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Washington's Circle: The Creation of the President
History enthusiasts and admirers of Team of Rivals will rejoice in this magisterial account of the extraordinary Americans who served the nation’s first chief Together, they created the presidency for a country disgusted by crowns and the people who would wear them.
In 1789, as George Washington became the first president of the United States, the world was all but certain that the American experiment in liberty and representative government would founder. More than a few Americans feared that the world was right. In Washington’s Circle, we see how Washington and his trusted advisers, close friends, and devoted family defied the doomsayers to lay the foundation for an enduring constitutional republic. This is a fresh look at an aloof man whose service in the Revolutionary War had already earned him the acclaim of fellow citizens. Washington was easy to revere, if difficult to know.
David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler reveal Washington’s character through his relationship with his inner circle, showing how this unlikely group created the office of the presidency. Here is a story of cooperation, confrontation, triumph, and disappointment, as the president, Congress, and the courts sorted out the limits of executive power, quarreled over funding the government, coped with domestic strife, and faced a world at war while trying to keep their country at peace.
Even more, it is a story of remarkable people striving for extraordinary achievements. Many of these characters are familiar as historic icons, but in these pages they act and speak as living the often irked and frequently irksome John Adams, in the vice presidency; the mercurial Alexander Hamilton, leading the Treasury Department; the brilliant, deceptively cunning Thomas Jefferson, as secretary of state; James Madison, who was Washington’s advocate—and his eyes and ears—in Congress; and Washington’s old friend and former brother-in-arms Henry Knox, at the administration’s beleaguered War Department. Their stories mingle with those of Edmund Randolph, John Jay, Gouverneur Morris, and the others who stood with a self-educated Virginia farmer to forge the presidency into an institution protective of its privileges but respectful of congressional prerogatives.
Written with energy, wit, and an eye for vivid detail, Washington’s Circle is the fascinating account of the people who met the most formidable challenges of the government’s earliest hours with pluck, ability, and enviable resourcefulness. When the world said they would fail, they rolled up their sleeves. This is their story.
Praise for Washington’s Circle
“A fine, readable history of the first presidency . . . [David and Jeanne Heidler] provide not only a lively history but a group portrait of Washington and the various figures vying to influence him.” — The Wall Street Journal
“ Washington’s Circle positively glows with narrative exuberance. This is a book that will make even the most jaded student of the American Revolution bark little laughs of pure delight while reading.” — Open Letters Monthly
“Traditional accounts portray Washington as a solitary actor in the drama of American nationhood, as chilly and featureless as the marble shaft that dominates his namesake capitol. In fact, he was the intensely human lead in one of history’s most colorful, and contentious, ensembles. David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler bring the whole cast to unforgettable life in this character study–cum–group portrait–cum–old-fashioned page-turner.” —Richard Norton Smith, author of On His Own Terms
In 1789, as George Washington became the first president of the United States, the world was all but certain that the American experiment in liberty and representative government would founder. More than a few Americans feared that the world was right. In Washington’s Circle, we see how Washington and his trusted advisers, close friends, and devoted family defied the doomsayers to lay the foundation for an enduring constitutional republic. This is a fresh look at an aloof man whose service in the Revolutionary War had already earned him the acclaim of fellow citizens. Washington was easy to revere, if difficult to know.
David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler reveal Washington’s character through his relationship with his inner circle, showing how this unlikely group created the office of the presidency. Here is a story of cooperation, confrontation, triumph, and disappointment, as the president, Congress, and the courts sorted out the limits of executive power, quarreled over funding the government, coped with domestic strife, and faced a world at war while trying to keep their country at peace.
Even more, it is a story of remarkable people striving for extraordinary achievements. Many of these characters are familiar as historic icons, but in these pages they act and speak as living the often irked and frequently irksome John Adams, in the vice presidency; the mercurial Alexander Hamilton, leading the Treasury Department; the brilliant, deceptively cunning Thomas Jefferson, as secretary of state; James Madison, who was Washington’s advocate—and his eyes and ears—in Congress; and Washington’s old friend and former brother-in-arms Henry Knox, at the administration’s beleaguered War Department. Their stories mingle with those of Edmund Randolph, John Jay, Gouverneur Morris, and the others who stood with a self-educated Virginia farmer to forge the presidency into an institution protective of its privileges but respectful of congressional prerogatives.
Written with energy, wit, and an eye for vivid detail, Washington’s Circle is the fascinating account of the people who met the most formidable challenges of the government’s earliest hours with pluck, ability, and enviable resourcefulness. When the world said they would fail, they rolled up their sleeves. This is their story.
