Washington: A LifeWashington: A Life
Score Modern
What it's about
Ron Chernow tells the full story of George Washington, from his youth as a surveyor and soldier in colonial Virginia, through his command of the Continental Army in the Revolution, to his two terms as the first president and his last years at Mount Vernon. He shows the man behind the monument: ambitious, hot-tempered and deeply private, who learned to control himself, and who owned hundreds of enslaved people.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. It's the most complete one-volume life of Washington, and Chernow, the author of the biography behind Hamilton, makes it readable.
You'll love it if you liked
John Adams
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
The Rise of Theodore RooseveltGood to know
It's over 900 pages, and the Revolutionary War section is long.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics63 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller49 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #61 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #157 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #304 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Ron Chernow
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Grant
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Quick answers
Is Washington: A Life worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. It ranks #304 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Washington: A Life about?
Ron Chernow tells the full story of George Washington, from his youth as a surveyor and soldier in colonial Virginia, through his command of the Continental Army in the Revolution, to his two terms as the first president and his last years at Mount Vernon. He shows the man behind the monument: ambitious, hot-tempered and deeply private, who learned to control himself, and who owned hundreds of enslaved people.
How long does it take to read Washington: A Life?
About 23 hours (928 pages), or about 7 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Washington: A Life won?
Pulitzer Prize (Biography) winner (2011).
What should I read after Washington: A Life?
If you liked it, try John Adams by David McCullough, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin or The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris.