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Washington's End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle
The text of this Large Print edition is unabridged
596 pages, Library Binding
First published February 11, 2020
160 people are currently reading
679 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Horn
9 books24 followersJonathan Horn is an author and former White House presidential speechwriter whose books include Washington’s End and the Robert E. Lee biography The Man Who Would Not Be Washington, which was a Washington Post bestseller. He has written for outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times Disunion series, New York Post, The Daily Beast, National Review, and Politico Magazine, and has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and PBS NewsHour. A graduate of Yale, he lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife, two children, and dog. On April 15, 2025, Scribner published his newest book, The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the Philippines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
October 27, 2019
George Washington tried mightily to just fade away. He wanted out of politics, public office and the military. But it was not to be, as Jonathan Horn relates in Washington’s End. In his mid sixties, Washington wanted nothing more than to farm the land and lease property he did not need. To be with his wife and extended family. And relax. It had been not just a momentous but an unrelenting run for him, starting with the Declaration of Independence, through the Revolutionary War, the constitutional battles and then the presidency. Twice. And every step of the way, he had to make it up as he went, because no one had come before him. There had never been an American military, electorate, national government, or leader.
The biggest impression the book leaves is Washington’s tense fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. He worded his thoughts carefully, listened more than he spoke, and even went back through all his papers to edit out the colorful, the superfluous and the opinionated so that he would not trap others – or the country – into some unseemly situation after he was gone. Some of his edits are ludicrously oversensitive, distorting history rather than documenting it.
His favorite person in the world, the Marquis de Lafayette, was finally released from prison in Austria (an incredible story in itself), and wanted to come to the USA to visit his oldest and best friend. Lafayette was a genuine American Revolutionary War hero. Washington was even raising his grandson, Georges Washington Lafayette. But there was potential war with France in the offing, and Washington could not possibly be seen entertaining a Frenchman under those circumstances. That’s how sensitive he was. He would never see Lafayette again, but that was the price of putting America first. Such attitudes in today’s administration is inconceivable.
Washington was THE national hero. For 20 years he never had dinner alone with his wife Martha. There were always visitors, usually total strangers, come to pay their respects, thank him and see his estate at Mount Vernon. They were always received warmly, and wined and dined. This provided more opportunities to screw up, and Washington seemed to have walked on eggshells for the rest of his life.
He hated political parties and bemoaned the fact that people who used to work together (and needed to work together) no longer even tipped their hats (in fact crossed the street to avoid it) because they were in different political parties. America had become the land of hate. Already. Washington liked to speak from and for America, and not from or for some state, region or special interest. And he wished everyone would follow his example.
But the only thing they followed him for was to drag him back into service. “Only Washington can save the country” was a familiar call in the late 1790s, as the party system (predictably) undermined everything the founders sought to erect. They wanted him to run for a third term, especially after John Adams proved to be unsatisfactory as his successor. Meanwhile, Adams felt the pressure of always being compared to George Washington, and unflatteringly. Eventually, Adams convinced Washington to come out of retirement to raise and lead a new American military into what looked to be war with France. (At least Adams recognized that with no military experience, he was not going to be a competent commander in chief, and sought out the ideal candidate for it. No one since has voluntarily given up power like Adams did.)
Washington never wanted an American army. It was expensive and pointless, as the USA was isolated from potential enemies by oceans which provided plenty of notice of an attack. The country was not set up for a military establishment. It couldn’t even get uniforms made – not even just one for George Washington. There wasn’t enough gold thread or tailors who knew how to embroider with it. And no military bases to house and train the men. When war was avoided, Adams was only too glad to abandon the whole project. Let the states foot the bills for militias if they were so hot on the military. That’s what they had the Second Amendment for. Any resemblance to the USA today is purely coincidental.
The book is short. (Washington didn’t live to see out the decade after he retired.) But it is annoying. For some reason, every individual word Horn picks out of the archives is significant to him and merits quotation marks. So sentences become rocky rollercoasters, as ordinary words like “formal” or “received” or “high” or “wet” make readers wonder what they’re missing. The answer is they aren’t missing anything, but it makes the book read like a Zagat restaurant review, where nearly every word comes from a customer comment. It might be cute in a paragraph, but it is painful in a book.
The human story still comes through, but it is more difficult than it needs to be.
David Wineberg
The biggest impression the book leaves is Washington’s tense fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. He worded his thoughts carefully, listened more than he spoke, and even went back through all his papers to edit out the colorful, the superfluous and the opinionated so that he would not trap others – or the country – into some unseemly situation after he was gone. Some of his edits are ludicrously oversensitive, distorting history rather than documenting it.
His favorite person in the world, the Marquis de Lafayette, was finally released from prison in Austria (an incredible story in itself), and wanted to come to the USA to visit his oldest and best friend. Lafayette was a genuine American Revolutionary War hero. Washington was even raising his grandson, Georges Washington Lafayette. But there was potential war with France in the offing, and Washington could not possibly be seen entertaining a Frenchman under those circumstances. That’s how sensitive he was. He would never see Lafayette again, but that was the price of putting America first. Such attitudes in today’s administration is inconceivable.
Washington was THE national hero. For 20 years he never had dinner alone with his wife Martha. There were always visitors, usually total strangers, come to pay their respects, thank him and see his estate at Mount Vernon. They were always received warmly, and wined and dined. This provided more opportunities to screw up, and Washington seemed to have walked on eggshells for the rest of his life.
