To be fair, I read a galley of this book, which was badly edited and full of typos. Still, I found Chadwick's tendency to repeat himself disappointing - surely there is enough information about the Washingtons to avoid this sort of thing, yes? I also didn't care for the lionization of both General/President Washington and Mrs. Washington. Like all good Americans, I too have a soft spot for our Founding Fathers and Mothers, but I don't let it get quite as far as deification. ( )

I've not been much of a history buff for a very long time, except when I'm watching The History Channel or it is about archaeology and I've never been much interested in biographies in particular.

Yet, I enjoyed Bruce Chadwick's The General and Mrs Washington. I didn't know much about George and Martha Washington but in reading this story, I got a good idea of what they were like, their marriage and how it helped keep a new country stable.

There were, of course, some surprises like Washington's love of finer fashion and some non-surprises and his conflicted feelings about slavery. But overall, there was a sense that this was a couple who enjoyed each other and found strength in their marriage.

The drawbacks was that it was seemed kind of scattered in its narrative. The beginning in particular jumped all over the place.

Still, it was an enjoyable read. ( )