His Excellency: George Washington Audiobook

" Recently, I decided to read a biography on each US president, and I began the project with this book by Pulitzer Prize winning author Joseph J. Ellis. I must say that I was initially put off by how short the book was; it only comprises 275 pages of text, not including citations. However, once I began reading I was pleasantly surprised. The best part of Ellis's treatment of His Excellency, as George Washington was known, is the analysis of his very human faults and frailties. Combined with Washington's well known strengths and accomplishments, Ellis presents a complete portrait of Washington that reminds us we are dealing with a man, albeit an extraordinary one. "His Excellency" is a complete one-volume treatment of the Father of our Nation and is a must read for those interested in American Revolutionary history. "

" George Washington ranks No. 2 in my book among the main Founding Fathers. He's behind Benjamin Franklin, but up on James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (in that order). "

" Very readable biography of GW. "

" My goal for 2009 is to read a presidential biography on every US President in chronological order (with the exception of Truman as I've already read his excellent biography). I really enjoyed this biography of Washington--very academic writing and the book covered Washington's adult life well. I even answered a question correctly on Jeopardy on Friday because of something I read about the American Revolution--excellent! "

" I really loved the demystifying for our Fore Fathers. It was a humanistic look at a Deified individual. "

" This was the first biography of Washington that I had read. As usual, Ellis made him seem real and human. "

" Dull and drab on the writing style. Interesting read due to se subject "

" This is a good book to compliment with "1776" as it gives you more in depth background into President Washington's character. If you enjoyed "1776" as I did you will enjoy this one too. "

" Quick read. Learned a few things about the man, the myth, the legend I did not know before. "

" Enjoyed the book, although I must admit found some of the post-presidency chapters rather arduous to get through. I was unaware of Washington's military leadership, most notably during the Revolution. Worth the read for any red blooded 'Merican! "

" A bit long---but I believe a balanced, extensive look at George Washington. "

" This was a great Biography of George Washington, covering more than just facts and dates but also outlining his motivations behind his actions and decisions, giving insight to his values. "

" His Excellency draws a thorough portrait of America's greatest leader. This book is packed with information. Ellis' books move much slower than some of the more popular history authors. One of the better books out on Washington. "

" Good work of being unbiased and looking at the good of George Washington and his downfalls. "

" an excellent overall look at the life of George Washington. too many times do historians either crown Washington the most perfect, unflawed man that ever lived, or make him out to be the vilest human on the face of the planet. Both of those extremes are wrong, and Ellis finds the true Washington. "

" He could have been king if he had wanted, but knew better and did the right thing for his country. An amazing man. His farewell address is one of the great documents from early American history. "

" Helped me understand the critical rols he played in so many turning points in our history. Still hard to know the man himself as, unlike the other founders, he had no formal education and did not write letters as often. "

" This is a well-written and researched biography about the father of our country, Washington was a very imposing as a physical presence and in his personality. I found how little I new about our first president. "

" Excellent book about our nation's greatest leader. I felt the author took a very vair approach toward all of the major aspects of Washington's life. "

" Made me think about G Washington and about the American Revolution in ways I had not before. However, I enjoyed the bio. "George Washington" by Willard Sterne Randall better. "

" I really enjoyed this book, and I usually don't like histories. It was informative enough to be interesting, but the length wasn't daunting. I'd recommend it to anyone. I learned a lot. "

" Fantastic look at Washington. Takes you from his early life to post-presidency and death. Very engaging author. "

" So far so good - interesting information - - does so the importance of good luck and being in the right place atr the right time along with doing the right things as well "

" Ellis is a wonderful historian, and brings the Father of Our Country to life, presenting him in a fully-formed vision. "

" I knew very little about George Washington, but Ellis presents an exciting and in depth story of the Father of our country. "

" Quite interesting. Washington's greatest legacy, it turns out was his ability to say, 'No'. He said No to being a king, and when the time came, he said No to another term. <br/><br/>I now have a better insight into the 'Father of our Country' than what I learned throughout school. "

" Excellent biography. This was what got me hooked on Joseph Ellis. "

" haha it was very interesting. I learned many things I didn't know :) "

" Love Ellis's work in general. While other biographies give a chronological sequence of events in the life of their subject, Ellis uses examples from his subjects' lives to support a bold thesis. "

" A good book in classic Joseph Ellis style, told through vivid descriptions of critical moments in the subject's life and emphasizing certain themes. Though perhaps not entirely fair in its occasional references to John Adams, the scholarship is sound and well documented in the end notes. "