He hated political parties and bemoaned the fact that people who used to work together (and needed to work together) no longer even tipped their hats (in fact crossed the street to avoid it) because they were in different political parties. America had become the land of hate. Already. Washington liked to speak from and for America, and not from or for some state, region or special interest. And he wished everyone would follow his example.
But the only thing they followed him for was to drag him back into service. “Only Washington can save the country” was a familiar call in the late 1790s, as the party system (predictably) undermined everything the founders sought to erect. They wanted him to run for a third term, especially after John Adams proved to be unsatisfactory as his successor. Meanwhile, Adams felt the pressure of always being compared to George Washington, and unflatteringly. Eventually, Adams convinced Washington to come out of retirement to raise and lead a new American military into what looked to be war with France. (At least Adams recognized that with no military experience, he was not going to be a competent commander in chief, and sought out the ideal candidate for it. No one since has voluntarily given up power like Adams did.)
Washington never wanted an American army. It was expensive and pointless, as the USA was isolated from potential enemies by oceans which provided plenty of notice of an attack. The country was not set up for a military establishment. It couldn’t even get uniforms made – not even just one for George Washington. There wasn’t enough gold thread or tailors who knew how to embroider with it. And no military bases to house and train the men. When war was avoided, Adams was only too glad to abandon the whole project. Let the states foot the bills for militias if they were so hot on the military. That’s what they had the Second Amendment for. Any resemblance to the USA today is purely coincidental.
The book is short. (Washington didn’t live to see out the decade after he retired.) But it is annoying. For some reason, every individual word Horn picks out of the archives is significant to him and merits quotation marks. So sentences become rocky rollercoasters, as ordinary words like “formal” or “received” or “high” or “wet” make readers wonder what they’re missing. The answer is they aren’t missing anything, but it makes the book read like a Zagat restaurant review, where nearly every word comes from a customer comment. It might be cute in a paragraph, but it is painful in a book.
The human story still comes through, but it is more difficult than it needs to be.
David Wineberg
December 15, 2020
The promotional blurb for this book says, "Popular historian and former White House speechwriter Jonathan Horn tells the astonishing true story of George Washington’s forgotten last years—the personalities, plotting, and private torment that unraveled America’s first post-presidency."
No. Not really.
It is true that most schoolbooks and life overviews seem to jump straight from Washington's farewell address into a eulogy of his life. He did stick around at Mt Vernon for a while. This book pretty much gives us the history of America during the Adams and early Jefferson presidencies from the perspective of Washington's life and correspondences. There is nothing, "astonishing" or "riveting" about it. There was no "unraveling" and Washington certainly didn't "lose his head". Despite the sensational claims of the promotional, nothing within the meat of the book suggests any of this.
I would give this book four stars for providing a unique angle to the familiar story of America's early years. It is a good book of history that was well researched and written. But I'm docking a star for the horrible, shameless bait and switch promotional. If Jonathan Horn wrote it himself, shame. If someone over at the offices of Simon and Schuster did it... they need to be reprimanded if not fired outright.
No. Not really.
It is true that most schoolbooks and life overviews seem to jump straight from Washington's farewell address into a eulogy of his life. He did stick around at Mt Vernon for a while. This book pretty much gives us the history of America during the Adams and early Jefferson presidencies from the perspective of Washington's life and correspondences. There is nothing, "astonishing" or "riveting" about it. There was no "unraveling" and Washington certainly didn't "lose his head". Despite the sensational claims of the promotional, nothing within the meat of the book suggests any of this.
I would give this book four stars for providing a unique angle to the familiar story of America's early years. It is a good book of history that was well researched and written. But I'm docking a star for the horrible, shameless bait and switch promotional. If Jonathan Horn wrote it himself, shame. If someone over at the offices of Simon and Schuster did it... they need to be reprimanded if not fired outright.
November 25, 2019
While the subject matter itself is interesting, the writing style of the author made this a somewhat painful slog about the final years of George Washington's life. Add to that that the author meanders from the main subject on a regular basis and you have a book that could have been much more intersesting. In addition, the frequent use (or overuse) of qoutes gives the book a feel that this was needed in order to have a substantial narrative on the subject.
I would only recommend this book if you are a fan of George Washington and are willing to plow through several parts of the book that border on painful.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I would only recommend this book if you are a fan of George Washington and are willing to plow through several parts of the book that border on painful.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
June 16, 2020
If you ever wondered what General Washington did after he left the White House, this is the book for you. This book is based on the diaries, papers, and letters to piece together the life of Washington. I was unaware of many of the aspects of Washington's life. I guess I assumed that he was beloved completely and never faced any turmoil. For example, I always assumed that Washington and Jefferson would have been friends or that Adams would appreciate his actions. I don't know why, but this fact really stuck in my head. I guess it stems from my strong admiration of Jefferson as a statesman.
Washington’s End starts when Washington exits office after eight years as President. Retirement serves only to bewilder a man who had been busy and center stage all of his life. In the end, Washington was "embittered by partisan criticism and eager to return to his farm". I was unaware that Washington had a fear of being buried alive and requested that he not be buried for 2 days.
Without having ever considered what it would be like to have lead the nation into freedom, and then into the new world, only to give up power and return to the farm had to be a difficult transition. The story is as promised, very well researched and told in a vivid way. There is no drama and not a great deal of fluff, so it is more of an academic read that I enjoyed a great deal. For history buffs, this is a must-read!
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Washington’s End starts when Washington exits office after eight years as President. Retirement serves only to bewilder a man who had been busy and center stage all of his life. In the end, Washington was "embittered by partisan criticism and eager to return to his farm". I was unaware that Washington had a fear of being buried alive and requested that he not be buried for 2 days.
