The New York Times Book Review - Richard Brookhiser
Middlekauff has a biographer's understanding of his subject…[He] has written about Washington's war rather as Washington himself might have, had he been a historian: carefully, thoroughly, with an eye for detail and a grasp, at all times, of the important points.
Publishers Weekly
12/15/2014
Middlekauff (Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies), an acclaimed historian of early America, shows how, from the 1760s to 1783, Washington went from being a “Virginia provincial” to a national leader, one who “held together the political structures that constituted the United States” by integrating state militias. He devotes about one quarter of his book to the French and Indian War, and three quarters to the Revolutionary War. During the latter, Washington complained repeatedly to the Continental Congress of a shortage of supplies and lost more battles than he won. But he kept the colonies in the war through daring triumphs at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, responded with equanimity to criticism when campaigns went badly, and showed great “strategic sense” in choosing to fight a war of attrition. Middlekauff praises Washington’s commitment to civilian supremacy in directing military policy and demonstrates how Washington came to be seen as “a creature apart... a chosen instrument of providence.” Though he glosses over some noteworthy events, Middlekauff’s clearly written study supports the view of Washington as a military leader who was as adept at working with ordinary soldiers as he was with querulous political leaders, revealing how much of Washington the legend was reflected in the real man. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Robert Middlekauff’s Washington’s Revolution:
“Middlekauff has written about Washington’s war rather as Washington himself might have, had he been a historian: carefully, thoroughly, with an eye for detail and a grasp, at all times, of the important points.” —Richard Brookhiser, The New York Times Book Review
“Middlekauff writes a cogent character study of an icon, without either polishing or puncturing Washington's image. He clearly admires his subject, but recognizes Washington's limits, especially in the matter of slavery.” —Michael D. Schaffer, Philadelphia Inquirer
“It is in the nuances, the telling details and the subtle shadings where Mr. Middlekauff excels. . . . Middlekauff paints anew the familiar scenes of Washington’s war . . . a valuable one-volume account of Washington’s ascendancy.” —Jack Schwartz, The Wall Street Journal
“A useful and readable new portrait of Washington at war . . . Anyone who enters this territory is required to supply an original insight, and Middlekauff, known for his magisterial volume on the Revolution and the early national period for the Oxford History of the United States, does so, offering an important one. Middlekauff advances the idea that Washington was not only the winner of the American Revolution, but also the essence of the Revolution . . . The battles Washington fought defined not only his life but also our own . . . [Middlekauff’s] triumph is to portray Washington as a man of parts, as more than a cardboard cutout hero or a sterile vessel of virtues.” —David M. Shribman, The Boston Globe
“[An] excellent new study of Washington’s leadership . . . Expertly traces the arc of Washington’s career . . . A deeply researched and enlightening look at three transformative decades in the life of an indispensable American . . . At the heart of the book is an engaging narrative of the Revolutionary War as seen from Washington’s saddle and writing desk . . . Middlekauff’s book is a thorough, persuasive explanation of why Americans, from the era of the Revolution to the early republic, gloried in having Washington as their leader.” —Michael F. Bishop, National Review''
“Robert Middlekauff writes not just as a biographer, but also as both a political and an intellectual historian . . . a fine narrative.” —The Daily Beast
“Historian Robert Middlekauff rejects the traditional narrative in his important new work on Washington’s military leadership during the Revolutionary War . . . This fine work suggest that independence was not a certitude but an astonishing achievement that owed much to a man who, like his country, came to maturity in war.” —Edward G. Lengel, Military History Quarterly
“Robert Middlekauff introduces the real Washington: an ordinary man guided toward greatness by the extraordinary demands of his time. Equal parts biography and history, Washington’s Revolution is a rare look at the Washington we never knew, from his challenging childhood to the final days of the Revolutionary War.” —Matt Staggs, Biographile
“In his newest book, Robert Middlekauff, Bancroft Prize winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist, traces George Washington’s rise from an ordinary “Virginia provincial” with a dangerous temper to a controlled military and political leader, possessed with great strategic insight . . . Middlekauff makes a point to reveal the self-conscious, fiery, and passionate man behind the composed façade.” —New Criterion Critic’s Notebook
“This is not just another account of George Washington's leadership in the Revolutionary War; it is special. It is perceptive, balanced, judicious, and, most important, clearly and succinctly written. A marvelous achievement.” —Gordon. S. Wood, author of The Radicalism of the American Revolution
“Of the many volumes on Washington, this one wrestles most thoughtfully with the complexities of his military leadership, from his youthful service in the Virginia militia to his command of the Continental Army. Middlekauff moves beyond the platitudes. His Washington is a commander who has to be educated, who has shortcomings as well as virtues. He had to master a staggering array of problems but also to project a confidence that everyone came to respect, even when adverse circumstances were swirling through ‘the cause.’ Washington's Revolution shows why it really was his cause to win or lose, even when he insisted on serving as a republican commander.” —Jack Rakove, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning Original Meanings
