Alexis Coe

(2020) Very good biography of Washington, warts and all. As the author points out, this unabashedly written from a female perspective instead of by another ?thigh-man? as she calls the tomes done by Chernow, Ellis and others. Also, she doesn't hold back in condemning Washington for being a slave holder for purely economic reasons, despite supposedly having moral qualms about the practice. He comes across as both a flawed and heroic figure. (6 hrs, 42 min)KIRKUS REVIEW:FEB. 4, 2020Abiography of George Washington that debunks many of the tall tales surrounding his legacy.When Coe (Alice Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis, 2014), a former research curator at the New York Public Library, began gathering information for her latest book, she realized that most of the major Washington biographies had been written by men and were often biased toward a male perspective. Because this book avoids the male-centric viewpoint, it should make for interesting reading even for those who think they know Washington's story. Coe shares the unvarnished truth about the man, exposing many of the myths about him. In one section, the author examines the ?Lies We Believe About the Man Who Could Not Tell Them,? which include the ?fact? that ?He was the first president to live in the White House.? As Coe notes, ?Washington helped choose the site of the White House, but John Adams was the first president to live there.? The author chronicles Washington's battles in the French and Indian War and his flirtations with women prior to meeting Martha Custis, who, within a year, became his wife. Coe writes extensively about the slaves and indentured servants who called Mount Vernon home and the man who served as Washington's personal aide throughout his life, including on the battlefield. The author has clearly done her homework, evident throughout the text in the letters and documents she quotes and the numerous sidebars and charts she incorporates, including a listing of the numerous animals housed at Mount Vernon. Coe juxtaposes her portrait of Washington's political and leadership traits with a softer side of him as stepfather to Martha's children, but she also shows his negligence toward his own mother. There is also a timeline, a list of ?diseases survived,? and a handy bulleted section called ?George Washington at a Glance? (his ?dislikes? included ?idle chatter,? ?sitting for portraits,? and ?slapstick humor?).Evenhanded and engaging, this biography brings fresh insight to one of America's most written-about leaders.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020ISBN: 978-0-7352-2410-0Page Count: 304Publisher: VikingReview Posted Online: Nov. 25, 2019Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019… (més)

I enjoyed reading this book from the beginning until the very last chapter. Not only do I like to be corrected on the fabrications I learned in my own history class and know what really happened as opposed to some white-washed, fraudulent bullshit. I also love how you touch up on history as a whole when reading something like this. What I'm trying to say is you learn who the original 4 G.W.'s Cabinet members were. A lot of people may be able to recite who they were and what department but I definitely couldn't before reading this book. I bet an even smaller number of people can tell you who was in his 2nd Cabinet, for 2nd term- with actually 2 departments having 2 secretaries due to death or resignation-and if they can well then I am highly impressed and in awe. The book covered a lot without going too far past its usefulness and having lots of filler to increase those page numbers. (I actually don't think professional writers/authors really have the size of the book/article at the forefront of their mind but I guess I'm projecting my high school/college papers and milking anything I could for page stretching. I digress....… (més)

I enjoyed reading this book from the beginning until the very last chapter. Not only do I like to be corrected on the fabrications I learned in my own history class and know what really happened as opposed to some white-washed, fraudulent bullshit. I also love how you touch up on history as a whole when reading something like this. What I'm trying to say is you learn who the original 4 G.W.'s Cabinet members were. A lot of people may be able to recite who they were and what department but I definitely couldn't before reading this book. I bet an even smaller number of people can tell you who was in his 2nd Cabinet, for 2nd term- with actually 2 departments having 2 secretaries due to death or resignation-and if they can well then I am highly impressed and in awe. The book covered a lot without going too far past its usefulness and having lots of filler to increase those page numbers. (I actually don't think professional writers/authors really have the size of the book/article at the forefront of their mind but I guess I'm projecting my high school/college papers and milking anything I could for page stretching. I digress....… (més)