Without having ever considered what it would be like to have lead the nation into freedom, and then into the new world, only to give up power and return to the farm had to be a difficult transition. The story is as promised, very well researched and told in a vivid way. There is no drama and not a great deal of fluff, so it is more of an academic read that I enjoyed a great deal. For history buffs, this is a must-read!
4 stars
Happy Reading!
November 11, 2022
Of the multitude of books written about George Washington, very few focus exclusively on his post-presidential years. In a life full of historic events, this makes sense: Washington by that point in his life had done everything that a man could possibly do, and he lived less than three years after leaving office, so we are also dealing with a relatively short time period. However, these few years were not void of drama, and despite Washington vowing to basically stick close to home and rarely leave, he did leave once and it made news.
Being the first President, there was of course no precedent for being the first former President. He had not wanted to remain in the presidency, citing both his age and the importance it would mean to the young nation to see a peaceful transfer of power to someone else. When Washington voluntarily retired, what was left for him to do? The nation was at peace. There was no higher government job to go into. And he had spent the majority of the past quarter century away from his beloved plantation of Mount Vernon in Virginia. So that is where he returned.
Aside from Washington occasionally venturing the dozen or so miles into the new federal city being built on a site that he chose, only one event of true importance occurred during this time period. There was a quasi-war with France (there never actually was a war - thanks mainly to a few cooler heads in Paris and also to new President John Adams never giving up on negotiating - but most everyone thought there would be one). Cajoled (or perhaps manipulated is a better word?) by his former Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, into once again being willing to answer the call of his country, Washington allowed himself to get caught up in Hamilton's grasp for his own military glory and authority. A charade began over the ranking of major generals who would serve under Washington. Honestly, reading this now, nobody came out of here looking good. Hamilton, as usual, was a schemer and a megalomaniac. Adams was weak, allowing himself to be bounced like a yoyo between Washington and his own disloyal Cabinet who were basically acting as mouthpieces for Hamilton. The Secretary of War, James McHenry, was somewhat of a dunce who took his marching orders from Hamilton. In addition to this farce, Washington became obsessed with getting a new uniform. It turned out that the uniform never arrived prior to his death because everything had to come from Europe, and even then America apparently did not have anyone skilled enough to sew on the fancy epaulets and stars.
Jonathan Horn details all of this, along with Washington's regular activities at his home, and the slow construction of the soon-to-be nation's capitol. Thankfully the book is a relatively short read, and Horn had the habit of putting multiple different words within the same sentence in quotation marks. What he was doing was taking individual words, or sometimes phrases, from a letter, and putting that word into a sentence, but also putting other individual words from other letters into that same sentence. Here is an example from page 47:
Those trying to fill the void knew "nothing of cooking" or "arranging a table." The "inconvenience" for Martha was especially "great" given that her personal attendant, Oney, "who was brought up and treated more like a child than a servant," had also recently fled.
That annoyed me. If it was a few sentences scattered throughout the book, I could accept it. But this was on almost every page. That probably comes down to personal preference. He also would frequently shift perspective within chapters, letting someone see a few pages from Adams' views, then bringing in Thomas Jefferson for a few pages. I found this a little jarring as well.
Horn does do a good job of showing how Washington allowed himself to be Hamilton's tool in 1798 during the Quasi-war. He also reviews Washington's role as a slaveowner, but he does not go into especially great detail here. Nor does he dwell on Washington's dire financial straits, although they are mentioned periodically. Washington's final illness is covered well. The end came quickly, as up to even just a few days prior to his death, Washington was a healthy man, especially given his age (67) during that era. Each time I read about Washington's death scene, it is almost nauseating due to the amount of times that his dumb doctors bled him. That did nothing! Except make him weaker. It really makes you realize how barbaric the practice of medicine was back then. Death seemed to perch itself on everyone's front porch and just wait for the next virus to come along.
Horn finishes with two chapters following Washington's death. They are about the beginnings of government in Washington D.C., and the 1800 election. Horn posits that, had he lived, Washington would have allowed himself to have been convinced (probably at least in part by Hamilton) to stand for election. Given that Washington did not have to be pushed too hard to return as a general, I think that is a fair assumption. This was a man who was long used to power and influence. Just riding around his plantation, when it came down to it, was not enough. It is also difficult to see Washington, once the seat of government shifted to D.C. in the fall of 1800, being able to stay away with him living just a few stone's throws down the Potomac River.
I do appreciate that Horn decided to focus on what is usually treated as an afterthought period of Washington's life. Washington was still busy enough to make this part of his life interesting to read about. I would have preferred a different writing style though.
Grade: D+
Being the first President, there was of course no precedent for being the first former President. He had not wanted to remain in the presidency, citing both his age and the importance it would mean to the young nation to see a peaceful transfer of power to someone else. When Washington voluntarily retired, what was left for him to do? The nation was at peace. There was no higher government job to go into. And he had spent the majority of the past quarter century away from his beloved plantation of Mount Vernon in Virginia. So that is where he returned.
