Only halfway through, but absolutely a great book. Chapters so exciting, you don't want to put it down. I really like how GW's character and that of his adversaries is captured. Also enjoy the unfolding of how we came to know him. ( )

Purports to allow the reader to meet a more human George Washington, minus the heroic trappings. I've seen it done a lot better elsewhere and with less preachiness. ( )

The disjointed time chronology drove me a little nuts, but the book is worth reading for the historical information on George Washington. ( )

This book was incredibly, incredibly bizarre.

I previously reviewed [b:Killing Lincoln|10587120|Killing Lincoln The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever|Bill O'Reilly|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317793681s/10587120.jpg|15494456] and [b:Killing Kennedy|13538641|Killing Kennedy The End of Camelot|Bill O'Reilly|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1337689366s/13538641.jpg|19100984] and found both books interesting and informative. I thought the style was somewhat simplistic, but overall they were interesting and decent starting grounds for people who want to look deeper into history. This book, however? It didn't even really serve that purpose. It was just... very, very strange.

[b:Being George Washington|12262732|Being George Washington|Glenn Beck|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348994660s/12262732.jpg|17237703] wanted to be a biography while also wanting to be a legitimate history book, political history, and a self-help book. It wanted to prove that Washington was religious while also wanting to show how Washington bettered himself by simply being civil and persistent. Essentially? It wanted to be way too many things.

I think an editor needs to go at this book with a machete, restructure it, and find out where the book wants to live. I think the purpose of the book would overall be better served if it simply rested comfortably in the arms of a dramatic narrative such as [b:Killing Lincoln|10587120|Killing Lincoln The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever|Bill O'Reilly|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317793681s/10587120.jpg|15494456] did. I think the book would be better served by relying on primary documents without editorial asides trying to emphasize Christianity over Deism or any other religious point of view.

Just... it was a bit like reading through someone's scribbled notes in a textbook this way. ( )

Outstanding! Never a dull moment. This work of narrative history doubles as a character study, exploring the lessons to be learned from the life of George Washington for individuals and a nation. Highly recommended. ( )