About the Author
Bruce Chadwick is a former journalist and the author of six works of history: The First American Army (Sourcebooks, 2005), George Washington’s War (Sourcebooks, 2004), Brother against Brother, Two American Presidents, Traveling the Underground Railroad and The Reel Civil War. He lectures in American history at Rutgers University and also teaches writing at New Jersey City University.
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About the book
Until now, the story of the American Revolution has been incomplete. Many have told the stories of blood and battle, of heroes and traitors, but no one has told the tale of the union that helped form the Union.
The history of America’s First Family is inexorably tied to the workings of the Revolution. Martha’s son Jackie (she had four children and George had none) was 28 when he died at Yorktown. George’s own life would have been lost on multiple occasions if not for Martha. Only she could bring comfort and grace to the winter camps, and it was in this manner that the revolutionaries came to see Martha not only as a kindred spirit, but as a beloved heroine.
Here is the story of the fateful marriage of the richest woman in Virginia and the man who could have been king. In telling their story, Chadwick explains not only their remarkable devotion to each other, but also why the wealthiest couple in Virginia became revolutionaries who risked the loss of not only their vast estates, but their very lives. |
Praise for The General & Mrs. Washington
“Attentive to the Washingtons’ domestic details, from schooling to parties to funerals, Chadwick also ensures the reader’s awareness of cultural contexts, such as the legal and social limits on women’s public activity and the derivation of the couple’s wealth from slavery. Readers interested in private lives will enjoy Chadwick’s able synthesis.” —Booklist
“Just when you thought you knew the story of America’s founding, along comes Bruce Chadwick with this remarkable new way of seeing the American Revolution. It’s a love story between two iconic Americans: George and Martha Washington. This book reminds us that their partnership helped make us who we are today.” —Terry Golway, author of Washington’s General
“One of George Washington’s secret weapons in his rise to power and immortality was the extraordinary woman he married. The story of the half-century-long married love affair of George and Martha Washington is truly inspiring. Bruce Chadwick vividly brings to life a time of turmoil and hope in a book that should endure as a fine example of historical journalism.” —Willard Sterne Randall, author of George Washington: A Life
“Enhances our understanding of the nation’s first ‘first couple,’ but it does even more. It is a fine work of social history, providing keen insights into how people lived, worked, and amused themselves in eighteenth-century America. This is a book with value both for history buffs and serious students of early American history.” —John Ferling, author of Setting the World Ablaze and A Leap in the Dark
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