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James Thomas Flexner
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Washington: The Indispensable Man Kindle Edition

by James Thomas Flexner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 832 ratings
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This “perceptive” and “satisfying” biography of George Washington by an award-winning historian “deserves a place on every American’s bookshelf” (The New York Times Book Review).

James Thomas Flexner’s masterful four-volume biography of America’s first president, which received a special Pulitzer Prize citation and a National Book Award for its concluding installment, is the definitive chronicle of Washington’s life and a classic work of American history. In this single-volume edition, Flexner brilliantly distills his sweeping study to offer readers “the most convincing evocation of the man and his deeds written within the compass of one book” (Los Angeles Times).
 
In graceful and dramatic prose, Flexner peels back the myths surrounding Washington to reveal the true complexity of his character. The only founding father from Virginia to free all his slaves, Washington was a faithful husband who harbored deep romantic feelings for his best friend’s wife. An amateur soldier, he prepared for his role as commander in chief of the Continental army by sending out to Philadelphia bookshops for treatises on military strategy. As president, he set many democratic precedents—including the two-term limit and the appointment of an advisory cabinet—yet routinely excluded his vice president, John Adams, from important decisions.
 
The George Washington that emerges in these pages is a shrewd statesman, a wise commander, a brave patriot, and above all, “an ordinary man pushed to greatness by the extraordinary times in which he lived” (The Christian Science Monitor). In tracing Washington’s evolution from privileged son of the landed gentry to “the indispensable man” without whom the United States as we know it would not exist, Flexner presents a hero worthy of admiration not only for his remarkable strengths, but also for his all-too-human weaknesses.
 
 
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  1. Print length
    576 pages
  2. Language
    English
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  4. Publisher
    Open Road Media
  5. Publication date
    March 7, 2017
  6. File size
    17435 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The most convincing evocation of the man and his deeds written within the compass of one book.” —Los Angeles Times
 
“Doubtless the best single-volume biography available . . . No one who starts it will be able to lay it aside.” —Commonweal
 
“A perceptive account of an extraordinary man who, for all his monumental image, was yet a human being . . . The most satisfying biography of Washington between two covers . . . deserves a place on every American’s bookshelf.” —The New York Times Book Review
 
“Spirited . . . Sweeping . . . The most readable of biographies.” —The Boston Globe
 
“Flexner was both a fine writer and a solid researcher. He brilliantly portrays Washington as an ordinary man pushed to greatness by the extraordinary times in which he lived.” —TheChristian Science Monitor
 
Praise for James Thomas Flexner
“A prolific and graceful writer . . . His greatest impact was in demystifying Washington, revealing his weaknesses as well as his strengths . . . to make the first president even more appealing.” —The New York Times
 
“From Flexner’s pages emerged a strictly human hero much more understandable by modern Americans than the dour founding father of the Gilbert Stuart portrait.” —The Washington Post
 

About the Author

James Thomas Flexner (1908–2003) was a prizewinning historian and the author of twenty-six books. Born and raised in New York City, he graduated from Harvard University with honors. He began his career as a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune and published his first book, Doctors on Horseback: Pioneers of American Medicine, in 1937. Best known for his four-volume biography of George Washington, Flexner won a special Pulitzer Prize citation for the series and a National Book Award for its final installment, Anguish and Farewell (1972). His single-volume distillation, Washington: The Indispensable Man (1974), has been heralded as “the most convincing evocation of the man and his deeds written within the compass of one book” (Los Angeles Times). Flexner’s other books include America’s Old Masters: First Artists of the New World (1939), The Traitor and the Spy: Benedict Arnold and John André (1953), Mohawk Baronet: Sir William Johnson of New York (1959), The Young Hamilton: A Biography (1978), and An America Saga: The Story of Helen Thomas and Simon Flexner (1984).
 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01NCSVW6W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media (March 7, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 7, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 17435 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 576 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 832 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
832 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Gary Hoggatt
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent look at Washington's life and his impressive legacy
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2011
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James Thomas Flexner's single volume biography of George Washington, George Washington: The Indispensable Man, is widely regarded as among the best single volume treatments of the subject. As Flexner first wrote a four volume biography before writing this original work (this is not just an abridgement of the four volume set, it is a new endeavor), he certainly has a great understanding of the subject and it comes through in this book.

Flexner does an excellent job of describing the events of Washington's life in an exciting and interesting manner. The prose flows well and I found it to be quite the page turner, as I kept wanting to read what would happen next, despite familiarity with the history. Flexner's strength is tying the events Washington participated in to the grand turns of history, from the French and Indian War to the Revolution to the presidency. Washington's leadership and vision were indispensable to the American cause, and it becomes apparent when reading this book why even the rest of the Founding Fathers - the single greatest collection of patriots and leaders America's ever had - all revered Washington.

I also recently read His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis (check my reviews for my original thoughts on Ellis' book). I enjoyed both, and found them to be very complementary. I'd say Flexner is stronger at demonstrating Washington's vital role in the events of the day through a better explanation of the surrounding context of history, while Ellis does a better job of giving you the view from Washington's perspective through extensive use of Washington's correspondence, much of which has been made more accessible to scholars through the University of Virginia's The Papers of George Washington project since Flexner completed his work. I think Flexner and Ellis have enough recommending each of their biographies to read both, but if forced to recommend just one, I'd suggest Flexner, as I think the focus on Washington's central place in the founding of the country is more helpful in understanding his impressive legacy.

