George Washington: The Crossing

by Jack E. Levin, Mark R. Levin

The #1 New York Times bestselling book for many weeks, Jack Levin presents a beautifully designed account of George Washington’s historic crossing of the Delaware River and the decisive Battle of Trenton, with a foreword by his son, #1 New York Times bestselling author and radio host Mark R. Levin.

With the warm-hearted patriotism and passion he brought to his beautiful volume Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Illustrated, Jack E. Levin illuminates a profound turning point of the American Revolution: the decisive Battle of Trenton and its prelude—General George Washington leading his broken and ailing troops in a fleet of small wooden boats across the ice-encased Delaware River.

While one iconic nineteenth-century painting made the crossing a familiar image, the significance of the against-all-odds victory put into motion on Christmas night, 1776, cannot be told enough. Jack Levin brings to light several vital perspectives, and draws his text from General Washington’s letter to the Continental Congress to describe the amazing account of the unlikely defeat of the Hessian army at Trenton.

As a father, Jack Levin inspired his sons—including Mark Levin, and Douglas, and Robert—with his love for America. Around the family table, he would share the facts and events of the nation’s founding, spark lively debates, and pass along his extensive knowledge and his deep and abiding patriotism. Featuring Revolution-era artwork, portraiture, and maps, George Washington: The Crossing imparts the same vivid, intimate telling, that of a father to his sons—the kind of history lesson that lives in the heart forever.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, War, American Revolution, Presidents, Military Fiction

64 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2013

About the author

Jack E. Levin (1925–2018) was the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Malice Toward None; George Washington: The Crossing; Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Illustrated; Proverbs for Young People; and Our Police. He was an author, artist, and small businessman, and was married to his wife, Norma, for sixty years.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who doesn't appreciate the freedom they have in this country should read this book.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best stories of the American Revolution! I loved reading that story all over again and was reminded of the many miracles. The crossing of the Delaware River is amazing and it was told very well. I felt like I was there.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a small book for such a big event. Bare bones summary of the battle of Trenton. This was in our library's history section for adults though I suspect it was targeted for a much younger audience.

Still, the illustrations were pretty cool.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good account of Washington Crossing the Delaware.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, concise rendering of the battle of Trenton. Not a lot of nuance, but you can get that elsewhere. This is basically a picture book, very good for that.

[Holly Foley (Procida) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be an indispensable book to add to a unit on the American Revolution. It brought the battle of Trenton into such clarity. The artwork, quotes and text were all quite powerful. Even reluctant readers would get so much out of it due to its short length and visual format. It made me want to visit Trenton and see all the famous sites for myself.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very quick, but very powerful book. Jack uses the right artistic pieces to illustrate the time and the sacrifice that those early Americans displayed. This book focuses on the Battle of Trenton and how George Washington led the rag-tag army across the Delaware on Dec 26, 1776. Wow, amazing, the book makes you proud to be American.

[Anthony Dedilectis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book about the Battle of Trenton and how it became the turning point of the American Revolution. Should be a must read for all middle and high school students. Gives the sentiment of the revolutionary army and makes me proud to be an American. Full quotes from Washington's letters. Jack Levin is a wonderful story teller of the battle that saved the American Revolution.

[Mario Lofaro]

A quick, but great read about the turn of our fight for freedom and the sacrifices made to accomplish the impossible...

[Solomon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perplexing book. Given to me as a gift years ago by my father, I reread it yesterday on a lark. It's shaped like a children's book. No more than 30 or 40 pages, and a small square shape. Each page is dominated by gigantic illustrations of each event, and the narrative is told in short, curt summaries that cut straight to the point and brook no complexity.

Its basic focus is telling the backstory for Washington's crossing of the Delaware river, the event which inspired the famous illustration of George Washington standing majestically atop an icefloe. The series of running battles that led to the event are briskly listed (if not exactly 'described'), all leading up to the main event at the battle of Trenton. This one battle takes up nearly half the text in the book (which to be clear, is not very much), and the significance of the battle is told in simple, storybook terms. "The American revolution was at risk. The British were doing a number on George. Then George did something incredible! He beat the Hessians badly because he was so courageous and smart. The American Revolution was saved!" I think Gen. Cornwallis is mentioned by name twice. Who the Hessians are is never explained.

