George Washington, the Writer: A Treasury of Letters, Diaries, and Public Documents
Grade 8 Up-Yoder uses a unique approach in this biography of the first president of the United States. Through excerpts from letters, addresses, speeches, and his will, Washington's opinions, thoughts, and personality are vividly portrayed. The book begins with a brief biography, which gives students a focus and an overview of the man's life. Each chapter opens with a short description of Washington during a particular time period beginning with his career as a young military officer and ending with his life in retirement at Mount Vernon. In describing his frustrations with his troops, he wrote, "I am wearied to death all day with a variety of perplexing circumstances-disturbed at the conduct of the militia, whose behavior and want of discipline has done great injury to the other troops-." He did, however, sympathize with his troops' situation by writing to Congress, "-that it is in vain to think an Army can be kept together much longer, under such a variety of sufferings as ours has experienced-." Small black-and-white photos and reproductions appear throughout.Lana Miles, Duchesne Academy, Houston, TXCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.