George Washington: The Indispensable Man is so remarkable and well-told that I plan to read Flexner's four volume biography eventually. In the meantime, however, I'm waiting for Ron Chernow's Washington: A Life to hit paperback for my next excursion with Washington, about whom, it seems, enough can never be said or read.
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F. Davis
4.0 out of 5 stars overall all a good book - just one criticism
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2008
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Overall all - this was a very good book, offering a lot of excellent insights into Washington, his life, and how he acted in different situations.

One of the conclusions I came to, while reading this book, is that Washington is probably the only person who could have successfully served as the first President of the U.S. - he was very fair minded, didn't take sides, and didn't use his influence in areas he felt were inappropriate (too bad today's politicians don't act the same way!). I believe were any other of the major political figures of the day our first President, the nation would have fallen apart, and would be a collection of states, and not the country we are today.

That being said, I do have one complaint about the book. The book was written in sections - instead of in a strictly linear (timeline) fashion. As a result, occasionally you'll get done with one section, and then goto the next section, and end up going backwards in time.

I can understand why the author did this - I'm sure he felt like some subjects needed to be covered by themselves, and not just thrown into a timeline with everything else. However, by doing it this way, sometimes you get a bit confused in regards to how things fall on the timeline.

Otherwise - a very good book.
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eledavf Vivian
5.0 out of 5 stars A very great man...
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2017
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This book is very well written. It is consistently interesting and moves along easily.

Washington, in this telling, is shown as a most admirable man, without vanity or greed, a truly urbane and great-hearted individual.

Except in one respect:
”In 1768, Washington went to church on fifteen days, mostly when away from home, and hunted foxes on forty-nine." The poor, panting foxes, pursued by dogs, cowering in holes when they could find shelter, torn apart when they could not. And foxes were not even consumed by humans, so there was no excuse for killing the helpless creatures.

in his earlier years Washington also enjoyed cockfights.

Still, all in all, he was an admirable public figure and indispensable to the creation of the United States.

But not everyone deserved his trust. When the continental army was formed in Philadelphia, Washington asked for four officers to be assigned. The four were Horacio Gates, Light Horse Harry Lee, Joseph Reed, and Thomas Mifflin. "When Washington, having found his own way, ceased to depend upon his four original advisers, all four became his extremely dangerous enemies."

To my surprise, this is the second history of the Revolution that pointed out Adams' jealousy. As Washington rode off to war, "Fortunately, he did not know that the most influential member of Congress burned, as he watched, with jealousy. “Such,” John Adams wrote, “is the pride and pomp of war. I, poor creature, worn out with scribbling for my bread and my liberty, low in spirits and weak in health, must leave others to wear the laurels which I have sown."

This quotation gives an idea of how vivid the writing is and how much of the authentic flavor of that era is provided by this excellent history.
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Barry Lane
5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading
Reviewed in Canada on February 9, 2021
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James Thomas Flexner's twelve-volume biography of George Washington in a brilliant single-volume abridgment.
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Sam Mattina
4.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced sweep of Significant American Life.
Reviewed in Canada on September 9, 2013
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I knew of the key events from previous historical books, but this was the first Washington Biograpgy I had read. This was a great read. I foud it well paced, and enjoyable. The writing was crisp and explanations of complicated issues like the financial plans to retrieve the new Nation from financial ruin thought provoking. I was especaily intrigued by the 2 terms of Washington and the beginnings of party politics as it grew out of the Financial crisis and Foriegn ploicy toward the consequences of the French Revolution. I am left with the impression of what a truly remarkable man the New United States of America had in their first president. I am also left with a bad impresssion of Thomas Jefferson who seems to come across as petty and less brilliant than his rival Alexander Hamilton. But maybe I need to read a biography on him to get a better sense of his motivations. Overall this biography is well done.
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Marc Ranger
4.0 out of 5 stars Remove George Washington from history, the US, as you know it, woudn't exist.
Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2016
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James Flexner effort of summarizing George Washington's life within 402 pages is a tremendous achievement.
Even if some aspects of the Great General life are rapidly covered, nothing is left unattended.
That being said, I would have love a more thorough examination of his relation with his mother. Nonetheless, down from the first job he ever held to his tragic and sudden death, the book will give you a very clear picture of how important, honest, intellectually irreproachable and morally balanced George Washington was.

Indispensable Washington was to first win the US it's independance, and then establish free goverment by the people for the people, despite Thomas Jefferson best effort to undermine such goverment.

Remove George Washington from history, the US, as you know it, woudn't exist.
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Thorsten Heitzmann
3.0 out of 5 stars Nun ja...
Reviewed in Germany on May 24, 2014
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Es steht natürlich alles drin, ist ein guter Überblick, etc. - aber irgendwie blutleer und nicht gerade mitreissend. Dennoch empfehlenswert, da m.E. zwar mit viel Goodwill für Washington, aber dennoch einigermassen neutral.
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Sandra Street
1.0 out of 5 stars I imagine this could be a good read but the book I received was very old
Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2015
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I imagine this could be a good read but the book I received was very old , very small print and very yellowed pages.
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