Praise for Washington’s Circle
“A fine, readable history of the first presidency . . . [David and Jeanne Heidler] provide not only a lively history but a group portrait of Washington and the various figures vying to influence him.” — The Wall Street Journal
“ Washington’s Circle positively glows with narrative exuberance. This is a book that will make even the most jaded student of the American Revolution bark little laughs of pure delight while reading.” — Open Letters Monthly
“Traditional accounts portray Washington as a solitary actor in the drama of American nationhood, as chilly and featureless as the marble shaft that dominates his namesake capitol. In fact, he was the intensely human lead in one of history’s most colorful, and contentious, ensembles. David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler bring the whole cast to unforgettable life in this character study–cum–group portrait–cum–old-fashioned page-turner.” —Richard Norton Smith, author of On His Own Terms
576 pages, Paperback
Published February 9, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 14, 2018
This laboriously researched and well put together book covers George Washington's ascent to the Presidency of a new nation. He was the only person in America who could have provided the stability needed to guide the country for its first eight years.
His friends, enemies, family colleagues and administration are all chronicled through those rough political times. With what became the start of the two party system of government came the international intrigue, backroom deals and journalistic sniping. I sometimes felt that I was watching today's news on TV. Nothing has changed in that regard in over 200 years. Washington's closest circle helped guide him at our nations most precarious and vulnerable time to make the right decisions.
This book provides a very good picture of what those times were like. I highly recommend it.
His friends, enemies, family colleagues and administration are all chronicled through those rough political times. With what became the start of the two party system of government came the international intrigue, backroom deals and journalistic sniping. I sometimes felt that I was watching today's news on TV. Nothing has changed in that regard in over 200 years. Washington's closest circle helped guide him at our nations most precarious and vulnerable time to make the right decisions.
This book provides a very good picture of what those times were like. I highly recommend it.
March 16, 2018
The link in the book promotion to Team of Rivals is appropriate. In the introduction to that book, Doris Kearns Goodwin says we learn the most about a person in relation to other people. The same is true of Washington as David S. Heidler considers what the relationships closest to him show.
I was especially impressed with the amount of time he must have spent reading what these real-life characters wrote. Thus, he is able to comment with authority on a given interaction because he knows each person's emotional baseline so well. As in, this person is maintaining politeness, but their tone is more icy than usual. Intriguing.
I was especially impressed with the amount of time he must have spent reading what these real-life characters wrote. Thus, he is able to comment with authority on a given interaction because he knows each person's emotional baseline so well. As in, this person is maintaining politeness, but their tone is more icy than usual. Intriguing.
September 5, 2025
This is a strangely uneven book. Some parts I found very good, others not so much. Some topics were covered in good depth and even revealed information that in over 140 books on the founders I had never encountered before. Others got things incredibly wrong.
Perhaps this is explained by the fact of two authors. A typical strategy is for collaborators to take turns writing alternate chapters. It just might be that one is a lot better historian than the other. Of course they are supposed to read and massage what the other has written, but often this is a tricky business, doubly so in the case of a married couple, which is the situation here.
That may explain some of the inconsistencies. For example, early on it states that Washington "never" asked Adams' advice during his presidency. There are letters that prove otherwise. And later on in the book they even mention that Washington asked his advice so even they know better, but still wrote this!
They suggest that Washington was somehow "in on" the Newburgh Conspiracy, which makes no sense, and they never bother to explain whatever theory they may have.
They do a good job detailing how Hamilton repeatedly worked against the US in favor of Great Britain.
They seem overly harsh and unfair to John Jay over the Gardoqui Controversy. Jay would say that he had only "given away" what he could not have obtained in any way, and yet managed to at least get something for it. This is not being a bad diplomat as the book contends, rather a quite good one!
It suggests that Madison begged Aaron Burr to introduce him to Dolly Todd. Most accounts state that it was Burr's idea to matchmake the two.
States that no one know why Washington disliked Burr. It is readily apparent why, if one studies their history in the army together, however.
States that Washington sought a Republican minister of France to try to please both parties. That wasn't it at all. France had *asked* for a Republican sympathetic to their country.
States that Benedict Arnold thought up the idea of invading Canada via the Maine wilderness. Actually the idea had been out there and adopted when Arnold approached Washington seeking a command, any command. Further states that it was a terrible idea, but even though it did not turn out well, it might have, had things gone a bit differently, and they could have. In war its necessary to take calculated risks and this was one that could have really paid off. Really Arnold, and La Fayette, shouldn't even be in this book as they appeared in a much earlier phase of Washington's life, and the book is very long already.
Despite all these problems I liked this book overall. It covers more of Washington's advisors than just the cabinet and yet does a better job of covering the cabinet than the later much-ballyhooed book titled The Cabinet (which falsely claims to have been the first one to adopt this lens in a book).
I also liked the little tidbits that I haven't found anywhere else:
- That Washington was still talking to Robert Morris regularly for advice well into his presidency.
- How Morris went bankrupt trying to speculate on lots in the new capital.
- How Washington suddenly started seeking the advice of John Adams, having multiple meetings over a weekend, regarding the Genet affair and how he took Adams' advice in the end.
- How James Monroe, after waiting weeks to be credentialed as the minister to
France with no success, finally decided to simply ask to speak before the
National Convention and was a huge success.