“Middlekauff’s many fans as well as readers who have not previously encountered this famous historian will alike relish his familiar narrative skill and the deep understanding of Washington here displayed.” —Daniel Walker Howe, author of What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848
“Middlekauff writes a cogent character study of an icon, without either polishing or puncturing Washington's image. He clearly admires his subject, but recognizes Washington's limits, especially in the matter of slavery.” —Michael D. Schaffer, Philadelphia Inquirer
“Robert Middlekauff’s Washington’s Revolution is a brilliantly concise, insightful, and emotionally riveting account of two vitally important stories in the history of America: the remarkable role of General George Washington in determining the strategy and outcome of the Revolutionary War and the effect of that often-traumatic military experience in shaping the mind and soul of the ‘father of his country.’ As we read Middlekauff’s fascinating story of the Revolutionary War, we gain new understanding of the transformation of Washington from a provincial Virginian to an advocate of the common cause of the American nation. Perhaps even more important, we gain knowledge of the role of America’s number one military hero in establishing the principle of civilian control over the military. This book is both immensely enlightening and pure pleasure.” —Richard Beeman, author of Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution
“Especially insightful . . . In assessing Washington's generalship, Middlekauff furnishes ample evidence . . . [A] fine biography.” —Alan Cate, Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Middlekauff, an acclaimed historian of early America, shows how, from the 1760s to 1783, Washington went from being a “Virginia provincial” to a national leader . . . [This] clearly written study supports the view of Washington as a military leader who was as adept at working with ordinary soldiers as he was with querulous political leaders, revealing how much of Washington the legend was reflected in the real man.” —Publishers Weekly
Library Journal
★ 02/01/2015
Since the inception of the Papers of George Washington Project in 1968, a vast array of new material about America's first president has come to light. A consequence of the project has been the publication of many topical studies about Washington, such as The Ascent of George Washington by John Ferling and "Mr. President" by Harlow G. Unger. Here Middlekauff (emeritus, history, Univ. of California, Berkeley; The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763–1789) explores the future president's evolution as a leader from his time as a young Virginian through his successful military leadership of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Washington grew from holding a provincial world view to having a mixed, complex understanding of his world. By the end of the revolution, he was well positioned to assume preeminent political leadership of a new nation, first as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 through 1788 and then as the first U.S. president. Between 1732 and 1784, he transitioned from a Virginian to an American to a world citizen. He became a nationalist without discarding the ethos of his native land. VERDICT Focused and succinctly written, this biography will be of interest to readers and scholarsof Washington and of the American Revolution.—Glen Edward Taul, Campbellsville Univ. Libs., KY
APRIL 2015 - AudioFile
This audiobook on George Washington’s development as a leader and as a man is given a splendid reading by Christopher Lane. The biographical account covers the period of Washington’s early life through the end of the War of Independence. Listeners hear how his self-awareness and conscious efforts to improve himself molded him throughout his life. Lane’s baritone voice is winsomely sonorous, and he narrates at a perfectly expressive easygoing pace, allowing the listener to easily follow the text. This production is a near-perfect match of text and voice—a pleasure to listen to. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2014-11-20
Bancroft Prize winner Middlekauff (Emeritus, American History/Univ. of California; Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies, 1996, etc.) sets out to chart the evolution of George Washington's viewpoint during the crucible of the Revolutionary War."At its beginning, [Washington] was a provincial," writes the author, "and during its course he became an American. But he was a most unusual American by war's end: He was an established citizen of the world." Although an engaging concept, the author's thesis proves to be unsupported by the text. Washington certainly thought of himself primarily as a Virginian, but Middlekauff demonstrates that as early as 1775, he "wished in effect to erase state lines…to banish provincialism in favor of unity," at least within the army. While Washington recognized that French support was indispensable to American victory and thus made great efforts to flatter and cajole French commanders into serving his purposes, nothing appears to suggest that Washington was then considering the place of an independent America among the world's nations or was otherwise adopting a broadly internationalist viewpoint officially or personally. Middlekauff delivers a comprehensive if uncritical review of the war in the theaters in which Washington exercised day-to-day command. His ability to form and reform a perpetually dissolving army in the face of appalling privation made him indispensable to the cause, and the author emphasizes his consistent adherence to the principle of civilian control of the military, an attitude critical to the subsequent development of the republic. But Middlekauff offers few glimpses into the character of Washington as a fallible mortal with an evolving perspective; the image of him that predominates is the familiar one of the austere warrior, "a man set above all others, a unique being—not a god, but at the least a chosen instrument of Providence." A capable Revolutionary War history that breaks no new ground.