"A Fresh and elegant portrait of the hero we thought we knew, but didn't, quite. ... An indispensable book about America's 'indispensable man.'"--Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science, Yale University, and author of "America's Constitution: A Biography"
"Larson's compulsively readable history shines new light on a little-discussed period of Washington's life, illustrating his role as the indispensable American."--Publishers Weekly
"One of the best illustrations of the ability of individuals to change the course of history."--Andrew O'Shaughnessy, Professor of History, University of Virginia
"Ed Larson - with his signature wit and light touch - delivers a living, breathing man, who is revealed to be a true visionary leader, but who also possesses the political savvy and ability to get things done. ... An important addition to the literature on the founding of the United States."--Douglas Bradburn, PhD, Founding Director, The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon
"Fine and engrossing. ... Larson engagingly argues that the stretch between 1783 and 1789 was as important to Washington-and to America-as all that preceded and followed it. ... [A] splendid account."--Wall Street Journal
"Utterly fascinating. ... Very readable and highly recommended."--Journal of the American Revolution
"A detailed and elegantly written account of leadership at the most pivotal moment in our nation's history."--Philadelphia Inquirer
"Larson is an exceptionally fine and engaging writer. ... He has taken up what might seem to be a niche in this great man's life and career, and found there the core of his personality and his greatness."--Dallas Morning News
"Fantastic... The Washington who emerges in these pages is always human, flaws and all, and yet he still manages to be a figure worth revering for his unwavering sense of duty."--Daily Beast
"Larson is a sure guide through the complexities of writing and ratifying the Constitution. ... Dramatic. ... Restoring the politics to Washington's rise adds motive and depth to the nationalist who rose north to the rescue."--New York Times Book Review
Edward J. Larson is University Professor of history and holds the Hugh & Hazel Darling Chair in Law at Pepperdine University. He received the Pulitzer Prize in History for Summer for the Gods and a National Outdoor Book Award for An Empire of Ice. His other books include the New York Times bestseller The Return of George Washington. Larson is a past fellow of the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. He lives in Georgia and California.