Aside from Washington occasionally venturing the dozen or so miles into the new federal city being built on a site that he chose, only one event of true importance occurred during this time period. There was a quasi-war with France (there never actually was a war - thanks mainly to a few cooler heads in Paris and also to new President John Adams never giving up on negotiating - but most everyone thought there would be one). Cajoled (or perhaps manipulated is a better word?) by his former Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, into once again being willing to answer the call of his country, Washington allowed himself to get caught up in Hamilton's grasp for his own military glory and authority. A charade began over the ranking of major generals who would serve under Washington. Honestly, reading this now, nobody came out of here looking good. Hamilton, as usual, was a schemer and a megalomaniac. Adams was weak, allowing himself to be bounced like a yoyo between Washington and his own disloyal Cabinet who were basically acting as mouthpieces for Hamilton. The Secretary of War, James McHenry, was somewhat of a dunce who took his marching orders from Hamilton. In addition to this farce, Washington became obsessed with getting a new uniform. It turned out that the uniform never arrived prior to his death because everything had to come from Europe, and even then America apparently did not have anyone skilled enough to sew on the fancy epaulets and stars.
Jonathan Horn details all of this, along with Washington's regular activities at his home, and the slow construction of the soon-to-be nation's capitol. Thankfully the book is a relatively short read, and Horn had the habit of putting multiple different words within the same sentence in quotation marks. What he was doing was taking individual words, or sometimes phrases, from a letter, and putting that word into a sentence, but also putting other individual words from other letters into that same sentence. Here is an example from page 47:
Those trying to fill the void knew "nothing of cooking" or "arranging a table." The "inconvenience" for Martha was especially "great" given that her personal attendant, Oney, "who was brought up and treated more like a child than a servant," had also recently fled.
That annoyed me. If it was a few sentences scattered throughout the book, I could accept it. But this was on almost every page. That probably comes down to personal preference. He also would frequently shift perspective within chapters, letting someone see a few pages from Adams' views, then bringing in Thomas Jefferson for a few pages. I found this a little jarring as well.
Horn does do a good job of showing how Washington allowed himself to be Hamilton's tool in 1798 during the Quasi-war. He also reviews Washington's role as a slaveowner, but he does not go into especially great detail here. Nor does he dwell on Washington's dire financial straits, although they are mentioned periodically. Washington's final illness is covered well. The end came quickly, as up to even just a few days prior to his death, Washington was a healthy man, especially given his age (67) during that era. Each time I read about Washington's death scene, it is almost nauseating due to the amount of times that his dumb doctors bled him. That did nothing! Except make him weaker. It really makes you realize how barbaric the practice of medicine was back then. Death seemed to perch itself on everyone's front porch and just wait for the next virus to come along.
Horn finishes with two chapters following Washington's death. They are about the beginnings of government in Washington D.C., and the 1800 election. Horn posits that, had he lived, Washington would have allowed himself to have been convinced (probably at least in part by Hamilton) to stand for election. Given that Washington did not have to be pushed too hard to return as a general, I think that is a fair assumption. This was a man who was long used to power and influence. Just riding around his plantation, when it came down to it, was not enough. It is also difficult to see Washington, once the seat of government shifted to D.C. in the fall of 1800, being able to stay away with him living just a few stone's throws down the Potomac River.
I do appreciate that Horn decided to focus on what is usually treated as an afterthought period of Washington's life. Washington was still busy enough to make this part of his life interesting to read about. I would have preferred a different writing style though.
Grade: D+
April 30, 2021
History isn't boring, but unfortunately, this was. Quotes unattached to a storyline don't work for me. There are many quotes, and they seem to be more important than weaving a clear narrative. I was lost, didn't know what was going on in what context, and generally frustrated.
I picture myself in the 1800s, standing in a field. I am behind my horse, attached to a plow. The horse starts forward as I manhandle the plow. It veers to the left and right as I stumble on the freshly turned soil. I fight to keep the plow upright, and I run into rocks and roots. Nothing about it is easy.
That's how I feel when I read this book. It was work to stay engaged, and the author did not make the ground easy to plow. I had to go over to Wikipedia to get a more concise, clearer picture.
I wish it were better . . .
I picture myself in the 1800s, standing in a field. I am behind my horse, attached to a plow. The horse starts forward as I manhandle the plow. It veers to the left and right as I stumble on the freshly turned soil. I fight to keep the plow upright, and I run into rocks and roots. Nothing about it is easy.
That's how I feel when I read this book. It was work to stay engaged, and the author did not make the ground easy to plow. I had to go over to Wikipedia to get a more concise, clearer picture.
I wish it were better . . .
October 26, 2020
I had a hard time swallowing the premise of this book as laid out in the prologue - that, of all the books that have been written about George Washington over the past two centuries, somehow none has done justice to his final years. The specious explanation given is that other biographers have run out of steam toward the end of their volumes, having "exceeded their word counts (and) deadlines" and, as a result, have somehow given short shrift to the story of Washington's last years, if that part of his life is "included at all" in their manuscripts.
Read any good biography of George Washington and you'll get a good overview of his final years. The real reason that most biographers don't linger on it is probably not because they're racing to finish writing their books. It's because, for a man who led such an eventful and momentous life, his final two and a half years after leaving the Presidency simply aren't all that fascinating in comparison.
It seems a fine idea for a book, focusing on one aspect of Washington's life. And, aside from suggesting that no one else has adequately told this tale, Horn does a good job crafting a well-told, readable story. But ultimately, Washington spends his days riding around inspecting his farms, interacting with his grandchildren, hosting visitors to Mount Vernon, and observing and commenting on political events of the day that no longer involve him. The most notable thing that occurs is that he gets dragged out of retirement in a brief, anticlimactic reinstatement as Commander in Chief, which ultimately requires little more from him than negotiating the ranks of his subordinates and designing new uniforms, before his services are no longer needed.
