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Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington
Examines the accomplishments and mistakes made by George Washington, discussing why he was sensitive to criticism and slow to accept blame, but still managed to envision a free and united America.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 28, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 26, 2021
nothing really new, and lets stop psychoanalyzing founding fathers
March 2, 2023
“In the final analysis, character is the decisive factor in the life of an individual, and it was the greatness of Washington’s character that so distinguishes him as America’s ‘matchless man.’” - Peter R. Henriques, "Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington"
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote that “Character is destiny.” Those timeless words from 3,000 years ago prove especially true when looking at the life and legacy of George Washington. It was not outside forces or events alone that led to the establishment of America as a free and independent nation. More than anything else, it was the person of Washington and the sterling character he lived by that determined America’s destiny. One of America’s most important Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, understood how the Revolution might have ended very differently without someone as trustworthy as Washington in power. As Jefferson put it, “the moderation and virtue of a single character has probably prevented this revolution from being closed as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty it was intended to establish.” With the massive popularity and power that he wielded as the commander in chief of the Continental Army during the War of Independence, plus the enormous challenges he faced, it would have been easy for Washington to abuse his power and perhaps even to become a king. However, because of his commitment to the ideals of the American Revolution, his unerring sense of personal honor, his lifelong devotion to duty, and his deep personal sense of the public trust placed in him, Washington always did the right thing. His example as a general and later as the First President of the United States serves as an eternal reminder that the character of a leader truly counts.
Of all the traits that composed Washington’s character, the feature that lay at the center of his being was his lifelong devotion to duty. The legendary Washington biographer Douglas Southall Freeman wisely concluded that duty was Washington’s “governing principle.” This was especially true when it came to serving his country. As a line from Washington’s favorite play, "Cato: A Tragedy" by Joseph Addison, rang out, “Your life is not your own when Rome demands it.” Replace the word Rome with America and you have Washington’s mentality captured in a nutshell. Whether in war or in peace, there was no sacrifice he was unwilling to make in the service of his country. As Washington wrote to his faithful friend and surrogate son, the Marquis de Lafayette, in July 1791, “But to one, who engages in hazardous enterprises for the good of his country, . . . life is but a secondary consideration.”
I owe these observations to my reading of "Realistic Visionary" by Peter R. Henriques, a historian who is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on George Washington. Henriques’ commanding knowledge of Washington is on full display in this work as he shines a spotlight on ten key aspects of Washington’s life and character. Each examination is conducted with great thought, care, and balance, making this a must read for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of George Washington.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote that “Character is destiny.” Those timeless words from 3,000 years ago prove especially true when looking at the life and legacy of George Washington. It was not outside forces or events alone that led to the establishment of America as a free and independent nation. More than anything else, it was the person of Washington and the sterling character he lived by that determined America’s destiny. One of America’s most important Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, understood how the Revolution might have ended very differently without someone as trustworthy as Washington in power. As Jefferson put it, “the moderation and virtue of a single character has probably prevented this revolution from being closed as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty it was intended to establish.” With the massive popularity and power that he wielded as the commander in chief of the Continental Army during the War of Independence, plus the enormous challenges he faced, it would have been easy for Washington to abuse his power and perhaps even to become a king. However, because of his commitment to the ideals of the American Revolution, his unerring sense of personal honor, his lifelong devotion to duty, and his deep personal sense of the public trust placed in him, Washington always did the right thing. His example as a general and later as the First President of the United States serves as an eternal reminder that the character of a leader truly counts.
Of all the traits that composed Washington’s character, the feature that lay at the center of his being was his lifelong devotion to duty. The legendary Washington biographer Douglas Southall Freeman wisely concluded that duty was Washington’s “governing principle.” This was especially true when it came to serving his country. As a line from Washington’s favorite play, "Cato: A Tragedy" by Joseph Addison, rang out, “Your life is not your own when Rome demands it.” Replace the word Rome with America and you have Washington’s mentality captured in a nutshell. Whether in war or in peace, there was no sacrifice he was unwilling to make in the service of his country. As Washington wrote to his faithful friend and surrogate son, the Marquis de Lafayette, in July 1791, “But to one, who engages in hazardous enterprises for the good of his country, . . . life is but a secondary consideration.”
I owe these observations to my reading of "Realistic Visionary" by Peter R. Henriques, a historian who is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on George Washington. Henriques’ commanding knowledge of Washington is on full display in this work as he shines a spotlight on ten key aspects of Washington’s life and character. Each examination is conducted with great thought, care, and balance, making this a must read for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of George Washington.
December 11, 2015
If you have already read a couple books about George Washington, you'll find this one a re-hash of many of the things you already know about him.
If you think you know a lot about him, you'll still learn a few things. There is a chapter about his attitude toward slavery and how he handled his own slaves as well as a chapter about the details of the pain and suffering of his death.
If you think you know a lot about him, you'll still learn a few things. There is a chapter about his attitude toward slavery and how he handled his own slaves as well as a chapter about the details of the pain and suffering of his death.
March 10, 2016
Presents a balanced portrait of the First President.
April 14, 2016
Audio book. Trying to do presidential biographies in order. Liked how they did it by topic. Liked the author interview at the end.
March 23, 2019
In an era when heroes seem inevitably to fall prey to scandal and disillusionment, George Washington remains the renowned Founding Father, seemingly impervious to historical revisionism and critical theory. In both his age and ours, Washington is the preeminent man of honor, capable of eliciting respect from all sides and providing a unifying, calming presence that cemented the fragile Union together and remains a solid foundation for our country to this day. How is this possible?
Henriques' concise portrait of Washington provides a nice overview of the man and the myth and demonstrates how the two are surprisingly similar. Washington was certainly not perfect: his strategic stumbles early in his career, clear desires for glory and renown, equivocations on slavery, and religious and moral ambiguity leave plenty for critical analysis and debate. But drawing thematically from his life, Henriques paints the picture of a man whose personal code of ethics enabled a consistent life dedicated to public service. This shines through in every facet, from his military and political command, to his relationships, to his private life. Cato's stoic philosophy seems to shine through, heightened and nuanced by Washington's optimism for a new form of republican life in the Americas.
Read more at https://znovels.blogspot.com/2019/03/...
Henriques' concise portrait of Washington provides a nice overview of the man and the myth and demonstrates how the two are surprisingly similar. Washington was certainly not perfect: his strategic stumbles early in his career, clear desires for glory and renown, equivocations on slavery, and religious and moral ambiguity leave plenty for critical analysis and debate. But drawing thematically from his life, Henriques paints the picture of a man whose personal code of ethics enabled a consistent life dedicated to public service. This shines through in every facet, from his military and political command, to his relationships, to his private life. Cato's stoic philosophy seems to shine through, heightened and nuanced by Washington's optimism for a new form of republican life in the Americas.
Read more at https://znovels.blogspot.com/2019/03/...
July 30, 2021
Throughout this biography, Henriques presents information gleaned from original documents – letters and diaries – and compares his assessments with those of other biographers, making compelling arguments for his conclusions. He traces Washington’s character from his early manhood aspirations and activities and assesses how his personal values inform his decision-making throughout his life. It explores Washington’s religious beliefs, his attitude toward slavery, his love life, and his obsession with how he wanted to be perceived. I’m generally not drawn to reading biographies so don’t have much to compare with the author’s assessment either of Washington or other prominent figures of the time – especially Jefferson and Hamilton – other than what I know of their writings and politics. This wasn’t the author’s intention, but what struck me while reading this was the degree to which our “founding fathers” -- especially Jefferson and Adams -- seemed to behave like catty and jealous sixth-grade girls. This has put a new spin on the way I perceive how political coalitions and decisions are made.
August 4, 2013
Although a book about our nation's first -- and greatest -- president, it is not a biography per se, rather a series of 10 essays about different aspects of the leader's life. And Henriques delves into the man's flaws as well as his strengths and attempts to show the complexity of the man. It would serve as a nice companion volume to any good biography on the great man.
The author explores several topics, including Washington's relationship to his wife Martha, not his first passion, but a relationship which helped give him strength throughout his life. And he considers the man's attitude toward slavery. Over time, he began to see the evils of the institution, but still he owned slaves throughout his life, releasing them only with his death. And Henriques also looks at Washington's relationships with the two founders who would later come to define competing themes in American politics, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
The book is a good read, though at time the author's prose seems stilted. And it is thoroughly researched providing a wealth of sources for those who wish to explore further the life of the man who lead the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War and guided the republic's first steps as a new nation.
The author explores several topics, including Washington's relationship to his wife Martha, not his first passion, but a relationship which helped give him strength throughout his life. And he considers the man's attitude toward slavery. Over time, he began to see the evils of the institution, but still he owned slaves throughout his life, releasing them only with his death. And Henriques also looks at Washington's relationships with the two founders who would later come to define competing themes in American politics, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
The book is a good read, though at time the author's prose seems stilted. And it is thoroughly researched providing a wealth of sources for those who wish to explore further the life of the man who lead the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War and guided the republic's first steps as a new nation.
September 17, 2009
Realistic Visionary is divided by chapters that each have their own theme regarding Washington (i.e. his command presence, his relationships to people, his attitudes toward issues). Unfortunately, the author, Henriques, adds few revelations about Washington's personality. It's informative in the section about slavery and his marriage. The book suffers terribly from unforgivable repetition. Henriques uses quotes more than once in the same chapter. It's almost like he didn't have an editor.
June 9, 2016
Pretty middle of the road analysis of George Washington. The fact that Henriques made value statements about the biographies and monographs he cites as positive or negative are interesting. George Washington is a fascinating man. Nothing new here, but a nice summary of the scholarship on the man.
February 17, 2013
Seems to be a reasonable and Fascinating account of Washington's life and character.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews