Now available in paperback, James Cross Giblin and Michael Dooling bring the story of the first president to life for a new generation of readers.
George Washington, beloved "Father of His Country," left behind no children of his own. Instead he left a nation to which he's dedicated life. Here is his story.
Beginning with his childhood in a large, close-nit family on a Virginia farm, we follow him through his life. There is a tragedy with the death of his father, then his adored half-brother. After he grew up, George joined the Virginia militia and fought bravely in the wild Ohio country. Returning to Mount Vernon, he met and married the widow Martha Custis. But soon there came a new call to duty.
Giblin's ( Chimney Sweeps: Yesterday and Today ; The Truth About Santa Claus ) simplified yet well-rounded portrait of Washington offers considerable insight into the private man. During his early years on a Virginia farm, Washington was devoted to his half-brother, Lawrence, who went on to own Mount Vernon. After Lawrence's death, Washington married Martha Custis and farmed the Mount Vernon land until he was appointed Commander in Chiefstet of the country's armed forces. Giblin describes Washington's triumphs and hardships during the Revolutionary War, and the many crucial decisions made during his two terms as the country's first President. The appealingly informal text is laced with engaging details: Washington had a hard time with spelling as a child; he refused to accept pay for his military services; and the reason he looks so serious in his celebrated portrait by Gilbert Stuart is that his dentures--made from hippopotamus teeth--were hurting that day. Sharing the credit for the book's success are Dooling's vivid, beautifully textured oil paintings, which add drama to the story of this modest, fair and ultimately devoted man. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.