- How Washington three times had mishaps while riding his horse and yet no one
seemed to suggest he stop riding.
- That the reason Thomas Pinckney had such an easy time negotiating a treaty
with Spain is that Jay had just concluded one with Britain and they were
concerned that the British were abandoning them.
But it was all rather odd. The chapters I liked, I really liked, but the ones I disliked were quite dire.
Perhaps this is explained by the fact of two authors. A typical strategy is for collaborators to take turns writing alternate chapters. It just might be that one is a lot better historian than the other. Of course they are supposed to read and massage what the other has written, but often this is a tricky business, doubly so in the case of a married couple, which is the situation here.
That may explain some of the inconsistencies. For example, early on it states that Washington "never" asked Adams' advice during his presidency. There are letters that prove otherwise. And later on in the book they even mention that Washington asked his advice so even they know better, but still wrote this!
They suggest that Washington was somehow "in on" the Newburgh Conspiracy, which makes no sense, and they never bother to explain whatever theory they may have.
They do a good job detailing how Hamilton repeatedly worked against the US in favor of Great Britain.
They seem overly harsh and unfair to John Jay over the Gardoqui Controversy. Jay would say that he had only "given away" what he could not have obtained in any way, and yet managed to at least get something for it. This is not being a bad diplomat as the book contends, rather a quite good one!
It suggests that Madison begged Aaron Burr to introduce him to Dolly Todd. Most accounts state that it was Burr's idea to matchmake the two.
States that no one know why Washington disliked Burr. It is readily apparent why, if one studies their history in the army together, however.
States that Washington sought a Republican minister of France to try to please both parties. That wasn't it at all. France had *asked* for a Republican sympathetic to their country.
States that Benedict Arnold thought up the idea of invading Canada via the Maine wilderness. Actually the idea had been out there and adopted when Arnold approached Washington seeking a command, any command. Further states that it was a terrible idea, but even though it did not turn out well, it might have, had things gone a bit differently, and they could have. In war its necessary to take calculated risks and this was one that could have really paid off. Really Arnold, and La Fayette, shouldn't even be in this book as they appeared in a much earlier phase of Washington's life, and the book is very long already.
Despite all these problems I liked this book overall. It covers more of Washington's advisors than just the cabinet and yet does a better job of covering the cabinet than the later much-ballyhooed book titled The Cabinet (which falsely claims to have been the first one to adopt this lens in a book).
I also liked the little tidbits that I haven't found anywhere else:
- That Washington was still talking to Robert Morris regularly for advice well into his presidency.
- How Morris went bankrupt trying to speculate on lots in the new capital.
- How Washington suddenly started seeking the advice of John Adams, having multiple meetings over a weekend, regarding the Genet affair and how he took Adams' advice in the end.
- How James Monroe, after waiting weeks to be credentialed as the minister to
France with no success, finally decided to simply ask to speak before the
National Convention and was a huge success.
- How Washington three times had mishaps while riding his horse and yet no one
seemed to suggest he stop riding.
- That the reason Thomas Pinckney had such an easy time negotiating a treaty
with Spain is that Jay had just concluded one with Britain and they were
concerned that the British were abandoning them.
But it was all rather odd. The chapters I liked, I really liked, but the ones I disliked were quite dire.
April 1, 2015
Book 8 of 40
When the Constitution was written Article 2 just provides how to he gets elected, that he's commander and chief, he runs foreign policy, provide Congress with information of the State of the Union and can be impeached. Then they turned to George Washington and said go.
Washington's Circle is the story of how the Presidency started. It's also the story of the ego's and the beginnings of party politics.
When Washington took office there were only 11 states, North Carolina and Rhode Island were still holding out. As Congress began to create departments we see Hamilton at Treasury, Jefferson at State, Henry Knox at War, Randolph as Attorney General, and John Adams discovering how useless the office of the Vice Presidency is.
The authors do a great job of looking at Washington's relationship with each of these men and how they affected his governance. He looked to all five for advice including matters not directly related to their individual departments. Washington also depended on James Madison who was serving in the House of Representatives.
The book dose an excellent job of showing Washington attempting to stay in the middle as Jefferson on the Anti-federalist side and Hamilton on the Federalist side were beginning to create parties and opposing policies.
It's a good read take it for a spin if you want to see how we started on the partisan path.
When the Constitution was written Article 2 just provides how to he gets elected, that he's commander and chief, he runs foreign policy, provide Congress with information of the State of the Union and can be impeached. Then they turned to George Washington and said go.
Washington's Circle is the story of how the Presidency started. It's also the story of the ego's and the beginnings of party politics.
When Washington took office there were only 11 states, North Carolina and Rhode Island were still holding out. As Congress began to create departments we see Hamilton at Treasury, Jefferson at State, Henry Knox at War, Randolph as Attorney General, and John Adams discovering how useless the office of the Vice Presidency is.