So the impression it gives is at once very simplistic and childish; it's a perspective that brooks no complexity or concern for political reality. On the other hand, it's attempting to deal with events that have a real historical context, and it refuses to deal with that context. At two different points, complex battle schematics are dropped in as full page illustrations without any context or explanation. It's a very strange book and I don't know who I would recommend it to. It gives far too little explanation to recommend it for children, but I can't imagine an adult reading it without getting frustrated by the presentation.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I Read It:
The Crossing caught my eye at the library where it was faced out in the new history book display case. It is a slim volume and I thought it would be a good start to kick off my reading for The American Revolution reading challenge hosted by War Through The Generations.

About The Book:
The book is written by Jack E. Levin, self-taught historian and the father of radio personality Mark R. Levin. It is a brief, 64-page overview of the the Battle of Trenton. It's filled with color reproductions of paintings, drawings, and two detailed maps that outline the action.

Do you remember the Battle of Trenton from history class? Do you remember that painting of Washington perched majestically near the bow of a small boat? That was from this battle. See the book's cover for a cropped version or click the following link to see the full glory of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, 1816-1868.

Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River under cover of darkness and through ice-flows on the night of December 25-26, 1776 to spring a surprise attack on the British and Hessian forces. The crossing itself was a monumental feat and the battle changed the course of the Revolutionary War.

Prior to this Washington and his troops had withstood a string of losses and morale was low. Long Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan were lost and Washington was in retreat. He guessed that the British would attack Philadelphia next, the capitol of the revolution. To prevent this the Delaware was crossed, followed by a 9 mile march to Trenton. The revolutionary forces crushed the British in this battle and the revolutionary spirit and momentum were revived.

A Good Gift Book:
I imagine the publishers were thinking this book would make a nice father's day gift as it came out on June 4th. It probably would not be an appropriate gift book for someone who is already into this time period or Washington (unless they're collectors who want everything printed). However, do keep it in mind for the next holiday gift-giving season. Independence Day is this week. If Neil Gaiman can start All Hallow's Read, maybe someone out there can get an Independence Day book giving tradition going?

On Mark Levine's Preface to His Dad's Book:
Once upon a time when I worked for Borders we hosted the author's son, Mark Levine, for a book signing. He was fine, but some of his fans were big slobs. They left more trash behind than any other audience I'd dealt with: food ground into the carpet, drinks spilled, etc. (Ted Nugent's fans, on the other hand, were tidy and polite, even if we did have to tell them that they could not bring their guns or bows & arrows into the store). Anyway, I bring up Mark because he wrote the preface to his dad's book. He wraps up his preface saying this,

"As this book, George Washington: The Crossing, attests, my father has a truly unique ability to let history speak for itself through his careful use of prose and painstaking selection of illustrations and photographs. There is fresh simplicity yet bracing depth in every page of this book. And unlike too many authors, my father is not interested in exploiting the human imperfections and frailties of the Founders but, instead, presents a straightforward account of these mostly selfless, heroic American figures, who were willing to die for the cause of freedom and self-government, and among whom Washington was arguably the most significant."

This paragraph worried me about the content I was about to read. For one, history never speaks for itself. It is always constructed by a historian (as Levine unwittingly admits above, noting his father's "careful use of prose and painstaking selection") and then interpreted by readers. And what is his issue with other authors? What is wrong with trying to present a well-rounded understanding of a historic figure? And by this I mean human: the good, the bad, and the ugly. What unnamed foe is he taking a pot shot at with this swipe? Surely not Ron Chernow (brilliant book, read it!) Maybe A.J.Jacobs? Did I miss a Washington bashing book?

Putting the Founding Fathers on pedestals annoys me. Glorifying the Founding Fathers as demigods does a huge disservice not only to history, but to our understanding of and ability to cope with our current political quagmire. Those guys were not perfect and neither are our current politicians. There was political argument back then and let's hope there will be 200 years from now. However, let's have more true debate and compromise and less party posturing and ideological whoring. Has Levine not seen the musical 1776?

Words of Washington in Red
And then I was worried when, on the next page after the conclusion of Levine Jr.'s preface, I was informed that the words of Washington would be printed in RED. Hmmm, where have I seen that before? Oh, yeah, the Bible. The words of Jesus in red edition. From pedestal to deity. Uh-oh. George would not be happy about that.

Interspersed throughout the book is Washington's letter to the Continental Congress about the battle. Lines from this letter are printed in red and it works well, both for the reader and for the design harmony of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but could have done without Mark Levin's rah-rah commentary in the preface. Jack Levin presents an engaging account of the battle and the design of the book is pleasant for both older kids and adults.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short well written book about the battle of Trenton.

The thing that stands out in the book are the pictures, they are outstanding and combined with the text gives a different vibe to the entire well-known story.

You can read the book in a single night, and it will give you goosebumps to realize how very close America was in never existing at all.

[Matthew Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple, quick read detailing the Battle of Trenton and the circumstances leading up to it. It's meant for a general audience, but does have some pretty powerful writing in it that history lovers will enjoy. I would have liked information on James Monroe in this one, but overall it's a pretty good book. As it's a quick read, you can probably knock it out in a day. I recommend it.

[Miles Nilsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short, digestible history lesson that mainly tells the reader the facts about George Washington 19s victory at the Battle of Trenton. Although it is focused on the battle itself, Levin 19s account puts the engagement in the context of the events leading up to it and the consequences that followed. That is only what a good history needs to do.

You have seen the painting of Washington crossing the Delaware, standing up in the prow of a boat with his men struggling to steer, row and paddle in various action poses. (The painting is often noted for showing an African-American soldier in the crowded boat.) That passage across the Delaware River in the winter of 1776 was just part of a daring plan that probably saved the American Revolution, and that is why Levin has asked us to remember it.

In my humble opinion, George Washington was hardly the greatest military commander in American history, but he did outdo himself in the Battle of Trenton, and it is consequently a worthy event to consider for both historical and military reasons.

Levin does have a point of view but it is well supported. He cites evidence that Washington was not entirely confident in his ability to command the ragtag American army and defeat the British. Some think that Washington was guilty of false modesty, but doubt was only realistic; the British were the world 19s leading military power, and the American military had no foundation 14the Revolution was its foundation. Although he had driven the British out of Boston, Washington subsequently had a series of setbacks before he achieved his major victory at Trenton.

Levin briefly describes how the British had chased Washington across Long Island and New York City and across New Jersey. Here 14as he would later on as well 14Washington demonstrated his true genius for retreating. This might sound like a putdown, but retreating in an orderly manner that results in saving one 19s army to fight another day is no mean skill, even if it is the best one in one 19s set. It requires, for one thing, the humility to face the fact that one 19s position is untenable and that one must retreat. A general who is too narcissistic to admit that he is losing a battle will likely throw good men and resources after bad until the enemy has whittled him down to nothing.

Only because it was winter and Christmas was fast approaching did the British let up and retire from chasing Washington any further. They had done well, having taken control of New York and established themselves in New Jersey. Now Washington realized that he must do something daring or else be utterly defeated in the New Year. What he did was an enormous risk. He brought his hungry, cold, half-supplied army to the banks of the Delaware, crossed its treacherous, frigid waters in whatever boats could be scared up, then marched his men several miles to Trenton, hoping against hope to get there before dawn. This whole operation came to be three hours behind schedule, making Washington anxious that he would arrive in Trenton so well after dawn that there would be no surprise on his side. Yet fortune favors the bold 14at least it did in this instance.

