"It is a curious fact that the life of Washington has never been
really easy to write.... But in these matters the character of the
historian means everything. If we have the right man we may be sure
of a good book. As regards the true Washington we have in Mr.
Wister the right man.
"'The Seven Ages of Washington' ... gives a remarkable
interpretation of its subject.... It is plain that the author has
been moved to the depths of him by his hero's worth, finding in the
traditionally 'cold' figure of Washington a type to touch the
emotions as vividly as Napoleon touches them in even his most
dramatic moments. He passes on his impression in a few chapters
which gather up everyday traits as they come out in letters and
other records. The salient events in Washington's career, military
and political, are indicated rather than dwelt upon. The object of
interest is always his character; the things placed in the
foreground are the episodes, great or small, which show us that
character in action or point to the sources of its development....
"The background is handled with perfect discretion. The reader who
is searching for an authoritative biography of Washington, brief,
and made humanly interesting from the first page to the last, will
find it here."--From a column review of the book in _The New York
Tribune_, Nov. 23, 1907.
* * * * *
=THE MACMILLAN COMPANY=
=Publishers 64-66 Fifth Avenue New York=
[Transcriber's Note:
* Replicated chapter titles removed.]