Washington: A Life

Ron Chernow’s single-volume biography follows George Washington, the first president of the United States, from birth to death. Chernow sets out to give a fresh portrait, presenting him as his contemporaries knew him: a sensitive, complex figure full of pent-up passion. The book took six years to write and draws extensively on archival evidence. Chernow was moved to write it while researching his biography of Washington’s aide Alexander Hamilton.