Trenton was defended by a German-speaking Hessian unit. They were crack professional soldiers, mercenaries hired by the British to augment the regular British units used during the American Revolution to try to put down the rebellion. It was Christmas Day, however, when Washington arrived in Trenton completely unannounced. The Hessians 14from their commanding officer to the lowliest private soldiers 14had been celebrating the night before. Most were drunk and asleep. It didn 19t matter that Washington arrived after the sun had come up. The Hessians might not have been ready for him even if he had come at noon.

In the ensuing battle, the Hessians did try to mount a defense, but in the end they suffered the most casualties, the survivors were captured and Washington 19s army took control of Trenton. News of the rebel victory spread around the world and had the effect of dispiriting some British people and their parliamentary representatives, persuading some continental Europeans that the American Revolution might be worth supporting, as well as similarly buoying the spirits of Americans who might have been doubtful that an American army could defeat one sent against them by the British.

There would, of course, be other such moments in the War of Independence, because the European powers were not convinced by one victory that they should go all in and invest large amounts of their treasure in America 19s David against Britain 19s Goliath. The later Battle of Saratoga in upstate New York would be another such moment. Unexpectedly, an upstart American army 14not under Washington this time 14defeated a weakened British army that had begun with the overly ambitious idea of cutting off the New England colonies from New York and the mid-Atlantic colonies. In the parlance of today, it was an epic fail for the British.

But Levin is not trying to tell us the whole story of the American Revolution, just one remarkable moment.

[Elaine Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and faithful rendition of what led to our country's creation.
The illustrations do justice to the inspiring words and actions of simple men fighting for a worthy cause

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to pick on an 88 year old man, but for his son's connections this book would have never seen the light of day.

[Tracie Sneed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Anita Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated (short) book about the Battle of Trenton, during the Revolutionary War. Fascinating.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but way too short!

[Martin Carlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book of one of our nations founding fathers. The leadership traits are instilled in this book of George Washington. The miracles and faith of his rag tag army is evident in this book.

[Jim Swike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not read enough to give a proper review. Enjoy!

[R. L. Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely breakdown of this monumental moment in America’s founding! Perfect for the little patriots in your life!

[Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations, maps, and a quick read. I liked it.

[Stasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little additional history book with fantastic choice of pictures. Excellent for history buffs or a great extracurricular read for homeschooling.

[H.S. Kylian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, short overview of the Battle of Trenton that could easily be used as an introduction for more hefty books, namely to familiarize kids with it.

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artwork alone makes this a worthy book.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jack Levin shows engaging craft as historiographer, interleaving primary sources with his own narrative and with period art. Current maps showing marching paths were a bit confusing to follow, but only because the captions didn't always match the maps well. There is not much here that one can't get in equal detail on Wikipedia, which is not surprising because the American Revolution is a well-structured topic header that will have many serious and fastidious custodians contributing to and policing the pages. Again, the strength of Jack Levin's work is his way of making this into a unified piece of visual/written work, and this separates it from what I could find online. For a patriotic retelling, with some of the complications, historiographic arguments, and uncertainties woven in, I prefer Nathan Hale's graphic novel Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy.

The unfortunate part of this well-designed account of the Battle of Trenton is the foreword by Mark Levin. An editor somewhere must have felt that the daytime talk radio personality was needed to market the book to neo-patriots, because he gets clear mention on the cover: "with a preface by his son Mark Levin". In the folksy dinner-table preface Mark Levin works to deny any technique or 'spin' in the historiography, declaring that the story is 'straightforward' and focuses only on the positive, uncomplicating aspects of Washington's personality (i.e., avoiding any kind of revisionist approaches to the 19th-century myth-making historiographic agenda). Jack Levin's work would have stood up on its own much better without this piece of conservative apologetics. I felt like I was reading William Bennett or Lynne Cheney.

