Should Washington receive censure from posterity for being a slaveholder or approbation for freeing his slaves? Did he marry the richest widow in Virginia out of affection or avarice? Henriques opines as evidence allows (the Washingtons destroyed their correspondence), eliding from the speculative to the more concrete in addressing the better-documented public Washington.... Writing in straightforward style free of scholastic hairsplitting, Henriques helps meet the current fascination with Washington.

[Henriques] is fair-minded and thoughtful, and because he possesses no other agenda than a desire to uncover the real man, he is convincing when he concludes that 'if one defines "Christian" as the evangelicals do... George Washington cannot be properly referred to as a Christian.'

A deeply thoughtful appraisal of Washington's career and character. The chapters on slavery and religion are especially beguiling. Henriques's approach allows him to zoom in on the most salient and controversial issues with a focused clarity not possible in a conventional biography

Make space on the groaning shelf of Washington scholarship for a fine new volume. Peter Henriques has illuminated the often elusive first president by tackling some of the thorniest issues in his life--his religious views, his ambivalence toward slavery, his marriage to Martha, his ardor for Sally Fairfax, his friendship with Hamilton, his ultimate feud with Jefferson--and he has handled these delicate topics with such erudition, sound judgment, and penetrating insight that the reader comes to trust him as a valued guide on every page.

If you're a fan of history, this is a quick, informative read that you'll enjoy.