The Ascent of George Washington

The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon

By John Ferling

"A fresh take on a monumental American."—Kirkus Reviews

Historian John Ferling has been called a "national resource," and his latest book again demonstrates his unsurpassed insight into the Founding Fathers, giving us George Washington as we have never seen him before.

Our first president has long been viewed as a hero who rose above politics. The Ascent of George Washington peers behind that image—one carefully burnished by Washington himself—to reveal a leader who was not only not above politics, but a master manipulator adept in the arts of persuasion, leverage, and deniability. Washington deftly screened burning ambition behind an image of republican virtue—but that image made him just the leader that an overmatched army and a shaky young nation desperately needed.

Reviews for The Ascent of George Washington:

Recent OpEd from John Ferling discussing reaction to his new book.

"Once in a while a book comes along to remind us that history has no gods, that the past is less fossil than textbooks suggest and America more vibrant than a mere list of principles. John Ferling's "Ascent of George Washington" is just such a book: a fresh, clear-eyed portrait of the full-blooded political animal that was George Washington...In John Ferling's eminently readable, landmark interpretation, we cannot help but marvel at the man. —Marie Arana, The Washington Post . Read full review.

“You have to hand it to Mr. Ferling. So much has already been written about Washington—by so many scholars from so many angles—that there really isn't much left to be said… Mr. Ferling's writing is fluent and informed, and if he diminishes the mythic Washington on the one hand, he builds up the pragmatic Washington on the other as "a highly political individual, one of the very best politicians in American history.” —Aram Bakshian Jr, Wall Street Journal. Read full review.

Included in the St Louis Post Dispatch Summer Books Round Up.

"Ferling shatters the myth of a selfless, nonpartisan patriarch who wielded power without ambition.in Ferling's opinion, Washington was a masterful politician who deserves to be recognized as one of the very best in US history. An outstanding book. Essential."—Choice

John was also on WOSU Open Line Open, scroll down and listen.

“Sensing that such biographers as James Flexner and Joseph Ellis have accepted the above-politics thesis, Ferling inspects the evidence of Washington’s political activities…while illustrating the substance behind Washington’s image as the indispensable man, Ferling pointedly grounds that image in the political soil from which it sprang.”–Booklist

“Ferling has done his research and offers some new insights…recommended for readers interested in taking a fresh look at Washington's political life” –Library Journal

“Never questioning Washington’s greatness, Ferling insists that seeing him as an artful self-promoter and master politician only enhances his reputation as an adept leader who knew exactly what he was doing…a fresh take on a monumental American.” –Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Almost a Miracle:

“John Ferling is a national resource, and Almost a Miracle is a splendid combination of subject with a superb historian writing at the peak of his powers.”—Michael Beschloss, author of Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989

The vignette and brushstroke fit together flawlessly. General readers and specialists alike will applaud this work. Highly recommended.”—Choice

“Arguably the best, and certainly one of the most stimulating, single-volume histories of the American Revolution. Exhaustively researched and clearly written.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Comprehensive and engaging…Grand stuff and sweeping themes.”—Jon Meacham, Washington Post Book World