Description
Book SynopsisDispelling common myths about the first US president and revealing the real George Washington. Winner of the George Washington PrizeGeorge Washingtonhero of the French and Indian War, commander in chief of the Continental Army, and first president of the United Statesdied on December 14, 1799. The myth-making began immediately thereafter, and the Washington mythos crafted after his death remains largely intact. But what do we really know about Washington as an upper-class man?Washington is frequently portrayed by his biographers as America at its unflinching best: tall, shrewd, determined, resilient, stalwart, and tremendously effective in action. But this aggressive and muscular version of Washington is largely a creation of the nineteenth century. Eighteenth-century ideals of upper-class masculinity would have preferred a man with refined aesthetic tastes, graceful and elegant movements, and the ability and willingness to clearly articulate his emotions. At the same time, these eig
Trade ReviewThe book masterfully deconstructs popular myths, revealing that ostensibly immutable ideas about masculinity—and about the U.S. itself—can easily fall apart under a historian's examination.Will appeal to scholars and general readers interested in how popular conceptions of Washington and American masculinity.
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Library Journal (starred review)Maurizio Valsania, a professor of US History, attempts to draw the line between American mythology and reality....Valsania deconstructs the exaggerated figure of Washington and reduces him to a mortal man.
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BookstrTable of ContentsChapter 1. The American Giant
Part I: Physical
Chapter 2. Testing Himself
Chapter 3. A Taste for Cruelty and War
Chapter 4. A Body in Pain
Chapter 5. Checking the Body
Part II: Emotional
Chapter 6. The Love Letters
Chapter 7. The Meaning of Love (and Marriage)
Chapter 8. A Sentimental Male
Chapter 9. A Maternal Father
Part III: Social
Chapter 10. A Person of Fine Manners
Chapter 11. The Message of His Clothing
Chapter 12. Astride the Great Stage
Chapter 13. Consummation
Chapter 14. Giants Die as Well