A key example of where Mark Levin goes wrong? The Hessian soldiers being asleep because of a Christmas rum binge is contradicted clearly by primary sources from those who spent time with the prisoners of war, as detailed in Fischer's book, Washington's Crossing. I do not fault Jack Levin for not using these sources, whether he didn't know of Fischer's sources or just preferred the more interesting story of the popularized version of events. It just has to be recognized that Jack Levin's way of arranging the story is loaded with his point of view. In this example, Mark Levin's meaning of 'straightforward' is that his dad's version makes the British look stupid and sloppy (which it turns out they weren't) and Washington look like a paragon of discipline and hard work (which he was). The object of this kind of writing is to be divisive and to create an 'us/them' mentality. The Hessians were likely beat down and tired on Dec 26, 1776 for the same reasons Washington's soldiers were--i.e, they were sitting on their butts in a kind of seige tactic in the dead of winter. So using the story to push virtues and values is part of the 19th-century myth-making agenda we are familiar with from so much writing about the Founding Fathers and the American Revolution, and which is so easy for credulous neocons to buy into. Historians have known and recognized this agenda for decades, yet Mark Levin still wants to cloak his philosophical leanings behind misleading phrases like 'straightforward account' and 'let history speak for itself' (i.e., "believe me, and don't question me because I am good and right"). An edited and arranged story never speaks for itself; someone is always there doing the author's labor. Mark Levin's divisive alarmist agenda has rhetorical and philosophical foundations he is unwilling to explore, to detail, or wear on his sleeve--because it is a kind of salesmanship that has made him wealthy and popular.

[Louis Barbier · Rating 5 out of 5]

The decisive Battle of Trenton by George Washington's troops in the middle of winter of December 1776 is the bellwether of the Revolutionary War! The victory at Trenton came as a complete surprise to people and governments around the world! They could not understand how a ragged, half-frozen, and starving bunch of mostly civilian troops of the colonist led by General George Washington who has spent most of the year of 1776 retreating from one position to another had so soundly beaten a professional army such as the well-equipped Hessians at Trenton! The Hessian soldiers fought for the booty that a victory in battle would bring to them. On the other hand; the revolutionists fought for higher goals and ideals, such as life, liberty, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. This book cuts to the quick of what the Battle of Trenton was all about such as the battle cry used by the Americans as they charged the enemy positions: 'Victory or Death!' This battle alone was the turning point in their struggle against the British. It also produced the Icon of a painting of George Washington and his men in long boats crossing the icy stormy Delaware River in the middle of winter. For me this is a must read, which provides a patriotic message that something 19s in life are worth fighting for and this fact alone should be pass onto future generations!

[Luis Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Americans should read this book. It will only take you 20-25 minutes. Do I wish it had been a little longer? Yes, but nevertheless it succinctly packs in a lot of detail in its few pages, setting up the backdrop to George Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware.

This is one of the most famous and pivotal moments of the Revolutionary War, yet I'd venture to say the average American knows few of these details, of the hardships Washington's men endured and the odds facing his troops against a much larger and formidable army. For example, I had no idea that Washington suffered not a single casualty among his men and only four were wounded in the battle of Trenton. Impressive in any battle.

The story is augmented by excellent artwork and informative maps. One note, which makes me sad to admit, I needed a magnifying glass to properly see the maps and the texts of some historical documents.

Don't read this expecting it to be a definitive guide to Washington or the war. It's just an appreciative glimpse into a moment in time when America's most brilliant leader worked what was damn near a miracle and re-energized the colonial cause. It's highly recommended for children and adults should enjoy it, too.

[Rob · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this volume having recently picked up Paul Johnson's Washington mini-bio. Unfortunately, The Crossing is pure trash. Image overload, most of which are ill-chosen or awkwardly organized. Prose is okay, albeit juvenile. In fact, I checked the jacket twice for reference that this was a children's book; it is not. Finally, The Crossing features shoddy historical analysis of the Crossing or the subsequent Battle of Trenton (its significance, key players, etc.) At one point Levine implies that the Americans won the day simply because they were morally superior to the Hessians (freedom fighters over greedy mercenaries, or something as such). I agree with Levine that the Crossing one of the most, if not the most significant events of the Revolution, however, I struggle with seeing how that appreciation translated into the present work.