--- product_id: 1608657 title: "Washington: A Life (Pulitzer Prize Winner)" price: "€ 60.04" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.be/products/1608657-washington-a-life-pulitzer-prize-winner store_origin: BE region: Belgium --- # 42 hours unabridged audio 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner 928 pages of deep dive Washington: A Life (Pulitzer Prize Winner) **Price:** € 60.04 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🏛️ Unlock the true story behind America’s first icon — don’t just read history, live it! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Washington: A Life (Pulitzer Prize Winner) - **How much does it cost?** € 60.04 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.be](https://www.desertcart.be/products/1608657-washington-a-life-pulitzer-prize-winner) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Epic Depth & Detail:** 928 pages capturing every facet of Washington’s life and legacy. - • **Top-Ranked & Trusted:** Ranked #2 in American Revolution Biographies with 8,700+ glowing reviews. - • **Humanizing the Legend:** Reveals Washington’s passions, flaws, and leadership beyond the mythic image. - • **Multimedia Experience:** Available in paperback and a powerful 42-hour narrated audiobook for immersive learning. - • **Award-Winning Authority:** Pulitzer Prize-winning biography by Ron Chernow, the master of historical storytelling. ## Overview Ron Chernow’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Washington: A Life, is a definitive 928-page exploration of George Washington’s complex character and monumental impact. Combining exhaustive research with vivid storytelling, this book transcends traditional history to reveal the man behind the legend — his leadership, relationships, financial struggles, and personal flaws. Available in paperback and a 42-hour audiobook, it’s a must-have for anyone serious about understanding the Father of Our Country in full, nuanced detail. ## Description From the author of Alexander Hamilton , the New York Times bestselling biography that inspired the musical, comes a gripping portrait of the first president of the United States. Winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography “Truly magnificent . . . [a] well-researched, well-written and absolutely definitive biography” —Andrew Roberts, The Wall Street Journal “Until recently, I’d never believed that there could be such a thing as a truly gripping biography of George Washington . . . Well, I was wrong. I can’t recommend it highly enough—as history, as epic, and, not least, as entertainment.” —Hendrik Hertzberg, The New Yorker Celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation and the first president of the United States. With a breadth and depth matched by no other one volume biography of George Washington, this crisply paced narrative carries the reader through his adventurous early years, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, his presiding over the Constitutional Convention, and his magnificent performance as America's first president. In this groundbreaking work, based on massive research, Chernow shatters forever the stereotype of George Washington as a stolid, unemotional figure and brings to vivid life a dashing, passionate man of fiery opinions and many moods. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash Broadway musical Hamilton has sparked new interest in the Revolutionary War and the Founding Fathers. In addition to Alexander Hamilton, the production also features George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Aaron Burr, Lafayette, and many more. Review: Chernow provides a fantastic and full examination of Washington's life - In his 2010 Washington: A Life, historian Ron Chernow became the latest author to write the authoritative single-volume biography of George Washington. It's certainly an impressive work, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Biography and weighing in at a hefty 948 pages or 42 hours on audio. Does this massive tome live up to all of this and bring something new to those who've read up on Washington? Yes, yes, it does. Much like Joseph J. Ellis' 2004 His Excellency: George Washington, the cornerstone of Chernow's approach is the recent (in historical perspective) Papers of George Washington Project at the University of Virginia. Using these papers, modern authors are able to dig into Washington's inner thoughts in a way that previous biographers like James Thomas Flexner, whose 1974 single volume biography Washington: The Indispensable Man was a previous champion of the single volume Washington bio genre, could not. But while Ellis settles for a mere 352 pages, Chernow goes to the limits of what a single volume can hold in nearly tripling that total. As a result, Chernow delves very deeply into Washington's life and thoughts, and covers both the man and his times as extensively as is likely possible between the confines of two covers. As one might expect between the now available original sources and the page count, Chernow covers Washington's life in great detail. Both by time frame - early life, French and Indian War, pre-Revolution, Revolution, private life between generalship and the presidency, presidency, and retirement - and subject - military, political, personal, economic, slavery - Chernow covers the man as well as many books focused on any single one of those subjects. I've read a lot on Washington and his times, and Chernow managed to illuminate each of those periods and subjects for me in some way even with my solid background. There are two main themes that Chernow uses to good effect. He