Young George Washington

VOYA - Nancy Gregg

Although we all are familiar with the popular story of the young George Washington admitting to cutting down a tree, in this book we are able to see for ourselves a young man with courage and conviction. Generous references to Washington's own words-in his diaries, letters, and journals-give us a more complete and personal understanding of him and the early influences in his life. Washington grew up in genteel poverty after the death of his father. His mother had definite aspirations for her son that did not match the young man's own. An expedition at fifteen to help survey the holdings of Lord Fairfax helped Washington choose surveying as a career. Largely self-educated, he emulated his brother, Lawrence. After Lawrence's early death, Washington became the owner of 1,500 acres of land that his brother left him. The majority of the book details Washington's experiences as an officer commanding often poorly equipped troops against the French. The unreliable relationship between Native American and British troops, as well as tactical mistakes, led to frequent defeats for Washington and his troops. Washington came close to death at Fort Duquesne, where he had two horses shot from under him. Even after the Fort Duquesne loss to the British, Washington's leadership ability was recognized, and at twenty-three he became the commander-in-chief of the Virginia troops. Unfortunately, he was struck with "the bloody flux" for the second time. On his way to seek medical help he became reacquainted with Martha Custis, a young widow with two daughters. Before his marriage to Martha, he helped the British defeat the French at Fort Duquesne. At the age of twenty-seven Washington married Martha and took his elected seat in the House of Burgesses. While easy to read and informative, this book does not appear to be a novel. The occasional inclusion of lists to summarize information makes it seem more like a textbook. It would be better described as a fictionalized biography, as it is called on the copyright page. Additional maps would make the military maneuvers more clear. VOYA Codes: 3Q 3P M (Readable without serious defects, Will appeal with pushing, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8).

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7This admiring fictional account traces the young George Washington's path to heroism and influence in colonial America, including his first mission to counter French expansionism in the Ohio valley, his experiences in the early part of the French and Indian War, and his successful leadership of Virginia's colonial troops. Rosenburg also details some of Washington's personal life, including his ambition for wealth and prominence, his (apparently unconsummated) romance with the married Sally Fairfax, and his courtship of and marriage to Martha Custis. Although it is clear that Rosenburg has researched his subject's life thoroughly and has used primary sources extensively, this book has some serious weaknesses. It reads like a heavily fictionalized biography and has long stretches of background details about the conditions and politics in colonial America and Washington's travels. It will not hold the attention of fiction readers, and the limited scope (it ends when Washington was 26) and lack of documentation will discourage researchers. There is no natural audience for this book. In contrast, Mary P. Osborne's George Washington (Dial, 1991) is a more complete, readable, and better-organized choice for both general readers and researchers.Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO

Kirkus Reviews

A rarity: a biography of Washington that ends 15 years before the Revolution. The story opens when the subject is in his teens, yearning to go into the Navy and forced to stay on the farm by his mother. Using snippets from journals, Rosenburg (William Parker, p. 73, etc.) progresses through Washington's difficulties with his mother and his early surveying days, then focuses on his efforts on behalf of the Crown to drive the French out of the Ohio Valley. The author employs a novelistic style and dialogue (from sources mentioned in the acknowledgments—there is, unfortunately, no bibliography) to create a fast-paced, exciting biography. Although Rosenburg limns the qualities Washington gained that served him so well later on in life, this is not hagiography, but a chronicle of mistakes made and lessons learned. Atypical of a book of this length, there are no chapters to impede readers through this invigorating, human look at a man who usually resides among statues, monuments, and other US icons.