Book Review: "So You Think You Know George Washington?"

 

Because my birthday is February 22d, I'm of course interested in George Washington, who was born on that day. Actually, according to the Julian calendar used at the time, Washington was born on February 11th. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in the American colonies in 1752, his birthday was adjusted to be February 22d. 

That's one of the factoids in the new book by Jack Darrell Crowder, So You Think You Know George Washington? Stories They Didn't Tell You in School! Crowder is a retired teacher and the author of other books about US history, including Victory or Death: Military Decisions That Changed the Course of American Revolution and Women Patriots in the American Revolution.

This new book does not have a traditional biographical narrative. Each chapter is a collection of sections about different aspects of Washington's life. Readers can dip in and out of any chapter, or any page, and read fascinating snippets about Washington's life and legend. 

Chapters are organized according to "The Man" (his early life, his humor, his romances, his religion, his occupations, and so on), "The General" (his military career, views of his military success, close calls, and more), and "The President" (dealing with the national debt, being chosen as president, choosing honorific titles for the President and Lady Washington, inauguration, end of second term, death). Since his presidency is so well known, and is the subject of numerous books, the last is the shortest section. Instead, Crowder devotes more space to dispelling myths about Washington's earlier life and his military career.

The author poses intriguing questions, and answers them, in a very readable way, such as:

• How did Washington feel about slavery? (pp. 111-2, he never spoke out against it but later decided it was morally wrong)
• Did he always favor independence for America? (pp. 135-6, he didn't start out in favor)
• Did he kneel in prayer? (p. 87, he didn't like to kneel, but Martha Washington did kneel during prayer)

I particularly liked chapter 3, George Washington, Body and Soul, which opens with a section titled "Physical Appearance of Washington." In my mind's eye, he has powdered white hair, as he looked during his presidency. But actually the author describes him as having reddish brown hair, and being more than a bit of a dandy about wearing fine clothes.

Chapter 12 was also quite interesting, because it traces Washington's military career from 1752 to 1757, a period when he was involved in the French and Indian War, became "a hero...well, sort of" in 1755, and what he learned that would help him win the American Revolution.

Most of the illustrations look good, with the exception of some pixelated images. The author includes a lengthy bibliography for those who want to dig deeper. But I do wish the book had been more carefully proofread to avoid distracting typos. Finally, the list price of $45 seems a bit pricey.  

I tend to prefer traditional biographies rather than "stories they didn't tell you in school," but if you or your family want to learn more about George Washington as a man, a general, and a president, this book will fit the bill. 

Disclosure:  I received a free review copy from Genealogical.com, but I want to stress that the opinions in this book review are entirely my own.

Book Review: "Generation By Generation"

Know any newcomers to genealogy? I encourage you to point them toward a new book designed specifically for people just starting their journey into family history: Generation By Generation, a Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy by Drew Smith, from Genealogical.com. Disclosure: Although I received a free copy from the publisher, the opinions in this book review are entirely my own.

Drew is well known as co-host of the Genealogy Guys podcast, founder of the Genealogy Squad Facebook group, and a frequent speaker on genealogy topics. One of his innovations is to organize the research chapters according to how we actually trace a family tree--starting with ourselves and going back in time, one generation at a time:

• Generations after 1950 in the US
• Generations from 1880 to 1950 in the US
• Generations from 1850 to 1880 in the US
• Generations from 1776 to 1850 in the US
• Generations in British America before 1776

He also assumes that today's genealogy newbies will be relying on technology, both for research and for documenting family history. Chapter 4 is all about getting organized, with software, bookmarks, etc. Chapter 7 focuses on the four major online genealogy platforms (FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast). Truly a modern approach! 

At 170 pages, this large-format book is well-illustrated and highly readable, making the genealogy process more accessible to newcomers. In short, I highly recommend Generation By Generation.

Note: In the introduction, Drew reminds readers to share family history so it can live on, a philosophy dear to my heart. Drew, if you ever write a second edition, my suggestion is to add a brief chapter with a few ideas about how newbies can do that, so ancestors will not be forgotten in the years to come.