focuses on Washington's relationships and his finances to get to his inner self. There are a large cast of secondary characters in this biography, and Chernow does an excellent job of getting the reader to know them on their own and in the context of their relationship with Washington. The major personages given this treatment are Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton (not surprising, since Chernow previously wrote a massive 2004 biography of him, which is now high on my to-read list), the Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, Nathanael Greene, John Adams, Sally Fairfax, and Washington's step-children and step-grandchildren. Chernow clearly demonstrates the impact Washington had on each of these people, and their impact on him. Chernow's focus on Washington's finances is another interesting approach. By following the old adage to follow the money, the reader gets a real sense of Washington's situation. His efforts to turn a profit on Mt. Vernon, the financial weight of slavery, his debt, the true costs of the land rich but cash poor Washington serving as Commander in Chief without pay, the costs of entertaining the multitudes who made the pilgrimage to Mt. Vernon, constant dental bills, and most importantly the devastating effects of his prolonged absences on his business interests, all combine to shine a light on a less glamorous but vital part of Washington's life. This last is especially vital, as in seeing how much Mt. Vernon suffered every time he was off serving his country, the reader gets a much better understanding of Washington's love of his country and his sense of public service. The period of Washington's life that Chernow expanded the most for me was his second term as president. A lot of attention is usually placed on the first term and the crucial precedents set then. While Chernow does indeed cover that well, the beginning of rough and tumble politics in his second term is fascinating, and seeing the increasingly fractious country begin to consider even Washington a fair game for political sniping is a major turning point in American politics. All of this effort - focusing on relationship and finances - does an amazing job of humanizing a man who often seems more monument than someone who actually lived. Chernow lets the reader really get to know Washington, both in his impressive patriotic context but also in the personal and sometimes flawed intimate details of so large a life as well. Chernow doesn't try to explain away the imperfections, either, instead letting them stand as equally valid parts of the man who often was indeed as great as he's been made out to be. I listened to Penguin Audio's 2010 production of the book, narrated by Scott Brick. The production was very well done, Brick delivers a powerful performance, giving the reading weight while still keeping a brisk pace, a necessity given the length of the book. The unabridged production runs approximately 42 hours. I highly recommend Chernow's Washington: A Life, even to those well-read on the man and his times. Chernow does a great job of providing new angles and insights, and it's the most complete picture of the Father of Our Country I've yet read. It's more of an investment in time than slimmer volumes, but it's well worth it. As mentioned previously, Chernow's biography of Hamilton is now high on my list and I plan to read that soon. Review: Wonderful, well-written and complete - I liked Chernow's other biographies; particularly his one on Alexander Hamilton, so much that I advanced ordered this book. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. If I had to describe this book in one sentence I would say that it shows why Washington was a great leader and a great man. Below is further information about the book, how it compares to other Washington biographies, and some caveats (mentioned at the end of this review) that I think a potential reader should be aware of. Why should you read this book when you think that you know all you need to about George Washington? I think that you should because this book is wonderful, both in the writing and in the level of detail. Chernow is a wonderful writer. As with his other biographies, Chernow gives us a picture that goes beyond a stiff formal portrait. He gives us, what I consider to be, a fair picture of Washington, with his faults clearly delineated as well as his positive attributes. Here is not the Washington promoted to a saint-like status, rather a man who made the most of all the opportunities that came his way. A man who was not above ordering gold braid and a red sash for his uniform, and a man who took offense at slights (although when necessary held his anger to himself) and a man who bristled when he was appointed to a military rank that he felt was too low. However, he was also a man who learned by his mistakes (and Chermow points out a lot of them) and was above all; courageous, conscientious, honest, and hard working. He shows Washington the man - a man who felt handicapped by his lack of a college education, a man with a volatile temperament that he kept tightly under control, a man who could lead men but found himself leading untrained and undisciplined ones. He shows Washington to be human, a man who "... adopted a blistering style whenever he thought someone had cheated him". Most of all he shows a Washington who prevented the dissolution of the army during the war and whose actions defined the presidency of the US. One of Chernow's objectives was to show that Washington made his own decisions, after consultation with those whose opinions he respected, and contrary to the charge