The authors do a great job of looking at Washington's relationship with each of these men and how they affected his governance. He looked to all five for advice including matters not directly related to their individual departments. Washington also depended on James Madison who was serving in the House of Representatives.
The book dose an excellent job of showing Washington attempting to stay in the middle as Jefferson on the Anti-federalist side and Hamilton on the Federalist side were beginning to create parties and opposing policies.
It's a good read take it for a spin if you want to see how we started on the partisan path.
June 17, 2016
An interesting book. . . . The focus is on George Washington's inner circle after becoming president. Those people who helped him create precedents and a working government. Most of these people were men whom Washington knew well; they were involved in the work leading up to a United States; they were people with whom he had worked as a private figure, a plantation owner, and in public service.
The people upon whom he depended include a lot of familiar names: Alexander Hamilton Secretary of the Treasury; Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State; Henry Know, Secretary of War; Edmund Randolph, Attorney General and Jefferson's successor as Secretary of State; James Madison, a trusted counselor and speech writer who later fell away from Washington (allied with his colleague Thomas Jefferson in opposition to the party of Washington); Gouverneur Morris and John Jay, among others.
The book explores how Washington and his circle strove to create a working and workable government. Among the subjects considered are the strains among those in the circle. Jefferson and Hamilton were often in opposition to one another, for instance.
In the end, this team did its job well and despite the challenges and interpersonal differences, a functioning country emerged. . . .
Comment Comment | Permalink
The people upon whom he depended include a lot of familiar names: Alexander Hamilton Secretary of the Treasury; Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State; Henry Know, Secretary of War; Edmund Randolph, Attorney General and Jefferson's successor as Secretary of State; James Madison, a trusted counselor and speech writer who later fell away from Washington (allied with his colleague Thomas Jefferson in opposition to the party of Washington); Gouverneur Morris and John Jay, among others.
The book explores how Washington and his circle strove to create a working and workable government. Among the subjects considered are the strains among those in the circle. Jefferson and Hamilton were often in opposition to one another, for instance.
In the end, this team did its job well and despite the challenges and interpersonal differences, a functioning country emerged. . . .
Comment Comment | Permalink
August 19, 2015
Very good book about the history of George Washington, and his becoming the first president of the United States. Very interesting accounts of his relationships with some of the well known men of his time, and also some of the lesser known. Since I have read quite a bit about this history, I already knew much of what was in the book, but there was also quite a bit of new information that I learned. My only problem is...can I remember it all? :-). If you are into American History, you will enjoy this book.
October 15, 2015
Loved this book! It definitely shows the human side of our founders especially as they established the presidency. It's NOT as today's teabaggers pretend it was. The arguments over the role of government were the same then as they are now.
December 15, 2016
This is a really well-done history book, lively and pertinent.
What the Constitution laid out for the office of President didn't really get down to all the details of how exactly the office would work, nor did it lay out specifics on all the different roles that the executive branch he heads would need to cover. Those details were left to George Washington, our first President, and his advisers and heads of administration that would eventually be known as his cabinet. This book details his interactions with each of these extremely-influential men throughout his two terms as President of the United States, and also covers other influential men outside the cabinet (James Madison in particular) during the years of his presidency.
Along the way, it paints a vivid picture of Washington's life on the whole, and becomes a window into the decade of the 1790s where his influence was highest, his stature grandest, and his character held singularly in confidence as the only man capable of the balancing act the Presidency called for. In giving so much detail on each of the incidents that naturally came up in the politics of the age of American infancy, it shows Washington's careful attention not just to the choice at hand, but to the historical precedents he and Congress would be setting. He asked his cabinet about everything, getting answers in writing and considering them in detail before making decisions. He also had trouble with their disagreements, which truly came to a head when Thomas Jefferson (his Secretary of State) and Alexander Hamilton (his Secretary of Treasury) ultimately landed on opposite sides of almost every issue for years and conducted a civil war against each other's thoughts and character through the press.
Humanity and its flaws -- shown even in a man held almost infallible for most of his own age and in modern times -- can eventually wear down even the most noble of men. Washington was a man in the end whose sensitivities did not allow him to accept criticism easily, and as America slowly slid into party politics in his final term, the bristling away from those who spoke their mind when disagreeable eventually cloistered him away from any and all people who weren't 100% in agreement with his policy choices. In that 2nd cabinet, this led him to surround himself with people who were not nearly as skilled or experienced as his 1st cabinet, and the country suffered a bit for the dynamics this produced in various incidents.
This is a long read, but it managed an anecdotal tone that made it an enjoyable one. The audio book is also acceptable, though the length of the book makes it a tremendously long hearing of the same voice.
Even our founding fathers were human and flawed, but we were fortunate enough that they were men of noble character, and with enough trust of one another to make use of men more skilled and intelligent than themselves in various categories.
What the Constitution laid out for the office of President didn't really get down to all the details of how exactly the office would work, nor did it lay out specifics on all the different roles that the executive branch he heads would need to cover. Those details were left to George Washington, our first President, and his advisers and heads of administration that would eventually be known as his cabinet. This book details his interactions with each of these extremely-influential men throughout his two terms as President of the United States, and also covers other influential men outside the cabinet (James Madison in particular) during the years of his presidency.
