Popular historian and former White House speechwriter Jonathan Horn tells the astonishing true story of George Washington’s forgotten last years—the personalities, plotting, and private torment that unraveled America’s first post-presidency.
Washington’s End begins where most biographies of George Washington leave off, with the first president exiting office after eight years and entering what would become the most bewildering stage of his life. Embittered by partisan criticism and eager to return to his farm, Washington assumed a role for which there was no precedent at a time when the kings across the ocean yielded their crowns only upon losing their heads. In a different sense, Washington would lose his head, too.
In this riveting read, bestselling author Jonathan Horn reveals that the quest to surrender power proved more difficult than Washington imagined and brought his life to an end he never expected. The statesman who had staked his legacy on withdrawing from public life would feud with his successors and find himself drawn back into military command. The patriarch who had dedicated his life to uniting his country would leave his name to a new capital city destined to become synonymous with political divisions.
A vivid story, immaculately researched and powerfully told through the eyes not only of Washington but also of his family members, friends, and foes, Washington’s End fills a crucial gap in our nation’s history and will forever change the way we view the name Washington.
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“Arthur Morey’s narration qualities are especially valuable here…In the tone of a close confidant…Morey conveys a time in Washington’s career unexpectedly fraught with conflict, and a rich retrospect on a complex personality.”
— AudioFile
“Vividly told and impeccably researched, Washington’s End is a movable feast of a book. Read it, savor it, learn from it.”
— Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author“A captivating and enlightening look at Washington’s post-presidential life and the politically divided country that was part of his legacy.”
— New York Journal of Books“A poignant look at the father of his country in the twilight of his life. Horn…has a fluid, pleasing style, with stately cadences that suit his subject.”
— National Review“A useful biography that provides an honest reckoning of Washington’s life and legacy.”
— Kirkus Reviews“An outstanding biographical work…Highly recommended for those who want to better understand the early republic.”
— Library JournalBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Jonathan Horn is a former White House presidential speechwriter and the author of The Man Who Would Not Be Washington. He has appeared as a commentator on MSNBC and BBC radio and his writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Weekly Standard, and other outlets. A graduate of Yale University, he lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife, Caroline.
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.