So giving this period of his life book-length treatment is an interesting concept, and the reference in the subtitle to his "forgotten struggle" suggests you're going to get new information or insights that you won't find in the final few chapters of a full bio. Instead, this book is just a bit longer than other books' final few chapters - because, to put Washington's final years in context, stories from previous points in his life are woven into the narrative. If you can't appreciate the story of his final years without knowing important details about his prior 65 years, then why not read a book about all of his years instead of one about his last two?
This is not a bad book, for those who want an overview of Washington's twilight years, his family, his involvement in the planning of the capital city and his legacy. It's well-written and not a heavy, academic read. But if you want more, it's no substitute for a full telling of his full life - because it is a life that is far more interesting and eventful than a narrow focus on his final years might suggest.
Read any good biography of George Washington and you'll get a good overview of his final years. The real reason that most biographers don't linger on it is probably not because they're racing to finish writing their books. It's because, for a man who led such an eventful and momentous life, his final two and a half years after leaving the Presidency simply aren't all that fascinating in comparison.
It seems a fine idea for a book, focusing on one aspect of Washington's life. And, aside from suggesting that no one else has adequately told this tale, Horn does a good job crafting a well-told, readable story. But ultimately, Washington spends his days riding around inspecting his farms, interacting with his grandchildren, hosting visitors to Mount Vernon, and observing and commenting on political events of the day that no longer involve him. The most notable thing that occurs is that he gets dragged out of retirement in a brief, anticlimactic reinstatement as Commander in Chief, which ultimately requires little more from him than negotiating the ranks of his subordinates and designing new uniforms, before his services are no longer needed.
So giving this period of his life book-length treatment is an interesting concept, and the reference in the subtitle to his "forgotten struggle" suggests you're going to get new information or insights that you won't find in the final few chapters of a full bio. Instead, this book is just a bit longer than other books' final few chapters - because, to put Washington's final years in context, stories from previous points in his life are woven into the narrative. If you can't appreciate the story of his final years without knowing important details about his prior 65 years, then why not read a book about all of his years instead of one about his last two?
This is not a bad book, for those who want an overview of Washington's twilight years, his family, his involvement in the planning of the capital city and his legacy. It's well-written and not a heavy, academic read. But if you want more, it's no substitute for a full telling of his full life - because it is a life that is far more interesting and eventful than a narrow focus on his final years might suggest.
February 10, 2021
George Washington is one of my favorite Founding Fathers. He was a Freemason. When I became a Freemason, while going through my initiation, the one thing that kept running through my mind was “George Washington went through this very initiation hundreds of years ago”. He was a flawed man as we all are. His owning of slaves is a dark spot on his history. However, these days, we do compare people of the past based on the insanity we have today. I am curious to see 30 years from now, how all these people will be able to escape the ever-changing “standards” of the time. Progressivism does not stop to see if what has been done is enough. It is more concerned with continue to “progress” regardless of its success or failures. During that time, slavery, sadly, was normal accepted. Similar to anything that is legal today and acceptable that later on becomes frowned upon. I think it was abhorrent, but the fact is that many men during that time paved the way for what eventually and thankfully became outlawed.
Washington was a man that measured his words. Due to his oral issues, he rarely smiled and was an astute listener. I practice the same today; “Listen to understand, not to respond”. I do believe his Masonic teachings dictated many of the good qualities we read about so often. The book goes into a narrative I personally have not read about before. I always knew there was tension between Washington and Adams, but this book goes deeper into the relationships and feelings of his opposers. In my opinion he was harsh at times when it came to Washington.
Washington was not a proponent of political parties and regretted the fact that people who in the past worked together, no longer even spoke. I guess the adage about history repeating itself is absolutely true. We are the same today.
As most will know, Washington’s death was a freak accident of sorts. What one would take a ZPAK for today, killed one of the most influential people in our history. The book is short but interesting. I love Washington and feel I have a connection with him above and beyond the founding of this country, so I hesitate a bit with they paint him in a negative light.
Washington was a man that measured his words. Due to his oral issues, he rarely smiled and was an astute listener. I practice the same today; “Listen to understand, not to respond”. I do believe his Masonic teachings dictated many of the good qualities we read about so often. The book goes into a narrative I personally have not read about before. I always knew there was tension between Washington and Adams, but this book goes deeper into the relationships and feelings of his opposers. In my opinion he was harsh at times when it came to Washington.
Washington was not a proponent of political parties and regretted the fact that people who in the past worked together, no longer even spoke. I guess the adage about history repeating itself is absolutely true. We are the same today.
As most will know, Washington’s death was a freak accident of sorts. What one would take a ZPAK for today, killed one of the most influential people in our history. The book is short but interesting. I love Washington and feel I have a connection with him above and beyond the founding of this country, so I hesitate a bit with they paint him in a negative light.
March 1, 2022
Horn presents a creative re-telling of the final two years of Washington's life during his long-desired retirement under the shade of his vine and fig tree at his beloved Mount Vernon. By plentiful use of letters, diaries and newspaper reports, Horn shows that Washington's retirement was anything but the peaceful, apolitical twilight years he was hoping to spend on his farms with Martha at his side. I recommend this book to any fan of the great man who wants a more intimate, sometimes poignant, picture of his eventful final years at Mount Vernon.
January 12, 2021
I have an interest in Washington (one of many biographies I’ve read) but also in how we approach and see our “final years.” This book was insightful in how one disconnects (or doesn’t disconnect) from the roles and positions previously held.