made by his enemies was not controlled by men like Hamilton. What I found most interesting were the discussions of those aspects of Washington's life that are generally not covered in one-volume biographies. He discusses the economic factors that eventually turned Washington against Britain. Chernow discusses Washington the businessman (both as a planter and a land speculator) and his dealings with his London agents. Contrary to popular myth, Chernow shows Washington to be land rich but cash poor, frequently to the extent of being on the brink of economic disaster. Chernow devotes two chapters (and parts of others) to the issue of slavery. He makes it clear that Washington did not like the institution, but he viewed his slaves as an investment that he did not know how to dispense with without bring about his economic ruin. Furthermore, he unrealistically expected his slaves to act more like employees or soldiers and could not understand why some did not, or why some ran away. Remarkably, Chernow makes Washington come alive without sacrificing details. My touchstone for a biography on Washington is the extent to which it covers his family, particularly his brothers. Flexner's one volume condensation of his four-volume biography of Washington mentions George's older half-brothers, but not his older half-sister or his younger full brothers and sisters. Chernow mentions them all. He also clears up the story of how George acquired Mt. Vernon, and how it got its name. Chernow also discusses Washington's difficult relationship with his mother, a subject generally not covered in other one-volume biographies. The book also discusses such diverse topics as Washington's teeth, his height, and many of his illnesses. This is a complete biography of George Washington. It is divided into six parts, covering his entire life. In contrast, some biographies only cover part of his life. For instance, Willard Sterne Randall's biography of Washington focuses almost entirely on the revolutionary war. Chernow covers everything, devoting almost equal space to Washington's presidency as to his leadership of the army. The book contains 30 black and white photographs of paintings of individuals, printed on high gloss paper. The quality of the photographs is good, but lacks the color of the originals, which is unfortunate. I think that there are two caveats that a potential reader should be aware of. This is not a detailed military history - there are no maps or detailed discussions of tactics. It is more about the man and how he handled the problems of the war, than a history of the war itself. Neither is this book a political treatise on the Washington presidency. Chernow does, however, show how Washington, by his actions, created the presidency. For instance,Chernow shows how Washington changed the Senate's constitutional requirement of "advise and consent" to consent for actions he took. One should not take these caveats as an indication that the book was not excellent or is incomplete. It is just that there is a limit to what one can put into a single volume, even with more than 800 pages of text. Furthermore, this is a book about Washington's whole life, written for a general audience. In this it succeeds admirably. ## Features - Author: Chernow, Ron. - Publisher: Penguin Books - Pages: 928 - Publication Date: 2011-09-27 - Binding: Paperback - MSRP: 21 - ISBN13: 9780143119968 - ISBN: 0143119966 - Language: en - Store Location: History - "Book cover image may be different than what appears on the actual book." ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #6,312 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2 in American Revolution Biographies (Books) #3 in US Presidents #18 in U.S. Revolution & Founding History | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 8,757 Reviews | ## Images ![Washington: A Life (Pulitzer Prize Winner) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81A169iXn7L.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chernow provides a fantastic and full examination of Washington's life *by G***T on October 18, 2013* In his 2010 Washington: A Life, historian Ron Chernow became the latest author to write the authoritative single-volume biography of George Washington. It's certainly an impressive work, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Biography and weighing in at a hefty 948 pages or 42 hours on audio. Does this massive tome live up to all of this and bring something new to those who've read up on Washington? Yes, yes, it does. Much like Joseph J. Ellis' 2004 His Excellency: George Washington, the cornerstone of Chernow's approach is the recent (in historical perspective) Papers of George Washington Project at the University of Virginia. Using these papers, modern authors are able to dig into Washington's inner thoughts in a way that previous biographers like James Thomas Flexner, whose 1974 single volume biography Washington: The Indispensable Man was a previous champion of the single volume Washington bio genre, could not. But while Ellis settles for a mere 352 pages, Chernow goes to the limits of what a single volume can hold in nearly tripling that total. As a result, Chernow delves very deeply into Washington's life and thoughts, and covers both the man and his times as extensively as is likely possible between the confines of two covers. As one might expect between the now available original sources and the page count, Chernow covers Washington's life in great detail. Both by time frame - early life, French and Indian War, pre-Revolution, Revolution, private life between generalship and the presidency, presidency, and retirement - and subject - military, political, personal, economic, slavery - Chernow covers the man as well as many books focused on any single one of those subjects. I've read a lot on Washington and his times, and Chernow managed to illuminate each of those periods and subjects for me in some way even with my solid background. There are two main themes that Chernow uses to good effect. He focuses on Washington's relationships and his finances to get to his inner self. There are a large cast of secondary characters in this biography, and Chernow does an excellent job of getting the reader to know them on their own and in the context of their relationship with Washington. The major personages given this treatment are Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton (not surprising, since Chernow previously wrote a massive 2004 biography of him, which is now high on my to-read list), the Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, Nathanael Greene, John Adams, Sally Fairfax, and Washington's step-children and step-grandchildren. Chernow clearly demonstrates the impact Washington had on each of these people, and their impact on him. Chernow's focus on Washington's finances is another interesting approach. By following the old adage to follow the money, the reader gets a real sense of Washington's situation. His efforts to turn a profit on Mt. Vernon, the financial weight of slavery, his debt, the true costs of the land rich but cash poor Washington serving as Commander in Chief without pay, the costs of entertaining the multitudes who made the pilgrimage to Mt. Vernon, constant dental bills, and most importantly the devastating effects of his prolonged absences on his business interests, all combine to shine a light on a less glamorous but vital part of Washington's life. This last is especially vital, as in seeing how much Mt. Vernon suffered every time he was off serving his country, the reader gets a much better understanding of Washington's love of his country and his sense of public service. The period of Washington's life that Chernow expanded the most for me was his second term as president. A lot of attention is usually placed on the first term and the crucial precedents set then. While Chernow does indeed cover that well, the beginning of rough and tumble politics in his second term is fascinating, and seeing the increasingly fractious country begin to consider even Washington a fair game for political sniping is a major turning point in American politics. All of this effort - focusing on relationship and finances - does an amazing job of humanizing a man who often seems more monument than someone who actually lived. Chernow lets the reader really get to know Washington, both in his impressive patriotic context but also in the personal and sometimes flawed intimate details of so large a life as well. Chernow doesn't try to explain away the imperfections, either, instead letting them stand as equally valid parts of the man who often was indeed as great as he's been made out to be. I listened to Penguin Audio's 2010 production of the book, narrated by Scott Brick. The production was very well done, Brick delivers a powerful performance, giving the reading weight while still keeping a brisk pace, a necessity given the length of the book. The unabridged production runs approximately 42 hours. I highly recommend Chernow's Washington: A Life, even to those well-read on the man and his times. Chernow does a great job of providing new angles and insights, and it's the most complete picture of the Father of Our Country I've yet read. It's more of an investment in time than slimmer volumes, but it's well worth it. As mentioned previously, Chernow's biography of Hamilton is now high on my list and I plan to read that soon. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wonderful, well-written and complete *by M***T on October 6, 2010* I liked Chernow's other biographies; particularly his one on Alexander Hamilton, so much that I advanced ordered this book. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. If I had to describe this book in one sentence I would say that it shows why Washington was a great leader and a great man. Below is further information about the book, how it compares to other Washington biographies, and some caveats (mentioned at the end of this review) that I think a potential reader should be aware of. Why should you read this book when you think that you know all you need to about George Washington? I think that you should because this book is wonderful, both in the writing and in the level of detail. Chernow is a wonderful writer. As with his other biographies, Chernow gives us a picture that goes beyond a stiff formal portrait. He gives us, what I consider to be, a fair picture of Washington, with his faults clearly delineated as well as his positive attributes. Here is not the Washington promoted to a saint-like status, rather a man who made the most of all the opportunities that came his way. A man who was not above ordering gold braid and a red sash for his uniform, and a man who took offense at slights (although when necessary held his anger to himself) and a man who bristled when he was appointed to a military rank that he felt was too low. However, he was also a man who learned by his mistakes (and Chermow points out a lot of them) and was above all; courageous, conscientious, honest, and hard working. He shows Washington the man - a man who felt handicapped by his lack of a college education, a man with a volatile temperament that he kept tightly under control, a man who could lead men but found himself leading untrained