Sunday Evening

Approaching mid-October, and it's so hot and humid, walking the dogs at 6 p.m. was like walking into a steamy shower fully clothed.  It's NASTY.  We are supposed to get a break in the humidity, but not necessarily a break in the heat, in the coming week.  Seriously. This is NOT okay.

Second Random Book Review:  Washington: A Life

I listened to this book a couple of months ago, and I really, really liked it in many ways. It was full of fascinating information and background about George Washington, but there was something about it that started to annoy me. I'd felt the same twinges of annoyance with another Chernow book: Alexander Hamilton

I'd had a sense of what I came to think of as Fanboy Fawning in the Hamilton book; I chalked it up to the author letting his personal feelings about Alexander Hamilton color his narrative, and no big deal. I liked the book, but remember feeling more than a bit annoyed and then actually laughing at the endless superlatives the author heaped upon AH. Despite that mixed reaction, I went ahead and downloaded Washington. I believe I'll let Publisher's Weekly say it for me: [Bolded by Me.]

In his introduction, veteran biographer Chernow is clear about his goals. Using the recent "explosion of research," he wants to render George Washington "real" and "credible," to replace "frosty respect" with "visceral appreciation." In many respects, Chernow succeeds. He gives us a Washington who starts with limited education and means and, through a remarkable combination of timely deaths, an incredible capacity for hard work, a shrewd marriage, astonishing physical hardiness and courage, a propensity for land speculation, and a gift for finding influential patrons, transforms himself into a soldier, well-to-do planter, local official, and eventually the only real choice to command the Continental army, preside over the Constitutional Convention, and serve as the first president. Chernow makes familiar scenes fresh (like the crossing of the Delaware) and expertly brings the provisional revolutionary and early Republican eras to life. Along the way, however, he mistakes "visceral" for ardent; while he never hides Washington's less than saintly moments or shirks the vexed question of slavery, he often seems to ignore the data he's collected. Examples of shady dealing are quickly followed by tales of Washington's unimpeachable ethics or impeccable political savvy. At times it feels as if Chernow, for all his careful research and talent for synthesis, is in the grip of a full-scale crush. The result is a good book that would have been great if better edited, and if Chernow had trusted that Washington's many merits, even when accompanied by his faults, would speak for themselves. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A really fascinating and intensively researched story was definitely spoiled for me by the truly ridiculous superlatives heaped on GW on nearly every page, often when they directly contradicted the facts. At times all I could do was mock it, and started thinking of the author as Fanboy Ron. A description of a serious illness that left Washington bedridden and out of action for months, one of several serious illnesses that damn near killed him, is followed by repeated over-the-top fawning about his exceptional physical stamina and boundless energy, and how he was bigger, stronger, tougher, and healthier than his peers - I found myself saying out loud, "Dude, did you READ your own last chapter?" And I won't even try to describe the ludicrous pretzel-logic needed to explain why Washington truly, truly hated slavery yet kept lots of slaves. (Hint: He had a hell of a lot of land and needed cheap labor, and practicality trumped personal feelings.) I think a modern reader can grasp that, even while not liking it, so why not just lay it out there and trust the reader to grasp the practical dilemma, without repeating over and over and freaking over how he really, really, no really, GW totally hated slavery! Really! TOTALLY!

The well-researched information in the book is enlightening and interesting - GW truly was an impressive man, but he also had a hell of a lot of luck, (people kept dying and leaving him money and land), patronage, and an influential marriage that helped him along the path he followed, all of which has to be sort of teased out of the fluff.

To me, these details humanized him and made him much more understandable in contemporary terms - less of a mythical figure, sure, but still impressive and most of all, real. The author's endless need to shape the reader's opinion - GW was taller, stronger, tougher, a better dancer, incredibly honest and supremely moral at all times (except when he wasn't, but we'll gloss over that) - it honestly made me laugh.

I've read(listened to) two of his books, and can only conclude that he can't help crushing on his subjects to the point of silliness, and as the review above says, really needs an editor who can rein that shit in. Still a very readable/listenable book, full of fascinating details about a pivotal period in history, even if the Great Man wasn't really perfect and larger than life.