His Excellency book review

His Excellency

Joseph Ellis

I read this book since I loved Founding Brothers so much. It was short and very informative. Washington was not discussed in great detail so I glad to learn more about the man in this book. My son idolizes him so I had to learn more and keep up with him. I can’t let a six year old show me up in history.

Washington was an amazing man. He will always be known for his ability to give up power. He has some faults which Ellis points out but nothing compares with his insight into history and the generosity of returning power to people and not holding it himself. He was freely given command of armies and the nation and gently laid it aside when he felt it was complete. That precedent is one of the greatest legacies that lives on today and can be seen in the contentious election of Bush/Gore and Kerry. Clinton gave up power; regardless of other complaints against him he followed that rule. We enjoy a peaceful turnover of power. After Washington how can the American people accept any thing else? Who else in history was able to do the same? Others with similar power are known as killers and tyrants. Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Saddam etc. They would rather see a million people dead than diminish their power.

Another thing that fascinates me with the Revolutionary era is slavery and their attempts to end it. I hadn’t learned that in school (but not much of a surprise there with the quality of government education). It is important to know how people compromised, avoided war and built a nation despite differences so deep that they caused civil war 60 years later. We have similar conflicts today.