and undisciplined ones. He shows Washington to be human, a man who "... adopted a blistering style whenever he thought someone had cheated him". Most of all he shows a Washington who prevented the dissolution of the army during the war and whose actions defined the presidency of the US. One of Chernow's objectives was to show that Washington made his own decisions, after consultation with those whose opinions he respected, and contrary to the charge made by his enemies was not controlled by men like Hamilton. What I found most interesting were the discussions of those aspects of Washington's life that are generally not covered in one-volume biographies. He discusses the economic factors that eventually turned Washington against Britain. Chernow discusses Washington the businessman (both as a planter and a land speculator) and his dealings with his London agents. Contrary to popular myth, Chernow shows Washington to be land rich but cash poor, frequently to the extent of being on the brink of economic disaster. Chernow devotes two chapters (and parts of others) to the issue of slavery. He makes it clear that Washington did not like the institution, but he viewed his slaves as an investment that he did not know how to dispense with without bring about his economic ruin. Furthermore, he unrealistically expected his slaves to act more like employees or soldiers and could not understand why some did not, or why some ran away. Remarkably, Chernow makes Washington come alive without sacrificing details. My touchstone for a biography on Washington is the extent to which it covers his family, particularly his brothers. Flexner's one volume condensation of his four-volume biography of Washington mentions George's older half-brothers, but not his older half-sister or his younger full brothers and sisters. Chernow mentions them all. He also clears up the story of how George acquired Mt. Vernon, and how it got its name. Chernow also discusses Washington's difficult relationship with his mother, a subject generally not covered in other one-volume biographies. The book also discusses such diverse topics as Washington's teeth, his height, and many of his illnesses. This is a complete biography of George Washington. It is divided into six parts, covering his entire life. In contrast, some biographies only cover part of his life. For instance, Willard Sterne Randall's biography of Washington focuses almost entirely on the revolutionary war. Chernow covers everything, devoting almost equal space to Washington's presidency as to his leadership of the army. The book contains 30 black and white photographs of paintings of individuals, printed on high gloss paper. The quality of the photographs is good, but lacks the color of the originals, which is unfortunate. I think that there are two caveats that a potential reader should be aware of. This is not a detailed military history - there are no maps or detailed discussions of tactics. It is more about the man and how he handled the problems of the war, than a history of the war itself. Neither is this book a political treatise on the Washington presidency. Chernow does, however, show how Washington, by his actions, created the presidency. For instance,Chernow shows how Washington changed the Senate's constitutional requirement of "advise and consent" to consent for actions he took. One should not take these caveats as an indication that the book was not excellent or is incomplete. It is just that there is a limit to what one can put into a single volume, even with more than 800 pages of text. Furthermore, this is a book about Washington's whole life, written for a general audience. In this it succeeds admirably. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must-read and a model biography *by R***Z on December 30, 2025* There is general consensus about this book: it is the magisterial biography of GW, meticulously researched and beautifully written. It is a great bargain because of its length but simultaneously a large commitment, perhaps just south of 400,000 words or four sizeable volumes. Everyone is agreed that it humanizes Washington. This is a fair and balanced biography, not hagiography or legend/fantasy. Parson Weems’s cherry tree story is debunked; the ‘wooden’ teeth story is corrected and we learn about the real challenges of our first president who was elected unanimously but still suffered the slings and arrows of the ‘factions’ he deplored. We learn as much about his private life as the evidence will permit and we learn a great deal about his psychology, his interpersonal skills and the reasons for his success in dealing with leaders foreign and domestic (and traitors, though, curiously, we learn very little about Hamilton’s fateful duel, which is simply mentioned in passing). We also learn a great deal about his finances, which are reminiscent of Churchill’s in their ‘fast and looseness’. The most encouraging thing is perhaps the fact that the book has drawn some 9,000 reviews on Amazon. That indicates a very large and still dedicated readership, prepared to read a very long book in an age of sound bites, film clips and ‘history’ drawn predominantly from social media. Bottom line: a must-read. Also, great food for thought—is it simply an accident that our greatest presidents (Lincoln, Truman, Washington) were not college graduates? --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.be/products/1608657-washington-a-life-pulitzer-prize-winner](https://www.desertcart.be/products/1608657-washington-a-life-pulitzer-prize-winner) --- *Product available on Desertcart Belgium* *Store origin: BE* *Last updated: 2026-08-30*