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The Genius of George Washington
More than any other single man, George Washington was responsible for bringing success to the American Revolution. But because of the heroic image in which we have cast him and which already enveloped him in this own lifetime, Washington is and was a hard man to know.In this book Edmund S. Morgan pushes past the image to find the man. He argues that Washington's genius lay in his understanding of both military and political power. This understanding of power was unmatched by that of any of his contemporaries and showed itself at the simplest level in the ability to take command. Drawing on Washington's letters to his colleagues (many of which are included in this book), Morgan explores the particular genius of our first president and clearly demonstrates that Washington's mastery of power allowed America to win the Revolutionary War and placed the new country on the way to achieving the international and domestic power that Washington himself had sought for it.
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 18, 2020
A Past View of the Past
At the time the author published this work (my book’s copyright is 1980), I might imagine it lived up to the publisher’s inscription about the 17 November 1977 lecture that generated it: “It is not contemplated that the lectures will constitute fresh contributions to the scholarship of the American Revolution, but rather that they will interest and inform a lay audience, and perhaps stimulate some to undertake and enjoy independent reading on the Revolution.” However, in hindsight from the year (no pun intended) 2020, it would seem that there are now much better books available to expound upon Morgan’s main premise: “Washington’s genius lay in his understanding of power, both military and political power, an understanding unmatched by that of any of his contemporaries.”
As regards the military sphere, Morgan goes on to say that “…at the simplest level Washington’s understanding of power showed itself in the ability to take command. … As commander of the Revolutionary army he was quick to perceive the significance of geographical factors that his opponents seem never to have grasped.” That Washington likely gained this talent through his years as a surveyor is not mentioned. As far as strategy, one learns that Washington thought “it was imperative to keep his small force concentrated and mobile, so that he could strike effectively when opportunity presented.”
In the political sphere, Morgan notes that Washington “brought to the presidency of the United States a determination to establish what he called a ‘national character,’ by which he meant something like national reputation.” As far as his own character, Washington “recognized that he was on trial, that the character of the government and the respect accorded it would be measured by the respect that he himself demanded and commanded.”
To illustrate these observations, Morgan then introduces a number of letters to and from Washington, many of them preceded by a short background overview, some of them ready for argument, such as “His [Washington’s] greatest legacy to the nation was the policy of neutrality expressed in his farewell address.”
Given my observations above and as a fellow author, I am torn between giving this book a 3 or a 4. Unfortunately, Amazon.com doesn’t allow a 3.5. Since Charles Tatum has already done a great job in his critical 3 rating, therefore, I’ll add a bit a charity and rate the book a 4.
At the time the author published this work (my book’s copyright is 1980), I might imagine it lived up to the publisher’s inscription about the 17 November 1977 lecture that generated it: “It is not contemplated that the lectures will constitute fresh contributions to the scholarship of the American Revolution, but rather that they will interest and inform a lay audience, and perhaps stimulate some to undertake and enjoy independent reading on the Revolution.” However, in hindsight from the year (no pun intended) 2020, it would seem that there are now much better books available to expound upon Morgan’s main premise: “Washington’s genius lay in his understanding of power, both military and political power, an understanding unmatched by that of any of his contemporaries.”
As regards the military sphere, Morgan goes on to say that “…at the simplest level Washington’s understanding of power showed itself in the ability to take command. … As commander of the Revolutionary army he was quick to perceive the significance of geographical factors that his opponents seem never to have grasped.” That Washington likely gained this talent through his years as a surveyor is not mentioned. As far as strategy, one learns that Washington thought “it was imperative to keep his small force concentrated and mobile, so that he could strike effectively when opportunity presented.”
In the political sphere, Morgan notes that Washington “brought to the presidency of the United States a determination to establish what he called a ‘national character,’ by which he meant something like national reputation.” As far as his own character, Washington “recognized that he was on trial, that the character of the government and the respect accorded it would be measured by the respect that he himself demanded and commanded.”
