2. John Adams

Last week I picked up my choice for the second President, John Adams, by David McCullogh. This book has been on my list for some time. Doubly so since I decided to start reading some Pulitzer Prize winners, so this was an easy choice. Adams is one of those Founding Fathers I haven't studied much. When I have read about him, it was usually in connection with Jefferson, or perhaps Washington. This book should help change that.

His Excellency, George Washington, by Joseph J. Ellis

Last week, I finished His Excellency. It was a good, concise read on the "Foundingest Father of them all." In short, a good insight into Washington's character, which is what Ellis set out to illustrate. The focus on character did sometimes leave me wanting to read a history rather than a biography, but on the whole it was interesting to look in on the man, rather than on the legend.

It is interesting that Washington's early life seems so unremarkable. Ellis doesn't even dwell on Washington's childhood. We do get glimpses of his work in the French and Indian War, and his efforts to get on equal footing with the British officers. What emerges is a man who, if he doesn't quite fit the term opportunistic, is at least exremely practical. This is a trait that served him well, whether in marriage or in leading a new nation.

While this practical nature seems to be at the root of Washington's success, I don't know if Ellis fully answers the question he poses in the Preface. Why did the other Founding Fathers regard Washington as their superior? Cetainly part of it was being in the right place. And what Ellis describes as "otherwordly detachment" seems to have helped. All this helped him balance the republican ideals of the Revolution with the real world practicalities needed to lead a fledgling country.

Ellis demonstrates the tension between ideals and practicality with the issue of slavery. Washington came to realize the paradox of being a slaveholder while standing for the egalitarian ideals of the Revolution. But his sense of real world economic practicalities prevented him from outright freeing his slaves. I have oversimplified this, but it serves to illustrate the point.

Usually his practical side served him better. This, as well as his sense of leaving a legacy for the nation's posterity, led him back to the national stage again and again. It is easy to picture Washington riding his white horse straight from the war, onto the Constitutional Convention, and from there to the Presidency. Ellis illuminates the choices Washington faced in the times between these events, and shows us how in the end, Washington always returned to lead when needed.

While this was a fairly concise biography (and a good place to start reading about our first president), I found there was much to learn about Washington the man. As you can tell from the above, his practical nature is what really jumped out at me, but there were other intriguing aspects of the man as well. Ellis does a credible job of showing us Washington's character.

1. George Washington

My first pick, for the first president, is His Excellency: George Washington, by Joseph J. Ellis. This is one of those books I should have read already, as I borrowed it from my parents last year. But I also borrowed several other books at the same time, and this was one I returned this year unread. But it stayed on my "to read" list and I knew my library had a copy. So it seemed like a logical first pick.

I have read Ellis before, namely the Pulitzer Prize winning Founding Brothers. I enjoyed the stories he chose to tell and the way he told them. I am interested to see how his style translates into a book length biography.

My Reading Log

I've always loved reading. My wife makes fun of me (lovingly) because I always have a book or two within arm's reach. But while I read a lot, lately I've had a desire to diversify my reading.

I frequently come up with reading lists for this purpose. Hugo and Nebula winners, Pulitzer winners, best sellers, books I should have read in high school, etc. More often than not, I read a few titles on my list and then never finish the rest. This time around I came up with a list that, for me, is a little different.

I've decided to read a biography of each of the US Presidents. I've always had a liking for American history. But outside of the Civil War, I haven't read much about it. And having grown up near DC, I have a casual interest in the presidency. I figured I ought to be able to find some interesting books to read. And with some of the more obscure presidents, it should be fun tracking down their biographies.

In my experience, I do better with my various lists when I keep a reading log of some sort. So that's what this is; my way of being acountable in my reading goal. It may still be slow, probably one biography every couple of weeks. I realize that's over a year and a half, but it's a pace I'm sure I can handle.

I have some general rules for myself in this endeavor. While the book doesn't have to focus on the presidency, it does need to be mainly about the president. It needs to focus on the man, rather than just the time period. I'd rather it be broader than just a single event in the president's life. And it needs to be a book I haven't read before. We shall see how it goes.

I am heading to the library tomorrow to pick up a book on George Washington and get this thing started.