No one else combines Don Higginbotham's knowledge of the Revolutionary era and familiarity with Washington's writings. In George Washington: Uniting A Nation the result is a sure-handed, gracefully adventurous portrait of the man who became a legend in his own time, and the reasons why legendary status was deserved.
Joseph J. Ellis, author of Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation A penetrating analysis of Washington's major strength as a leader—as well as his greatest gift to the nation—his ability to forge conflicting interests and emotions into a unified whole, militarily, politically, and culturally.
Robert F. Dalzell, Jr., Williams College A masterful and unusually well-written analysis of Washington's contribution to the creation of the United States, complemented by Washington's principal writings on the subject of national unification.
Jack P. Greene, The Johns Hopkins University For classroom use, this book provides an excellent means of addressing Washington's significance. It also presents both students and scholars with a fresh perspective on the great man's outlook and role. The less familiar documents, along with classics such as his farewell address, support Higginbotham's argument well.
North Carolina Historical Review
The clarity and preciseness of Higginbotham's writing and the inclusion of primary documents make this small book a natural for use in classes on early American history.
Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
This small but important book distills the essence of what drove George Washington through his long, burdensome years as general and president: the quest for the grail of American unity. Anyone who wishes to understand Washington and the nation that resulted from his quest can do no better than to start here.
Philander D. Chase, editor of The Papers of George Washington Don Higginbotham may not be the first to write about Washington's central role in uniting the American nation, but in four brief essays he articulates that role better than anyone to date. [He] solidifies his position as the most astute interpreter of George Washington writing today.
The Virginia Magazine Of History and Biography
This book is a gripping depiction by a wise historian and is aimed at general readers as well as specialists in the era of the American Revolution.
The Historian
Subtle, complex, and easily taken too lightly due to its briefness of exposition, this book ranks with Joseph Strayer's On the Medieval Origins of the Modern State or Philip Aries's Western Attitudes Towards Death for sheer economy and weight of argument.
David Silbey, book review editor, H-net George Washington: Uniting a Nation will probably find its greatest use in the classroom where the combination of a comprehensive interpretation augmented by original sources will be helpful as a supplemental text.
William and Mary Quarterly