To illustrate these observations, Morgan then introduces a number of letters to and from Washington, many of them preceded by a short background overview, some of them ready for argument, such as “His [Washington’s] greatest legacy to the nation was the policy of neutrality expressed in his farewell address.”
Given my observations above and as a fellow author, I am torn between giving this book a 3 or a 4. Unfortunately, Amazon.com doesn’t allow a 3.5. Since Charles Tatum has already done a great job in his critical 3 rating, therefore, I’ll add a bit a charity and rate the book a 4.
July 28, 2024
A LECTURE BY THE NOTED AMERICAN COLONIAL HISTORIAN
This book contains the November 17, 1977 Clark Lecture given by Professor Morgan, followed by a number of excerpts from Washington's letters.
He begins by saying, "What was extraordinary about the (American) Revolution was the talent it generated, the number of men of genius who stepped out of farmyards and plantations, out of countinghouses and courtrooms, to play a leading role in winning the war and then in building a national government... if one were to make a list of the great men of American history, by whatever standards one chooses to measure greatness, an astonishingly large proportion would be found whose careers began or culminated in the Revolution. It would be hard to find in all the rest of American history more than two or three men to rank with Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, or John Adams." (Pg. 3-4)
He observes about Washington, "He was not a bookish man. He contributed nothing to the formal political thought of the American Revolution, nor did he produce any treatises on military strategy or tactics. But he did understand power in every form." (Pg. 6) He notes, "Washington's appreciation of geographical factors made him not only wary of being trapped like Cornwallis but also averse to defending any particular point, including cities. The British armies were much more powerful than his and capable of taking any place they wanted. It was therefore not worthwhile to erect elaborate stationary defenses." (Pg. 9)
He records a speech of Washington to Congress, "I am heartily disposed to entertain the most farourable sentiments of our new ally (France) and to cherish them in others to a reasonable degree; but it is a maxim founded on the universal experience of mankind, that no nation is to be trusted farther than it is bound by its interest; and no prudent statesman or politician will venture to depart from it." (Pg. 16)
Washington wrote in a letter dated April 21, 1778, "I do not mean to exclude altogether the idea of Patriotism. I know it exists, and I know it has done much in the present Contest. But I will venture to assert, that a great and lasting War can never be supported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a prospect of Interest or some reward." (Pg. 51)
Obviously not a "detailed" treatment of the man, this book is a highly interesting overview, and contains some genuinely interesting insights; the letters included are very illuminating, as well.
This book contains the November 17, 1977 Clark Lecture given by Professor Morgan, followed by a number of excerpts from Washington's letters.
He begins by saying, "What was extraordinary about the (American) Revolution was the talent it generated, the number of men of genius who stepped out of farmyards and plantations, out of countinghouses and courtrooms, to play a leading role in winning the war and then in building a national government... if one were to make a list of the great men of American history, by whatever standards one chooses to measure greatness, an astonishingly large proportion would be found whose careers began or culminated in the Revolution. It would be hard to find in all the rest of American history more than two or three men to rank with Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, or John Adams." (Pg. 3-4)
He observes about Washington, "He was not a bookish man. He contributed nothing to the formal political thought of the American Revolution, nor did he produce any treatises on military strategy or tactics. But he did understand power in every form." (Pg. 6) He notes, "Washington's appreciation of geographical factors made him not only wary of being trapped like Cornwallis but also averse to defending any particular point, including cities. The British armies were much more powerful than his and capable of taking any place they wanted. It was therefore not worthwhile to erect elaborate stationary defenses." (Pg. 9)
He records a speech of Washington to Congress, "I am heartily disposed to entertain the most farourable sentiments of our new ally (France) and to cherish them in others to a reasonable degree; but it is a maxim founded on the universal experience of mankind, that no nation is to be trusted farther than it is bound by its interest; and no prudent statesman or politician will venture to depart from it." (Pg. 16)
Washington wrote in a letter dated April 21, 1778, "I do not mean to exclude altogether the idea of Patriotism. I know it exists, and I know it has done much in the present Contest. But I will venture to assert, that a great and lasting War can never be supported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a prospect of Interest or some reward." (Pg. 51)
Obviously not a "detailed" treatment of the man, this book is a highly interesting overview, and contains some genuinely interesting insights; the letters included are very illuminating, as well.
