Volume 52, Number 4 · March 10, 2005
The Wise Warrior
By Garry Wills
George Washington Remembers: Reflections on the French and Indian War
edited by Fred Anderson
Rowman and Littlefield, 192 pp., $39.95
His Excellency: George Washington
by Joseph J. Ellis
Knopf, 320 pp., $26.95
It is too bad that the most familiar image of George Washington is that on the dollar bill. It shows a man in his mid-sixties, rapidly aging in the presidency, seeming to hold himself together with an effort. His lips are a bit prim, his glance more than a bit sly. There is a prissiness almost flirtatious under his wig—though Washington, unlike other founders like Adams and Jefferson, never wore a wig. The Gilbert Stuart painting from which the engraver worked shows powdered hair—drifts of brushed powder are visible on Washington's shoulders in some of the Stuart versions.
Review, 3286 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |