Almost A Miracle By John Ferling: Summary

The revered and respected first president, George Washington, gave the US hope during one of its most difficult times. Using the events and circumstances of his life to learn and advance his position, he grew from humble beginnings into a legend. George Washington had a valuable, well-rounded education from ages seven to fifteen, studying all the subjects (Nevins and Graff). Due to his father’s death, George grew up under the supervision of his half-brother Lawrence at Mount Vernon, learning many lessons and developing thoughts, actions, and manners he used later in life (Nevins and Graff). He worked as a surveyor for his first career and learned the benefits of hard work, endurance, and resourcefulness (Nevins and Graff). After Lawrence died, George took over running the family plantation and found farming an honorable, delectable, amusing, and profitable occupation (Nevins and Graff). Standing six feet tall with broad shoulders, Washington cultivated a lavish lifestyle of dancing, cards, billiards, and hunting as a prominent and active member in his community and church (Nevins and Graff). George Washington started his military career in November of 1752, and in 1755 he took the position as commander of all the Virginian troops at the young age of 23 years (Nevins and Graff). Washington desired more honor and respect than he received, so he resigned from the military in the fall of 1758 full of frustration (Nevins and Graff). War moved slowly, troops did not receive enough

People responded so positively to Washington because of how well­known he was and how you could trust him in any situation. One could easily, “distinguish him from all the others. His personal appearance is truly noble and majestic, being tall and well­proportioned” (McCullough 34). People at the time of the American Revolution saw him as this, practically seeing him as a person on perfection. It was also believed by the people at this time that, “​a leader must look and act the part” (​McCullough 42). Washington made sure that he did this by looking and acting how a leader should and by doing this he lead the Americans to their

General Washington was respected not just by the rank and file, but also by people in all parts of the colonies. Although he did not inspire his men to fanatical loyalty as Napoleon or Nelson, the troops under his command knew they could count upon his valor, military judgment, and fair justice always. (Morison, p. 314-5) Everyone, from the highest gentleman in Congress to the lowest private in the Army, could depend on George Washington's character at all times.

This question is honestly the most difficult to answer. The entire book was intriguing from start to finish. I would say that what I liked the most about this book is all the pictures he placed on there. He captured every image with so much meaning. It is as it’s said, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I got to see the faces of the fellow heroes in Fallujah.

In conclusion, a person with good leadership, encouragement, and a lot of perseverance helps soldiers and others achieve many goals. Washington is the perfect man to become a leader of the Continental Army because of his personality. Also, something little could make a big impact on someone’s life, such as the wounded soldier. Further, endurance keeps everyone on the right track and it makes the problem seem easier for every person fighting in the war. Because of the little victories, the war is

Through vivid descriptions of George Washington, I learned that he was not the best military leader. There were multiple times in the war where Washington was faced with difficult decisions, and proved to be very indecisive. Also, there were times where action needed to be taken, but he couldn’t decide what to do. Even though I learned Washington wasn’t as great as the history books explain him to be, it makes me respect him more to know that he, just like any other American, flawed.

Another story about the young George Washington was about he had thrown a silver dollar across the Potomac River. These stories are just myth, but it shows a reader that if someone makes up moral stokes about someone, especially a man of high power, that the person they are making the stories about must be a very moral person. This is exactly what young George Washington was. He was very kind, compassionate, and hard working. His father died when he was eleven years old and it is very plausible, that, because he was the oldest male still left in the house, he became the new “man of the house”. This is where he learned his character of hard work and responsibility.

It is no doubt Washington was a powerful military strategist. He turned the tides of battle by deciding to carry out unorthodox attack options, such as taking the Delaware River for a surprise attack that ended up deciding the war (Source 2, ¶ 5). Before he was a great political leader, he learned the art of war by doing while serving in the French and Indian war. The sheer respect that he earned was rewarded with the title commander in chief of the American Army. His surprise attack across the Delaware River is thought to be the turning point of the war and many grand paintings have been drawn because

Review of: Benson Bobrick, Angel in the Whirlwind: the Triumph of the American Revolution (New York, Penguin, 1997), 553 pp.

The introduction of George Washington and the explanation of how much of an unorganized, unruly bunch of soldiers he was stuck with in the Continental Army was definitely one of the most interesting parts of the book. I realized in reading this, how little I actually knew about Washington. The author describes him in such a way that gives you the understanding of why people were drawn to follow him. Nathaniel Green and Henry Knox were just as important as Washington throughout the war, Knox especially in the in the success of removing the British from Boston. His heroic effort of bring cannons and munitions form Fort Ticonderoga to Boston was a tremendous achievement. It’s hard to imagine the difficulty in successfully being able to achieve something like that. Both Knox and Greene were almost entirely self educated. Knox owned a book store and was married to a woman named Lucy Flucker whose father was royal secretary of the province and even arranged for Knox to be commissioned in the British army, but he declined, which to me, showed how incredibly loyal he was to his country .

The reader follows General Washington throughout the Revolution and McCullough does a great job depicting George Washington as he evolves throughout the war, doubts and all. Even when Washington felt swirls of emotions he was never any less of a leader to his men. “Washington was a man of exceptional, almost excessive self command, rarely permitting himself any show of discouragement or despair, but in the privacy of his correspondence with Joseph Reed, he began now to reveal how very low an bitter he felt, if the truth were known.” (McCullough 64) General Washington however hard it may be to believe was only human and McCullough does an amazing job showing this, making the

The Non-Fiction Historical Book 1776 By David McCullough is a historically accurate and in depth view of The American Revolution; starting from The Battle of Bunker Hill, Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Fort Washington, and ending its Analysis at the Battle of Trenton in 1776. There are many fascinating features, trends, themes, and characteristics used in 1776 that make the book a fluent and enjoyable read. Also the book gives a very detailed and informative account of the battles and military life from the Battle of Boston to the Battle of Trenton. Finally the author, David McCullough, of the book as many other works and experiences that tell the reader why and how 1776 is such a credible source

At the age of 23 years old Washington would become commander of the Virginia Regiment, ( Ellis, Joseph J, His Excellency, 24) although his men both more experienced and senior sought after him as their leader. His character and patriotism led directly to his selection as Commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Army. As commander-in-chief George led his army to a number of very important victories to include the capture of Boston with few defeats such as the trouncing of New York City. George lost many battles, with only one surrender, he continuously and persistently fought the British with unrelenting tactics he conspired the general strategy of the war. He oversaw the training and the organization of the army. Being unanimously elected upon Washington began his first term as President in 1789. He went on to serve for a second term ending his presidency in 1796. All that being said George Washington sounds like a stand up guy and that is why many Americans consider him to be a hero, but there are limits to the stories that are told.

Overall the book is a great historical book that teaches people not just about the horrors of the war but those who continued to fight for the justice for all humans. It explains the difficulty of finding these people and the amount of work required to find and capture these

Combining all these serious themes into a very entertaining book should attract many readers. However, there was some confusion with the story line. Since this book is a collection of interviews, it wasn’t a conventional story. When I first started the book, I wasn’t sure why I was jumping from country to country and why each story was completely different. As I continued to read the book, I was able to understand that these were a collection of eyewitness accounts of the war. Also, Max Brooks uses a rife amount of vulgar language which I think could have been kept out. However, it made it real and that’s what this book is about.