Along the way, it paints a vivid picture of Washington's life on the whole, and becomes a window into the decade of the 1790s where his influence was highest, his stature grandest, and his character held singularly in confidence as the only man capable of the balancing act the Presidency called for. In giving so much detail on each of the incidents that naturally came up in the politics of the age of American infancy, it shows Washington's careful attention not just to the choice at hand, but to the historical precedents he and Congress would be setting. He asked his cabinet about everything, getting answers in writing and considering them in detail before making decisions. He also had trouble with their disagreements, which truly came to a head when Thomas Jefferson (his Secretary of State) and Alexander Hamilton (his Secretary of Treasury) ultimately landed on opposite sides of almost every issue for years and conducted a civil war against each other's thoughts and character through the press.
Humanity and its flaws -- shown even in a man held almost infallible for most of his own age and in modern times -- can eventually wear down even the most noble of men. Washington was a man in the end whose sensitivities did not allow him to accept criticism easily, and as America slowly slid into party politics in his final term, the bristling away from those who spoke their mind when disagreeable eventually cloistered him away from any and all people who weren't 100% in agreement with his policy choices. In that 2nd cabinet, this led him to surround himself with people who were not nearly as skilled or experienced as his 1st cabinet, and the country suffered a bit for the dynamics this produced in various incidents.
This is a long read, but it managed an anecdotal tone that made it an enjoyable one. The audio book is also acceptable, though the length of the book makes it a tremendously long hearing of the same voice.
Even our founding fathers were human and flawed, but we were fortunate enough that they were men of noble character, and with enough trust of one another to make use of men more skilled and intelligent than themselves in various categories.
July 20, 2023
It’s easy to look at the extreme partisan divide that exists in the world today and wonder how we got here. Well, the answer is we’ve always been “here,” since literally the very beginning. This book charts the beginning of the grand experiment known as our representative democracy and the three separate but equal branches of government. From that quickly emerged competing ideas as to the nature of the presidency, what should be under the purview of the president and the congress, and how the judiciary fit into that dynamic. On one side was the Federalists, in favor of a strong centralized government led by Alexander Hamilton; on the other side was the Republicans, who cared about maintaining the autonomy of the former colonies, led by Thomas Jefferson. In the middle was George Washington, charged with keeping the his cabinet members on task and not killing each other.
This is not a grand hagiography that proclaims our founding fathers to be perfect, brilliant political immortals. Everyone in this book has their own unique set of quirks and faults, and it’s clear from the very beginning that our country has always been on the precipice of its democracy collapsing.
There are echoes of current events all over this book, and it’s instructive to understand that we don’t really live in a singularly dangerous time; that’s simply a feature of our government. The hope is that we’ll always have focused, committed public servants dedicated to preserving the principle over the political.
This is not a grand hagiography that proclaims our founding fathers to be perfect, brilliant political immortals. Everyone in this book has their own unique set of quirks and faults, and it’s clear from the very beginning that our country has always been on the precipice of its democracy collapsing.
There are echoes of current events all over this book, and it’s instructive to understand that we don’t really live in a singularly dangerous time; that’s simply a feature of our government. The hope is that we’ll always have focused, committed public servants dedicated to preserving the principle over the political.
January 13, 2020
The revolutionary generation, my favorite era to read about. How did America end up as an example to all nations on how to build a representative democracy? It didn’t have to be this way. Look at the French Revolution or Oliver Cromwell. I think the lesson lies with the American people that era produced. The foremost person of the founding is George Washington, who took on the most important job at the inception of the Republic and made sure it would endure, for 243 years and counting.
This book is a good look at Washington’s very successful years as our nation’s first president. The main attribute that worked in Washington’s favor was a superhuman ability to look at complex solutions to complex problems and invariably select the best course for the country. He wasn’t the most intelligent man of his era by any means, but he was arguably the wisest. This book contains a record of this wisdom at work, with Washington laying the foundations for American greatness.
This book is a good look at Washington’s very successful years as our nation’s first president. The main attribute that worked in Washington’s favor was a superhuman ability to look at complex solutions to complex problems and invariably select the best course for the country. He wasn’t the most intelligent man of his era by any means, but he was arguably the wisest. This book contains a record of this wisdom at work, with Washington laying the foundations for American greatness.
October 11, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book because it not only is written in a nice chronological order but also gives just enough background on each character that is introduced into George Washington’s life.
I especially enjoyed the comparison that was made between Benedict Arnold’s treason and Marquis Lafayette’s loyalty and how each affected Washington when a combination of the two interceded in Washington’s life late in his second term as President. The dilemma for Washington occurred when his trusted confidant Edmund Randolph’s letters to a French diplómate resulted in charges of treason being brought against him by Federalist members of Washington’s Cabinet.
I also was surprised at how important Alexander Hamilton was not only while serving in Washington’s cabinet but afterwards as well.
The book is well written and I would recommend it to anyone whose interest is in the early years of the American Republic.
I especially enjoyed the comparison that was made between Benedict Arnold’s treason and Marquis Lafayette’s loyalty and how each affected Washington when a combination of the two interceded in Washington’s life late in his second term as President. The dilemma for Washington occurred when his trusted confidant Edmund Randolph’s letters to a French diplómate resulted in charges of treason being brought against him by Federalist members of Washington’s Cabinet.
I also was surprised at how important Alexander Hamilton was not only while serving in Washington’s cabinet but afterwards as well.
The book is well written and I would recommend it to anyone whose interest is in the early years of the American Republic.
March 20, 2022
Maybe 3.5 stars.
An ambitious account of Washington's presidency, focusing on the men (they were all men) around him who made up his first and second cabinets, and those who served as his intimate advisors (Madison, e.g.). The profiles of the great and ordinary Founders are useful and nuanced (although not John Adams, strangely - his profile is mostly a sketch).
Readable and apparently well researched, though it suffers from poor copy editing (or authorial ignorance? reign for rein, e.g.), and more than once perpetuates silly little errors of historicity. Nits, maybe, but such prevent me from trusting its analysis altogether. Still, for those interested in the republic's beginnings (rockier than the man-on-the-street knows), a useful addition to the shelf. Well illustrated.
An ambitious account of Washington's presidency, focusing on the men (they were all men) around him who made up his first and second cabinets, and those who served as his intimate advisors (Madison, e.g.). The profiles of the great and ordinary Founders are useful and nuanced (although not John Adams, strangely - his profile is mostly a sketch).
Readable and apparently well researched, though it suffers from poor copy editing (or authorial ignorance? reign for rein, e.g.), and more than once perpetuates silly little errors of historicity. Nits, maybe, but such prevent me from trusting its analysis altogether. Still, for those interested in the republic's beginnings (rockier than the man-on-the-street knows), a useful addition to the shelf. Well illustrated.
August 13, 2018
This was excellent. I’ve read other biographies of Washington but this was more like a history book of 1789-1799. It concentrates on the people surrounding Washington during his Presidential years, the issues they faced and fits those issues into a context of world events. I was unaware of all the major issues our country faced in those early years and how he dealt with them. Although it’s full of facts and is a kind of dense book, it reads very easily. There are about 30 pages of detailed references and listings of all the characters that move through the events. I highly recommend it if you enjoy American history.
March 11, 2022
Very good book about George Washington’s presidency, his cabinet, his household and closest confidants. Though not my favorite president he was just as much deified then as he is immortalized now. He was the only person during our country’s infancy that could hold it together. Well written, interesting and enjoyable read.
Book reminds of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s, “Team of Rivals” and Lincoln’s inner circle.
Book reminds of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s, “Team of Rivals” and Lincoln’s inner circle.
May 14, 2024
Not a bad book, but didn't delve into how Washington picked his cabinet (which would have been the big learning). He made decisions deliberately, canvassing his whole cabinet for written recommendations first.
First term he balanced opposing viewpoints well and rode the centre. Second term he skewed Federalist and lost some of his political goodwill. He also stayed above the fray, never politicking the way his cabinet did.
First term he balanced opposing viewpoints well and rode the centre. Second term he skewed Federalist and lost some of his political goodwill. He also stayed above the fray, never politicking the way his cabinet did.
Read
June 26, 2019There was nothing wrong with this book. It's decently written and well organized and perfectly fine. But it's been sitting a quarter finished next to my bed for literal months now, and I only ever make it through a few pages at a time. It clearly isn't the book for me, and I'm trying to be better about putting things down instead of forcing myself to finish just for the sake of stubbornness.
October 28, 2021
Interesting take on the first President's terms, and more insight into the founders. Unfortunately, that includes the bitter partisanship that developed between the Federalists and the Republicans, including those within the circle.
The Heidlers establish that Washington was the right man in the right place at the right time to set the stage for the show that must go on.
The Heidlers establish that Washington was the right man in the right place at the right time to set the stage for the show that must go on.
November 14, 2023
The Heidlers' provide a very readable and well-written overview of the influencers in Washington's life - emphasis on his political life. That said, there is very little new ground covered here, and the stories of Washington outshine the influencers' various roles in his life. Overall, a good read.
November 25, 2024
A series of nuanced character studies of George Washington and the people in his immediate orbit intertwined with a narrative thread of the eight years of the Washington presidency that examines inflections of character and changing relationships as these developed over time.
July 14, 2017
Terrific, insightful, puts you right there with all the strong personalities. I enjoy the Heidlers' style very much.
January 10, 2023
Long but very engaging and beautifully written.
May 13, 2024
Focused on Washington’s eight years in office and the makeup of his cabinet. Enjoyed this.
November 30, 2020
This book focuses on the many people that surrounded and advised George Washington. I have read biographies on many of the people in this book. But, this book looks at all of them together and how they interacted.
October 26, 2020
This is a unique, interesting take on George Washington and his presidency.
At first, I honestly had a hard time pinning down exactly what this book was going to be about. It opens with chapters devoted to John Adams, then Martha Washington, then James Madison... so, okay, it's focused on all of the main figures surrounding and influencing Washington. Then there's a chapter on how Washington established some of the norms and customs of the presidency... so, all right, it's more about the creation of the office itself. Then we go back to a chapter on Alexander Hamilton, followed by a chapter on Washington's views on slavery and race... so, wait, maybe this is more of a character study about Washington.
Once all of the characters and topics are introduced, the book seems to settle in to what it is and what the introduction describes it as - the story of George Washington's presidency, largely told through the lens of his "circle" of Cabinet members and advisers instead of through Washington himself. That is ultimately the book's strength - you get the same stories you'd read in any Washington biography, but his "circle" is front and center instead of in the background. In a way, it's a story of Washington's presidency where Washington himself is a supporting character and everyone else assumes the main roles.
This way, you really get to see, step by step, how Hamilton and Jefferson's relationship deteriorated, how Madison and Washington drifted apart, and how Washington's past experiences informed how he handled Edmund Randolph's alleged treachery. People like Henry Knox, Tobias Lear and others are given more prominence than they receive in other Washington biographies. And all of their stories are summed up in a helpful epilogue, so you find out "whatever happened to" everyone after Washington died.
The book is also very readable and not dryly academic. I normally don't love the use of modern colloquialisms in historical books, but there are times the Heidlers use it to good effect - I've never seen Jefferson's note to the printer of Thomas Paine's "The Rights of Man" described as a "blurb", but it describes to today's readers, in one well-chosen modern word, exactly what the printer took it to be. (Update: I'm reading James Grant's "John Adams: Party of One," published back in 2005, and he used "blurb" too.)
Other times this tendency doesn't work as well - a line stating that Hamilton "betrayed his wife with a pretty trollop while paying her pimp" certainly cut to the chase but kind of made me cringe. And in a few other places, the writing can be just plain overdone ("The food had smelled wonderful. It had smelled like America.")
At times it feels like the book meanders from Washington's presidency, to events from his past, and back again, while wandering off to tell stories about various friends and family members. So the book could have been more tightly focused, perhaps just on Washington's Cabinet. But then that would leave out people like Madison, who wasn't in the Cabinet, and Hamilton post-Cabinet, who was just as influential as he was when he was still in it. So in the end, maybe this book is structured just as it needs to be. Either way, it's a good read with an interesting perspective on Washington's presidency, as told through the eyes of all who played a part in it.
At first, I honestly had a hard time pinning down exactly what this book was going to be about. It opens with chapters devoted to John Adams, then Martha Washington, then James Madison... so, okay, it's focused on all of the main figures surrounding and influencing Washington. Then there's a chapter on how Washington established some of the norms and customs of the presidency... so, all right, it's more about the creation of the office itself. Then we go back to a chapter on Alexander Hamilton, followed by a chapter on Washington's views on slavery and race... so, wait, maybe this is more of a character study about Washington.
Once all of the characters and topics are introduced, the book seems to settle in to what it is and what the introduction describes it as - the story of George Washington's presidency, largely told through the lens of his "circle" of Cabinet members and advisers instead of through Washington himself. That is ultimately the book's strength - you get the same stories you'd read in any Washington biography, but his "circle" is front and center instead of in the background. In a way, it's a story of Washington's presidency where Washington himself is a supporting character and everyone else assumes the main roles.
This way, you really get to see, step by step, how Hamilton and Jefferson's relationship deteriorated, how Madison and Washington drifted apart, and how Washington's past experiences informed how he handled Edmund Randolph's alleged treachery. People like Henry Knox, Tobias Lear and others are given more prominence than they receive in other Washington biographies. And all of their stories are summed up in a helpful epilogue, so you find out "whatever happened to" everyone after Washington died.
The book is also very readable and not dryly academic. I normally don't love the use of modern colloquialisms in historical books, but there are times the Heidlers use it to good effect - I've never seen Jefferson's note to the printer of Thomas Paine's "The Rights of Man" described as a "blurb", but it describes to today's readers, in one well-chosen modern word, exactly what the printer took it to be. (Update: I'm reading James Grant's "John Adams: Party of One," published back in 2005, and he used "blurb" too.)
Other times this tendency doesn't work as well - a line stating that Hamilton "betrayed his wife with a pretty trollop while paying her pimp" certainly cut to the chase but kind of made me cringe. And in a few other places, the writing can be just plain overdone ("The food had smelled wonderful. It had smelled like America.")