January 16, 2021
You definitely have to be interested in the time period and have a decent background on Washington and the early years of the Republic to appreciate this book. It was refreshing to be reminded that even the greatest American of all time had his detractors and was subverted by his peers and in the media. The book is pretty timely given the current state of American politics. I’d recommend it to be on anyone’s list looking to do a deep dive on Washington but it shouldn’t be a starting point.
March 3, 2025
Good look at Washington's post-presidency years, and through them, a glimpse of the turmoil the young U.S. was in at the time.
November 18, 2019
Not exactly exciting reading but it gives a new light on George Washington, the man, the former President, the consummate General of the United States. Although a man of flaws: the Whiskey Rebellion, treatment of native Americans, etc, he tended to take counsel before important decisions. Yet he was accused of wanting to be king rather than President, this man who wanted to go home at the end of his first term until persuaded otherwise. Although a slave owner, he made sure he freed everyone he was legally able to upon his death. It portrays the Presidents who followed (Adams and Jefferson) as jealous and manipulative, true politicians through and through. Gave me a lot to reconsider about what I have been taught. So glad NetGalley gave me a chance to review this book for my honest opinion.
August 14, 2022
Upon reading the author's prologue, I was sure I was going to enjoy this book as much as any other Washington bio I have read over the years. As it turns out, though, there's a very good reason not much has been written about the post-presidency period of Washington's life: it just isn't all that interesting. Or fun to read about.
For Washington himself, it was a period of disappointment, frustration and worry – for his Mount Vernon estate, for his somewhat disappointing stepchildren and heirs, the national capital he envisioned just up the river, for the enslaved peoples he would have freed if he could and for a fragile nation being torn apart by partisan and regional divides.
So many Washington biographies deify the man, so it's probably instructive that the lesser known and less admirable aspects of his character are revealed. We forget that he had his detractors in his time, that he was at the very center of the factionalism, the Jeffersonian-Hamiltonian rivalry that was ripping the nation apart. According to Horn, Washington was anything but a happy man during the waning years of his life.
I've read many full biographies of Washington that have left me in tears at his death. The death scene in Washington's End was, by contrast, something of a relief, relief that he'd not longer be subjects to the petty squabbles and unceasing demands that surrounded him.
For Washington himself, it was a period of disappointment, frustration and worry – for his Mount Vernon estate, for his somewhat disappointing stepchildren and heirs, the national capital he envisioned just up the river, for the enslaved peoples he would have freed if he could and for a fragile nation being torn apart by partisan and regional divides.
So many Washington biographies deify the man, so it's probably instructive that the lesser known and less admirable aspects of his character are revealed. We forget that he had his detractors in his time, that he was at the very center of the factionalism, the Jeffersonian-Hamiltonian rivalry that was ripping the nation apart. According to Horn, Washington was anything but a happy man during the waning years of his life.
I've read many full biographies of Washington that have left me in tears at his death. The death scene in Washington's End was, by contrast, something of a relief, relief that he'd not longer be subjects to the petty squabbles and unceasing demands that surrounded him.
April 25, 2023
I'll echo what a lot of people have written.
The topic of this book is super interesting but the writing of the book leaves a lot to be desired.
Unlike Lincoln, there is a story to Washington after his presidency, yet it doesn't often get told. But there's a lot to consider. Washington accepts a post as general of the army but only with the condition that he doesn't have to actually do anything unless a battle breaks out. He picks the federal city and oversees the early developments. He longs for a past lover. He has typically mundane days that the average citizen endures. He wrestles, most importantly, with how to influence politics without overstepping and without destroying the Federalist Party he helped found.
Again, there's a lot of interesting material there to dissect.
But man, the way Horn wrote this book is rough. There are so many quotation marks. I know he was citing his work but so many individual words isn't a recipe for an easy-to-follow read. I've read many historical books when the English language was decidedly different than it is now, but I've never struggled to string together sentences like I did in this book. I'm not sure who pushed Horn to write the book this way but I wish he would've reconsidered.
My overall rating goes to 3 stars because the content carries that much weight.
The topic of this book is super interesting but the writing of the book leaves a lot to be desired.
Unlike Lincoln, there is a story to Washington after his presidency, yet it doesn't often get told. But there's a lot to consider. Washington accepts a post as general of the army but only with the condition that he doesn't have to actually do anything unless a battle breaks out. He picks the federal city and oversees the early developments. He longs for a past lover. He has typically mundane days that the average citizen endures. He wrestles, most importantly, with how to influence politics without overstepping and without destroying the Federalist Party he helped found.
Again, there's a lot of interesting material there to dissect.
But man, the way Horn wrote this book is rough. There are so many quotation marks. I know he was citing his work but so many individual words isn't a recipe for an easy-to-follow read. I've read many historical books when the English language was decidedly different than it is now, but I've never struggled to string together sentences like I did in this book. I'm not sure who pushed Horn to write the book this way but I wish he would've reconsidered.
My overall rating goes to 3 stars because the content carries that much weight.
February 17, 2021
I found this book quite jolting. Sometimes I forgot I was reading about Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe and felt I was reading about Trump, Mitch McConnel, Lyndsey Graham and the Democrats. We certainly have bought the myth of Washington. The French and Indian War got skimmed over because the pristine image of Washington that posterity wanted to sell couldn't comfortably explain the French and Indian War. Then they sold the story of Washington being beloved by all. It wasn't true. According to this book, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe were difficult and they painted him as seeking power beyond his presidency. The author sheds some interesting light on Washington's feelings and struggle with slavery. Some of that story will enrage readers. Slavery was wrong. There's no getting around that, but Washington's discussions about slavery shed a lot of light on the thinking of the time, which is quite shocking in itself. In the end, there is this feeling that Washington had many great qualities and many faults. I think we were all short-changed, even robbed from seeing Washington as the man he was with great qualities and flaws. To see him as a man rather than a flawless hero would have helped us to understand history during his lifetime a lot better.
