Travels with George

Reviews

“Both a lighthearted travelogue and a timely exploration of Washington’s historical legacy.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Philbrick’s book addresses weighty matters but is nevertheless an enjoyable read, a fitting if unusual capstone to a trilogy on the revolution. At times, the book seems like a valedictory. The author’s many readers hope not.” —The Guardian (London)

“In Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy, his thirteenth book, Nathaniel Philbrick brings his proven gift as a narrator to this on-the-road part of Washington’s life.” —The Washington Post

“Drawing unnerving parallels to the nation’s current political landscape, the writer shows how the lessons taught by the ‘father of our country’ are still relevant today.” —Smithsonian

“This delightful book retraces the journey of George Washington across the former colonies shortly after his inauguration. It’s a meditation on our first president’s continued relevance to the American identity.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Part history, part travelogue . . . Philbrick wrestles with [America’s] problems, some of Washington’s vintage, that continue to afflict us.” —The New York Times

“Philbrick retraces three trips that George Washington took during his presidency. . . . Through the pieces, a valuable view of Washington emerges . . . a man of physical grace and character who grasped the personal effect he had on people.” —AirMail.com

“Regardless of the readers’ preconceived notions about our first president, enough new facts are revealed and old myths dispelled to keep the pages turning rapidly.” —Lincoln Journal Star
 
“An enjoyable volume that is one-third history, one-third travelogue, and one-third meditation on what Washington means in the twenty-first century.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Washington emerges as the complicated, flawed but no less heroic leader that his newborn country desperately needed. . . . The quantity and quality of the details Philbrick gathers as he straddles past and present make this an extraordinary read.” —BookPage

“Nat Philbrick brings three key attributes to this brilliant book: a deep grounding in colonial history; amusing personal anecdotes observed with a shrewd traveler’s eye; and an abiding love of this quirky, unique nation. Travels with George is all the more crucial in this time of national division, when a look back to a unifying figure like our first President matters all the more.” —Admiral James Stavridis, US Navy, 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO

“Philbrick moves from one century’s point of view to another’s, perceptively observing what has changed and what has not. He particularly notes the past and current legacy of slaveholding, whether in North or South. This provides highly personal reflection and unique perspective on both the history and the often-contradictory lives of present-day Americans.” —Booklist (starred review)

“[An] entertaining mix of history, travelogue, and memoir . . . This poignant account strikes a hopeful chord.” —Publishers Weekly

“Washington, as portrayed by Philbrick, is an impressive figure who knew that he was a national icon, but this did not go to his head. . . . Though some histories of the era treat slavery as an unfortunate footnote, Philbrick does not shy away from pointing out its evils. When he cuts back to the present, roads and accommodations improve, and he encounters monuments, museums, and local historians who describe details of Washington’s visit and, more often than not, disprove a popular myth.” —Kirkus Reviews Expand reviews