud between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson during Washington's first term as President. Indeed, Hamilton is shown to be almost as important to Washington's image as he was himself. Hamilton, according to Ferling, saw in Washington a figure-head that would enable Hamilton to make the new country in his own image. But Ferling's Washington wasn't as aloof as he is often thought to have been. He knew Hamilton was using him, but made use of Hamilton's efforts on his own behalf.
This isn't a fun book to read, but it is interesting. If Washington is a demigod in your pantheon, you may not want to read this. But if you want to see how Washington rose to those heights, John Ferling will show you the way.
Comments