July 22, 2023
I found this book surprisingly interesting. It doesn’t look like much. It’s pretty thin. It consists mostly of excerpts from George Washington’s letters, curated and organized according to a theme, with some interpretive text in between. The theme I think is that Washington had a highly developed sense of the nature of political power, and how to establish and maintain it.
love Washington’s florid writing style, and the way he abbreviates random words seemingly unnecessarily, like “wch.” for “which.” And it’s fascinating how consistent and driven he was in wanting the United States to become a sustainable, independent, and prosperous nation. We hear from him how hard it was, even unlikely, that the American revolution would succeed, given how undisciplined and untrained the troops were. It’s easy to take for granted now that the American Revolution would succeed, but that certainly wasn’t clear at the time.
This little book has made me think I will enjoy reading more about the American revolution for the first time since high school. It certainly was a fascinating time.
love Washington’s florid writing style, and the way he abbreviates random words seemingly unnecessarily, like “wch.” for “which.” And it’s fascinating how consistent and driven he was in wanting the United States to become a sustainable, independent, and prosperous nation. We hear from him how hard it was, even unlikely, that the American revolution would succeed, given how undisciplined and untrained the troops were. It’s easy to take for granted now that the American Revolution would succeed, but that certainly wasn’t clear at the time.
This little book has made me think I will enjoy reading more about the American revolution for the first time since high school. It certainly was a fascinating time.
March 4, 2020
Morgan is doubtlessly one of the best historians after world war two. Washinton sets himself apart from others in the sense that he has good understanding of political power: what is political power, why does govt need it, what is the relationship between politics and power; on top of these, how to obtain it legitimately, how to utilize it morally and how to maintain it safely.
November 9, 2024
Nice little book that lets a well-selected set of George Washington's writings speak for him, filling in some context in between. Conveys a few elements of his personal beliefs and values pretty strongly, some of which surprised me.
November 18, 2019
The invited lecture offers eminent scholars an opportunity to try out new ideas and research on a general audience, and then share their findings with readers in a concise and pithy format. This, however, was kind of a throwaway effort by Morgan, who identifies the sources of Washington's "genius" as A) his ability to learn from his mistakes, however slowly, and B) his understanding of the vital interrelationship between politics and military activity during a revolutionary war. I put the word genius in scare quotes because Washington was not known for his brilliance, though he was a competent writer and occasionally capable (as at Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown) of virtuosity on the battlefield; no doubt Morgan hoped his title would turn a few scholarly heads. The book itself, however, is forgettable and rather unnecessary. Morgan made his point about GW's learning ability more concisely in BIRTH OF THE REPUBLIC (1958), and one of Morgan's students, John Shy, made a better case for the connection between Revolutionary politics and warfare in his essays (collected in 1976 as A PEOPLE NUMEROUS AND ARMED).
This book is a quick read, of course, and I was nearly tempted to give it three stars because I read most of it over dinner at a nice Thai restaurant, which gives it a pleasant connotation in my memory.
This book is a quick read, of course, and I was nearly tempted to give it three stars because I read most of it over dinner at a nice Thai restaurant, which gives it a pleasant connotation in my memory.
June 22, 2019
This book is brief. It was presented originally as a lecture. It is Morgan's selection of letters which he feels show Washington's maturing understanding of power. Like all such books, it tells us more about Morgan's understanding of power. It could as easily have been selected to show Washington's growing freedom to express himself with his contemporaries or his broadening vision of what America's role on the world stage might become as the prize of independence became more realistic. Nevertheless, the letters definitely provide insights into the thought of Washington and how far-reaching his vision was. This little book has the merit of offering a modest selection of significant letters with some useful insights from Morgan and the opportunity to engage meaningfully with Washington's thinking, always a worthwhile experience.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews