Blood of Tyrants: George Washington & the Forging of the Presidency

by Logan Beirne

Overview

Blood of Tyrants sheds light on surprising aspects of our Founding Fathers’ approach to governing an America at war and shows the relevance to some of our most contentious policy debates. Delving into forgotten—and often lurid—details of the Revolutionary War, Logan Beirne focuses in particular on George Washington’s actions as the nation’s first commander in chief, who set enduring precedents while he forged the meaning of the United States Constitution in the heat of battle.

Key episodes of the American Revolution illustrate how the founders dealt with thorny wartime issues: Should Americans inflict harsh treatment on enemy captives for military purposes? Who decides war strategy? How should justice be meted out in wartime? What happens to citizens’ rights when the nation is struggling to defend itself? Beirne finds evidence in little-known documents such as General Washington’s letters debating the use of torture, an eyewitness account of the military tribunal that executed a British prisoner, and communications pointing to a power struggle between the general and the Continental Congress.

Vivid stories from the Revolution are framed by a discussion of Washington’s role in the drafting of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers saw the first American commander in chief as the template for all his successors: a leader who would fiercely defend American citizens’ rights and liberties against all forms of aggression. Blood of Tyrants fills gaps in our understanding of the presidency and illuminates our ingenious founders’ pragmatic answers to problems we still face today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594036538
Publisher:	Encounter Books
Publication date:	04/23/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	440
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Logan Beirne is an Olin Scholar at Yale Law School. Prior to this appointment, he practiced as an attorney with the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City and was a Fulbright Scholar at Queen’s University. He received his JD from Yale Law School, where he was awarded the Edgar M. Cullen Prize for his constitutional scholarship. His work has been published in numerous law journals and cited by the Harvard Law Review. Logan is admitted to the New York and Connecticut bars and has served on the boards of directors for multiple charities.

Logan’s passion for the Revolution is in his blood—he is directly descended from Revolutionary War patriots and his family tree includes the “Father of the Constitution,” James Madison. Some of Washington’s papers were discovered in Logan’s ancestors’ storage chest.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

I The King of America 13

1 The Not-So-United States 15

2 Not as Happy in Peace as They Had Been Glorious in War 21

3 The Shadow Government 27

4 The Phoenix 32

5 Wield the Sword 39

6 Supreme Law of the Land 45

II Cruel and Usual Punishment 49

7 The Currents of War 51

8 Exitus Acta Probat 57

9 American Fortitude 65

10 Necessary Evil 71

11 Fully Justifiable 81

12 To Defend the Nation 90

III Dictator of America 99

13 Scorpion on a Leash 102

14 Between a Hawk and a Buzzard 115

15 Onslaught 123

16 The Times That Try Men's Souls 135

17 Reevaluation 140

18 Victory or Death 150

19 Idolatry 160

20 Dictator Perpetuo 167

IV Tribunals & Tribulations 177

21 Gentleman Johnny vs. Granny Gates 180

22 A Traitor Lurks 189

23 Treason of the Blackest Dye 200

24 Commissions & Courts-Martial 209

25 American Military Justice 218

V His Excellency's Loyal Subjects 229

26 Total Ruin 231

27 Band of Brethren 238

28 Poison & Peas 245

29 Americas Defender 253

30 License to Plunder 258

31 Not-So-Civil War 271

VI Could Have been King 281

32 O God! It Is All Over! 284

33 Winning the Peace 290

34 Spectacles & Speculation 296

35 The Greatest Man in the World 304

Epilogue: Governing from the Grave 313

Acknowledgments 320

Notes 323

Index 407

Editorial Reviews

In a briskly paced work, Beirne (Olin Scholar, Yale Law Sch.) seeks to unpack the approaches to leadership that were employed in the founding of America as he explores the wartime executive powers and actions of George Washington. Did Washington's approach to military leadership influence his—and therefore later presidents'—attitudes to the presidential role of commander in chief? Beirne divides his work into six sections exploring different aspects of Washington's practical and philosophical views and his experiences with national security issues while serving as commander of the Revolutionary forces. (In his brief introduction and epilog, he draws explicit parallels to leadership challenges in a post-9/11 world.) Beirne writes about Washington's views and actions as leader in a way that is not overly parochial or dense, but he confuses terms, such as commander in chief, which cannot apply to Washington prior to his presidency, and regularly uses anachronisms. He further goes astray by veering into hagiography, presenting questionable leaps of logic, dubious stock characterizations of historical figures, and a general portrait of Washington as an infallible figure of perpetual and unquestionable wisdom, a characterization lacking nuance and detracting from Beirne's central narrative and conclusions. VERDICT This flawed study of Washington can only be recommended to those with a strong interest in studying the military leadership and history of the Revolutionary War period.—Ben Neal, Sullivan Cty. P.L., Bristol, TN

Library Journal

"[T]here is almost no tale told of the Revolution that does not find its way into 'Blood of Tyrants,' provided it is juicy enough."

—Wall Street Journal

“Gripping. Relevant. Revolutionary. This page-turning historical thriller is packed with fresh factual narratives that draw the reader into the scenes to show how the United States earned its stripes. The wisdom of 1776 was never more crucial than today.”

—Amy Chua, Yale Law School professor and best-selling author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Day of Empire, and World on Fire

"In this fast-paced narrative, Logan Beirne vividly explains something every American should know, but which few of us really understand. Blood of Tyrants is a lively account of how George Washington's service as wartime commander-in-chief of the Continental Army cemented our commitment to the principle of civilian supremacy, yet also laid the basis for the presidency that the Constitutional Convention created only a few years after Washington resigned his command. It is both a great read, and deeply informative."

—Jack N. Rakove, American historian, author, professor at Stanford University, and Pulitzer Prize winner.

"[T]he important political lessons of the past are given a fresh new perspective. . . . Beirne’s genealogical and personal interest in history, politics and the military makes for an enjoyable read."

—Washington Times

“What can we learn about America’s proper comportment in today’s dirty wars from a long-dead, white male, slave-owning aristocrat of the 18th century? A lot, it turns out. Logan Beirne’s paean to Washington’s wartime wisdom and belief in constitutional government is a timely, insightful, and much-needed reminder of why America does best at war when it honors rather than erodes its founding principles.”

—Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow in classics and military history at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, and author of Carnage and Culture and A War Like No Other

“What are the constitutional powers of the president in time of war? Do his war powers grant him authority to establish military tribunals, torture enemy prisoners, and override Congress in the determination of military strategy and operations? As Logan Beirne demonstrates in this fresh and stimulating history of the American Revolution, Commander-in-Chief George Washington confronted these questions and established precedents that have continued to shape presidential war powers down to our own time.”

—James McPherson, Princeton University professor emeritus, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom, and best-selling author of Crossroads of Freedom

“There was more to the founders than noble sentiments and fine words–they were revolutionaries, who fought for and won America’s freedom on bloody battlefields. Blood of Tyrants tells this gritty story smartly and compellingly –and plumbs it for practical lessons for the toughest issues of our times.”

—Adam Cohen, Time Magazine journalist and author of Nothing to Fear: FDR’s Inner Circle

“Blood of Tyrants strips away the fantasy and lays bare the violence and political intrigue needed for the American Revolution to succeed. Lurid, horrifying, scandalous. I could not put it down.”

—William Eskridge Jr., Yale Law School professor, author of The Republic of Statutes, and descendant of George Eskridge, the godfather of George Washington

“This myth-defying book tells how our first commander in chief dealt with the hard issues of war, including military commissions, the rights of Americans, and the interference of Congress. Those who want an unvarnished account of how a great leader handled nasty and messy problems of war: prepare to be shocked, amazed, and educated.”

—Hon. Michael W. McConnell, Stanford Law School professor, director of the Stanford Constitutional Law Center, and former federal judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

From the Publisher