October 30, 2022
The book was very informative to read about Washington in his final years. He did not want to keep power as the leader of the country yet knew the north and south revolved around his leadership. He did not want the office to evolved into a monarchy as the love of his countrymen grew. Portrayed himself as a humble servant of the people but he did have an ego despite letting others think he did not. He enjoyed the accolades and deification of being the first American President. There were two minds living inside of Washington. The pious reserved leader but real the human egotistical middle-class man climbing the ladder of power once the country was established.
I learned that John Adams was jealous and insecure when it came to Washington's leadership. Alexandar Hamilton wanted to get out of Washington's shadow and the emotional feelings were not mutual. I also did not realize how Washington grew to dislike Thomas Jefferson because of different political ideology.
The book was engrossing for me and so well written that I could not put down. George Washington always fascinated me, so this book did not disappoint.
I learned that John Adams was jealous and insecure when it came to Washington's leadership. Alexandar Hamilton wanted to get out of Washington's shadow and the emotional feelings were not mutual. I also did not realize how Washington grew to dislike Thomas Jefferson because of different political ideology.
The book was engrossing for me and so well written that I could not put down. George Washington always fascinated me, so this book did not disappoint.
March 31, 2020
I had high exceptions for this biography and I was really disappointed. Essentially, after leaving the presidency he wanted to disappear from the public eye. He was really a modest individual and one whose schooling ended early. His training was as a surveyor; which he excelled at. He had many ideas about farming, some of which would be considered very modern. He was, in some ways, jealous of Thomas Jefferson's gardens and farms. He had large holdings, more than anyone man could manage and in the end he failed at making money off his farming.
Politics were pretty nasty after he left office and he wanted nothing to do with it. Unfortunately he was pulled into it and did not handle it well. On top of that there were family problems and the deterioration of his health.
While there was a lot of material from this time period to work from there was not in the way of personal letters with his thoughts and we learn why from this biography. The writing on the other hand is not the greatest making it difficult to read. I still think that it is worth the effort.
Politics were pretty nasty after he left office and he wanted nothing to do with it. Unfortunately he was pulled into it and did not handle it well. On top of that there were family problems and the deterioration of his health.
While there was a lot of material from this time period to work from there was not in the way of personal letters with his thoughts and we learn why from this biography. The writing on the other hand is not the greatest making it difficult to read. I still think that it is worth the effort.
July 13, 2021
Contains a lot of fascinating and new stuff, such as Pickering's thoughts on Washington, how much time Washington spent on the Quasi War, what War Secretary McHenry was like, Washington and religion, how uncomfortable his retirement was, and so on. There were only a couple little things that might have been handled better. One was that the 1800 election did not depend on a "stray vote", but on proper planning to throw one away. There was a lot more planning involved than in what was implied here. Another was that some threads are by the end left untied. Whatever happened to Hercules (search Wikipedia for Hercules Posey, who may have escaped from Mount Vernon rather than Philly)? To James Anderson? The Englishman who came to rent one of Washington's farms? Why didn't the Potomac canal prove profitable? And so on. But a really nice effort, using an unusual style whose ultimate value I remain undecided about.
By a Bush speechwriter of all people.
By a Bush speechwriter of all people.
March 13, 2022
Horn has taken the last three years of Washington's life and has woven a fascinating tale of his retirement at Mount Vernon. Although he proclaimed that he was out of public service, many individuals hounded him on taking positions while Adams was President. In fact, Washington almost created a terrible blunder by wanting Hamilton to be second in command of the army under him which was the role of the President. By doing this, he alienated Hamilton from more moderate Federalists, cut off any further communication with Henry Knox, and made President Adams wary of his retirement status. Washington also had to deal with slavery when he had too many slaves for the jobs he needed to be done on his plantation. Yet, his role as the first ex-President went a long way in creating traditions that other ex-Presidents were to follow. This is an excellent book written in 2020 that takes advantage of much recent scholarship.
August 2, 2020
I have been looking forward to this book since it came out back in February. A full 5 months after I put it on my Interlibrary loan request list it finally came in (darn Covid!) I was excited to finally get to read it. And for the most part I did enjoy it, but I found the writing a little difficult. The author went off subject more than once and I found it difficult sometimes to track where things were timeline wise. I was definitely looking forward to the time after Washington's presidency seeing as that's not a commonly focused on time period for Washington books, but this one just let me down a bit. I'm not sure if there wasn't enough information to work with, but I really wanted more of Washington personally and less of what was going on in the world at the time.
January 13, 2021
Slavery is an integral part of this story. Washington would free his slaves upon his death. However, he was having Baltimore searched for his cook, a slave, who would be a free man if he spent thirty consecutive days in Maryland. He worried about the breakup of marriages between his slaves who would be freed and his wife's slaves who were part of a dowery and ownership would be left to Martha's descendants.
Other founding fathers are painted in probably true colors for being jealous or intimidated by Washington. Adams appears to have been despised by Jefferson and Monroe who seem to have thought equally well of Adams.
One takeaway was that politicians have not changed much. Little quarrels never seem to be resolved, grudges are maintained, and accomplishments slowed or stopped.
Other founding fathers are painted in probably true colors for being jealous or intimidated by Washington. Adams appears to have been despised by Jefferson and Monroe who seem to have thought equally well of Adams.
One takeaway was that politicians have not changed much. Little quarrels never seem to be resolved, grudges are maintained, and accomplishments slowed or stopped.
July 14, 2021
As someone who is intrigued by early American history, I looked forward to learning a bit more about the later years of Washington's life. While it did cover interesting & often overlooked events, it seemed to jump around a bit too much for me. In addition to this, the author used far too many quotations around single words and/or short phrases. Consequently, sections of the book are difficult to read due to their choppiness. Overall, I think that author did a great job pulling obscure details about Washington's life and pairing them with well-known historical facts. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to supplement their early American political history knowledge while learning a bit more about George Washington.
January 8, 2024
This book begins with the day George Washington left Philadelphia, at the completion of his second four-year term as President of the United States, and ends with his death in December, 1799. -- The author uses the 'fog-of-war' technique, which I do not believe I have ever encountered previously. As Washington's life moves forward chronologically, events from earlier in his life pop into his mind, so we get a rather full portrait of Washington's post-Revolutionary War career. (I know I have not explained that very well...but this biography reads rather like a novel...) I have no hesitation in recommending it to any student of American history who wants to read more about the Father of our Country.
March 27, 2020
A very interesting read about the last years of America’s first man. The book shows Washington as both the towering figure he was but also the human underneath. Like any good biography, it provides human details and brings down, but only a bit, America’s most dignified leader. The book is chalked full of interesting vignettes about our first Presidents post-presidential years: the private jealousies, his firm understanding of his place in history and the persona he must always be, and his failings both as a moral, political and military leader.
No full understanding of American history is complete without reading this book.
No full understanding of American history is complete without reading this book.
December 21, 2020
Interesting. I thought Washington went back to Mt. Vernon and just stayed away from the fray of politics. He was lured back in despite his wish to retire. Indisputably a man of honor who was concerned about any appearance of conflicts of interest ( especially dealing with Lafayette and his son after the French Revolution) and the quagmire of all politics in a two party system and differences of opinion between many of the founding fathers, he tried to stay a neutral party. Adams resented him and his popularity and others tried to use him for their political gain or machinations, yet he was careful with his words and actions.
February 9, 2024
“Washington’s End” by Jonathan Horn, the only end I wanted to read was the end of the book. I’ll admit Horn did an excellent job researching the facts and life of President Washington after his presidency was over. Great detail was provided and in a logical order.
Horn’s book was somewhat monotonous and I sluggishly got through it. I love history and historical books. I wanted to learn of how Washington spent his retirement and that I did. Yet this book seemed to drag on and on. It read more like a history book (educational) than it did a historic novel.
If you want historical facts, you will like the book. I want a book to make me not put it down; this one I struggled to pick up.
Horn’s book was somewhat monotonous and I sluggishly got through it. I love history and historical books. I wanted to learn of how Washington spent his retirement and that I did. Yet this book seemed to drag on and on. It read more like a history book (educational) than it did a historic novel.
If you want historical facts, you will like the book. I want a book to make me not put it down; this one I struggled to pick up.
April 18, 2024
I won’t decry this book because, fundamentally, it served its purpose: to educate. But it missed some marks and bled past some others. For one, a lot of prophetic rambling. For another, it bypassed — what I think is important in the context of the book, but likely overplayed by other writers and historians — more of Washington’s musings leading up to his death. The side stories-and-rants about supporting figures (and presidents) detracted more than they educated.
Still learned much about Washington. It is incredible to walk in his steps — just minutes down the road from me — where he lived and labored.
Still learned much about Washington. It is incredible to walk in his steps — just minutes down the road from me — where he lived and labored.
October 18, 2024
Washington’s End by Jonathan Horn .
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Tells the story of the final years of George Washington immediately following his two terms as President. After the Revolution, Washington stepped down as Commander in Chief and returned to Mount Vernon to resume his life as a simple farmer. As his newborn country was tearing itself apart Washington was pulled back into public life and elected as President for two terms to unite the states. Instead of running for a third term, Washington stepped down yet again and returned to his farm. This was also a short lived attempt at retirement as he was yet again called into service as the Commander in Chief of the newly formed Army under President Adams. The great General was the only figure that could be trusted with a standing Army. For sure a very interesting and little know period of time for our First President. .
-Logan
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#read #reading #readersofinstagram #book #bookstagram #history #america #georgewashington #unitedstates #usa🇺🇸
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Tells the story of the final years of George Washington immediately following his two terms as President. After the Revolution, Washington stepped down as Commander in Chief and returned to Mount Vernon to resume his life as a simple farmer. As his newborn country was tearing itself apart Washington was pulled back into public life and elected as President for two terms to unite the states. Instead of running for a third term, Washington stepped down yet again and returned to his farm. This was also a short lived attempt at retirement as he was yet again called into service as the Commander in Chief of the newly formed Army under President Adams. The great General was the only figure that could be trusted with a standing Army. For sure a very interesting and little know period of time for our First President. .
-Logan
.
.
#read #reading #readersofinstagram #book #bookstagram #history #america #georgewashington #unitedstates #usa🇺🇸
July 4, 2020
Finishing this wonderful book on the morning of July 4, 2020 seems fitting. Jonathan Horn has taken the last years of George Washington’s life and fleshed them out for us to revel in. I appreciate his ability to graft written quotes with creative nonfiction narrative. The struggle of ideals, concerns over the nascent nation land just where Horn wants them to—into the 21st century where our national identity seems to be at a precipice. I recommend this to all who want to live for a few days in shadow of Washington for a few days.
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