At times it feels like the book meanders from Washington's presidency, to events from his past, and back again, while wandering off to tell stories about various friends and family members. So the book could have been more tightly focused, perhaps just on Washington's Cabinet. But then that would leave out people like Madison, who wasn't in the Cabinet, and Hamilton post-Cabinet, who was just as influential as he was when he was still in it. So in the end, maybe this book is structured just as it needs to be. Either way, it's a good read with an interesting perspective on Washington's presidency, as told through the eyes of all who played a part in it.
September 7, 2015
First, I must pay homage to Goodreads for me winning this First Reads giveaway. Next, I've got to say that this is an awesome history book. I'm most impressed with its readability. If you've read Founding Brothers, I would say it is very much along those same lines. More of a story than listing dry facts.
And there's no doubt that there was plenty of research was done. My wife didn't believe me when I said I was done. Probably due to the following one hundred pages of citations, notes, and index. I was pleased to learn a few things along the way, though not necessarily pleased with the things I'd learned. Some bits about Alexander Hamilton were a bit discouraging. And, perhaps to be expected, the end was a bit depressing. With only a few years separating the end of Washington's presidency and the end of his life, it necessarily included his death, but there were several sad endings for his acquaintances that I had not know about.
Nevertheless, the joy is in the journey, and a sad ending does not detract from the other 400 pages. I am very happy to own this book.
And there's no doubt that there was plenty of research was done. My wife didn't believe me when I said I was done. Probably due to the following one hundred pages of citations, notes, and index. I was pleased to learn a few things along the way, though not necessarily pleased with the things I'd learned. Some bits about Alexander Hamilton were a bit discouraging. And, perhaps to be expected, the end was a bit depressing. With only a few years separating the end of Washington's presidency and the end of his life, it necessarily included his death, but there were several sad endings for his acquaintances that I had not know about.
Nevertheless, the joy is in the journey, and a sad ending does not detract from the other 400 pages. I am very happy to own this book.
April 12, 2015
BRAVO! WASHINGTON'S CIRCLE deserve more than 5 stars in my book! The Heidlers took George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James(Jemmy) Adams and made them come to life for me. The facts are footnoted throughout with a convenient section at the end of the book with chapter by chapter references and an index at the end. There is information in the book even I ( who devours history) didnt know. For example, early on Washington developed an infection so bad there was major concern he was going to die. Along with getting to know George and Martha Washington I got to know Jefferson, Adams and Madison and many many others.
Excellently written and smooth flowing I highly recommend WASHINGTONS CIRCLE to anyone who appreciates not only our American history but the birth of this country and the trials and tribulations along the way.
I received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review.
Excellently written and smooth flowing I highly recommend WASHINGTONS CIRCLE to anyone who appreciates not only our American history but the birth of this country and the trials and tribulations along the way.
I received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review.
June 28, 2015
This book is a fascinating look into Washington’s two terms as President. While Washington was unanimously elected and loved by the people, that doesn’t mean his time in office was always smooth sailing. The Heidlers tell a great story that reads easily, and explains the different motivations and points of view that led to our partisan system of government. While the story is presented chronologically, each member of Washington’s cabinet, various Congressmen and other public figures, are featured in turn. This left me with a better understanding of Washington the man rather than Washington the statue-like hero. I was graciously provided with a copy of this book through the First Reads program.
April 6, 2016
Enlightening biography that focused on the presidency of George Washington. Washington's story is told through his interaction with the men in his cabinet, his friends and his family.
The colonial men and women that played a part in this history are some of the greatest men and women in our country's history - but none compare to the greatness of Washington. His humanness is exposed though, particularly as he suffers through failures and petty attacks during his second administration.
I did find it interesting that even a great leader like Washington dealt with some of the same problems that later Presidents had during the lame duck session of their second terms.
Overall a very interesting and enjoyable read.
The colonial men and women that played a part in this history are some of the greatest men and women in our country's history - but none compare to the greatness of Washington. His humanness is exposed though, particularly as he suffers through failures and petty attacks during his second administration.
I did find it interesting that even a great leader like Washington dealt with some of the same problems that later Presidents had during the lame duck session of their second terms.
Overall a very interesting and enjoyable read.
May 8, 2015
This is really pretty good, a thorough very detailed recounting of Washington's two terms in the Presidency and his dealings with people during that period. The authors are great admirers of both Washington and his wife Martha. They present the Father of our Country as a truly great man, not a brilliant thinker but rather a man of enormous character.
They are more apologetic of Jefferson than many other modern historical writers have been lately, considering Jefferson was part of the administration while secretly acting to counter it's goals, but that is my only criticism.
They are more apologetic of Jefferson than many other modern historical writers have been lately, considering Jefferson was part of the administration while secretly acting to counter it's goals, but that is my only criticism.
April 25, 2015
A very readable account of Washington's two terms in office. His interactions with Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and others are well covered. I also got new insights into Washington the man, his relationship with Martha and his love of Mount Vernon.While reading this book I couldn't help comparing the political situation then to present day politics. Some things have changed especially with modern technology but people remain people with all of their strengths and weaknesses. A fine read, I enjoyed it!
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