First and Always: A New Portrait of George Washington

by Peter R. Henriques

George Washington may be the most famous American who ever lived, and certainly is one of the most admired. While surrounded by myths, it is no myth that the man who led Americans' fight for independence and whose two terms in office largely defined the presidency was the most highly respected individual among a generation of formidable personalities. This record hints at an enigmatic perfection; however, Washington was a flesh-and-blood man. In First and Always, celebrated historian Peter Henriques illuminates Washington's life, more fully explicating his character and his achievements.

Arranged thematically, the book's chapters focus on important and controversial issues, achieving a depth not possible in a traditional biography. First and Always examines factors that coalesced to make Washington such a remarkable and admirable leader, while also chronicling how Washington mistreated some of his enslaved workers, engaged in extreme partisanship, and responded with excessive sensitivity to criticism. Henriques portrays a Washington deeply ambitious and always hungry for public adoration, even as he disclaimed such desires. In its account of an amazing life, First and Always shows how, despite profound flaws, George Washington nevertheless deserves to rank as the nation's most consequential leader, without whom the American experiment in republican government would have died in infancy.

Genres: American Revolution, History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2020

Reviews

[William Bahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Word on Washington?

A renowned George Washington scholar who had already authored several books on George Washington and thought he was done writing books about him, Professor Emeritus Peter Henriques changed his mind and has come out with what may be his, if not “The,” Last Word on Washington. Why “The”? Percentage-wise, I don’t believe I’ve marked up and highlighted any George Washington book more than I have this one. If Henriques isn’t coming up with a gem of a description himself, he’s quoting the best available from a collection of highly worthy Washington scholars for an overall outstanding read.

I invite you to take advantage of the “Look inside” feature of this book. You’ll see that Henriques tackles Washington by topics, looking into otherwise mostly unaddressed areas that sparked his curiosity over the years and which perhaps have sparked yours. I am particularly interested in Washington’s character and found fascinating commentary on this subject throughout the book. Due to current events relating to what might be considered dangerous speech in a country that prides itself on individual freedom, I have long been curious about Washington’s views on the Alien and Sedition Acts (see chapter 7). Here you’ll find Henriques taking on this subject on which you might have seen only rare glimpses of in other works.

But each chapter brings its own focus, from Washington’s leadership and strategic genius (c1); to his relationship with his mother (c2; Note: Not mentioned here but occasionally elsewhere, ‘My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her. —GW’” is a spurious quote!); to his relationship with the truth (c3); to the little known Asgill affair (c4); to his frenemies (c5); to some of his better-known slaves (c6; I especially enjoyed his discussion of Ona Judge); to the Quasi-War with France (c7); to a bit of psychoanalysis as to what made George Washington “tick” (c8). Henriques ends his book with a sampling by topic of insightful quotations from Washington.

Bottom line, I highly recommend this insightful, very well-researched and well-written book!

Of possible interest: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul, a best-seller at Mount Vernon. “Character is Key for Liberty!” and
Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat disappointed to find that this book is really a follow up to an earlier and more comprehensive work on Washington by this author.

[Krisanne Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting personal portrait of George Washington, his character, and his beliefs. However, it is not a biography by any means. As one other review stated, this is a good supplement to your understanding of George Washington if you have already read a biography or two. There is an assumption on the part of the author that the reader is already at least passingly familiar with very specific incidents in the founding of this country, which, I believe, most non-history buffs would not be. So although this was an interesting character portrait, it is not necessarily the best place to start.

It's a little hard to keep track of who is who, since there are so many people involved in George Washington's story, many with very similar names. And the author switches around from calling his subject "George Washington," "Washington," "GW," and "His Excellency." Although continued use of the formal "George Washington" would probably get tiresome, I struggled with his using the term "Washington" alone for a good section of the book, as this word refers to our capital city, and more specifically, the federal government, in modern parlance. I had to keep reminding myself that the author was talking about the man, not the institution (obviously named as such much later).

I will say that the stories were very interesting, from the Asgill Affair to the falling outs George Washington had with colleagues and friends. Details of his relationships to his slaves were absolutely fascinating. I was surprised, with all these personal stories, that there was so little discussion of his own wife, Martha Washington. She is almost an afterthought in the author's mind. She's there, but only back in the shadows as mother and grandmother to children from a previous marriage. With all this discussion of GW's relationships, isn't it odd that his marital relationship is hardly mentioned at all?

