Description: The Political Writings of George Washington includes Washington's enduring writings on politics, prudence, and statesmanship in two volumes. It is the only complete collection of his political thought, which historically, has received less attention than the writings of other leading founders such as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. Covering his life of public service--from his young manhood, when he fought in the French and Indian Wars, through his time as commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army; his two terms as America's first president, and his brief periods of retirement, during which he followed and commented on American politics astutely--the volumes also include first-hand accounts of Washington's death and reflections on his legacy by those who knew or reflected deeply on his significance. The result is a more thorough understanding of Washington's political thought and the American founding.
Brief description: Bradford P. Wilson is Executive Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. He is co-editor, with Carson Holloway, of The Political Writings of Alexander Hamilton, published by Cambridge University Press.
Review Quotes: 'This new entry in the George Washington revival underway for the past four decades makes an important contribution in the genre of selected writings. The approach, excerpting liberally, is designed to invoke a politically-minded narrative of Washington's life as Washington might have imagined it. In the process it highlights most of the salient elements necessary to a comprehensive account.' W. B. Allen, Michigan State University