In the summer of 1754; deep in the wilderness of western Pennsylvania; a very young George Washington suffered his first military defeat; and a centuries-old feud between Great Britain and France was rekindled. The war that followed would be fought across virgin territories; from Nova Scotia to the forks of the Ohio River; and it would ultimately decide the fate of the entire North American continent—not just for Great Britain and France but also for the Spanish and Native American populations. Noted historian Walter R. Borneman brings to life an epic struggle for a continent—what Samuel Eliot Morison called "truly the first world war"—and emphasizes how the seeds of discord sown in its aftermath would take root and blossom into the American Revolution.
#216642 in Books Johnson; Paul 2009-05-05 2009-05-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .32 x 5.31l; .25 #File Name: 0060753676144 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Work of Fiction???By TexicanThis was an interesting overview of Washington's life. But frankly; it did not provide a lot of new information to someone that has read more than high school level history. Yeah; it debunked a few legends; like the cherry tree; but it did not plow any new ground.What really suprised me was the disclaimer at the end; that this was a work of fiction.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. George Washington - appetite-whetting Paul Johnson biographyBy Stephen FranksJohnson's Socrates was my first taste of his series of potted 'Eminent Lives'. They are a perfect length for their explicit purpose - inspiration. Long enough to set out extraordinary facts (at age 17 leader of a survey party in dangerous territory; by 22 years commander of soldiers that fired the shots that started Britain's first world wide war with France); but not long enough to get bogged down in recounting or rebutting all the detail of controversies and warts. Johnson's writing makes learning effortless. And he spares us the moralising of much modern biography that can't stop apologising for or ritually condemning the gaps between the subject's moral universe and the pieties of a modern academic.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good quick readBy FlyboyRead an excellent review of this author and so this was my first Paul Johnson book. Very quick read and though it is small in pages it is quite informative. Never knew that G. Washington AND George III both played baseball. I knew Washington died after a cold winter ride; but didn't know he tried to treat himself by "blood letting" and died while taking his pulse.I ordered Modern Times next - be warned- its 800 pages long! But again very well written.