All told, this was super interesting, but should be approached as a supplement to learn more about the man, not as a biography in and of itself.

[Jeremy Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

We, and I, tend to think of George Washington as the stoic figure, something akin to a well-dressed statue, a man fitted to his time, but who adorned the first bookend of American history as a reluctant servant of the people, preferring, of course, to be at home on the farm over the roles that he was unanimously selected to fill. Peter Henriques alters that loosely studied image with a likeness far more human, far more complex and remarkable than one could ever give a flawlessly storied painting of times long ago. What we see, in First and Always, is George Washington through the lens of his own words and actions in totality, broken into elements of character that any person might wrestle with on their own in that time: ambition, criticism, patriotism, loyalty, honesty, compassion, or lack thereof in any category. What we lack, however, from Henriques, is anything but a cursory mention of the woman who accompanied Washington through forty years of that remarkable story, giving Martha only a periodic reference, as if she were a part of his background more than his foreground. But in the end, what we gain from this book are panels of historical curiosity, a reason to pull back the curtain and dig deeper into the lives and minds of those we so often praise as infallible.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a biography as much as a collection of essays on different aspects of Washington's life and personality, tied together with some well-done transitions. I found the first couple chapters rather unnecessary and tedious, as it was things that I had either previously known, or found too speculative or unimportant to bother devoting a chapter to. However, my patience in continuing to read was rewarded with some previously unknown tidbits of Washington biographical evidence that not only was I not aware of, but the entire context of which was unknown to me. Sadly, at the end the author decides to get all psychoanalytical, using Jungian theories to apply to GW's "shadow self", etc. A letdown, rather, as the task of the historian is to tell us facts, not to try and feel his way around applying theories to the actions of individuals who died 200+ years ago to make himself feel better. That said, if one can ignore the bits of this book that are theoretical, speculative, or irrelevant, it's a very good companion to fuller Washington biographies.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not yet another biography of our greatest president (sorry, Abe) but instead a series of essays that explore various questions concerning Washington's life and service--what was the true nature of his personality? what drove him to success? what's up with his relationship with his mother? why did he reach estrangement with so many of his fellow Virginians (Mason, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, etc.)? how did he treat his slaves? This is actually Henriques' second such books, so more fundamental concerns are perhaps raised in the previous volume. But this one is an excellent look "behind the mask" that is frank about the man's strengths and weaknesses while nevertheless respectful and indeed duly laudatory. If you've already read a quality biography or two, such as Chernow's (Washington: A Life), this makes a nice addendum.

[Jon Scott-sheldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is not a biography of George Washington, the author does an excellent job of revealing the character of his subject and scraping away the veneer of GW’s mythology to the true man underneath. Before reading this I would suggest completing at least a short biography of Washington.

The book is organized topically including chapters focusing on his relationship with his mother, debunking myths and modern misconceptions of Washington, his relationships with 5 other famous Virginians that soured over time, the Asgill affair, and his relationships with several of his slaves.

Henriques grounds his views in primary sources while referencing many other secondary sources. In so doing he offers fresh analysis and interpretation. I found this book most interesting and enlightening.

[Joe Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike a traditional biography, this author examines Washington’s moral qualities that made up his persona. This is a balanced examination of Washington as the author does not overlook the unsympathetic sides of Washington as revealed in the chapters on the friendships Washington severed (Chap. 5) and on his relationships to his slaves (Chap. 6).

Henriques writing style is easy going and not academic. He humanizes Washington and in so doing, readers get a fuller understanding of why Washington was such a remarkable leader.

[Aneil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first-rate complement to the standard biographies of Washington that illustrates the complex personality and motivations that shaped the actions of the father of our country.

[Robert Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed First and Always: A New Portrait of George Washington by Peter R. Henriques. Not a timeline biography, it is rather a presentation of themes by an author that really knows his subject. He does not whitewash GW but he is not out to vilify but rather analyze. First and Always, like Henriques's previous book Realistic Visionary, is a collection of essays focused on specific aspects of Washington's life and character. The two books very much compliment one another. Both books explore Washington's statesmanship and character. First and Always focuses more on the interior of Washington (particularly in the concluding "What made George Washington Tick"), but both books offer insights into the man's career and psyche.
He covers subjects that I was unaware of even after decades of reading about GW. It’s not difficult reading but he does not write down to his readers either. I highly recommend both of his books to those interested in The man called ‘the first in war and first in peace.’