The Education of George Washington: The Forgotten Book That Shaped the Character of a Hero

This biography of Washington by his great-nephew aims to put a fresh, inspirational spin on the first president’s life by examining the practices that elevated him to greatness. The “education” of the title was Washington’s youthful study of a now-obscure book, A Panegyrick to the Memory of His Grace Frederick, Late Duke of Schonberg, selections of which are excerpted to explore their potential effect on his character. But the author validates his claim that “this ain’t your grandma’s [history]” with an informal, boorish tone punctuated with pop-culture references, contrived slang, and flailing attempts at humor. A mocking hostility manifests itself in derisive references to “stupid, bacon-loving Canadians” and to the Western world as “fascist nanny states.” The author frequently characterizes opposing arguments in sweeping generalizations before arguing his own position via put-downs, anecdotal evidence, and fallacious logic. Describing America as having “fallen hard and fast,” he laments a modern lack of great men of “character and substance,” while, in a grand irony, derides those who would trade on name-recognition as a quick route to success. While his intention—to offer a hero to young males—may be considered noble, his end product amounts to little more than rose-tinted misreadings of history suffused with his opinions on modern government. (Feb.)