Presidential Biographies

[Alexandria]

I have embarked on a personal challenge to read a biography of every U.S. President in chronological order.

This could take a while.

To begin, I chose Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow.

What I loved about this book was how he succeeded in breathing life into a figure who is often presented in a way that makes him seem as wooden as his fabled teeth. This chunk of a book was both meticulously researched and eminently readable.

If there was one theme that I found most significant, it was Washington's awareness that as the first president, everything he did was setting a precedent. He carried that responsibility with the utmost gravity, and weighed every decision he made. He was deeply concerned with maintaining the dignity of the office while limiting its power.