Washington Era -- Famous People and the Era

Author: (American) Washington Irving, translated by Bai Ruibing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: "No one else has depicted the Founding Fathers of the United States as vividly as Washington Irving; no one else has portrayed Washington in retirement as authentically and movingly as Irving did, bringing him to life so vividly." — American historian Bancroft, December 6, 1859
"His characterizations are fair, his tone moderate and balanced, almost cautious, and he devotes most of his work to narrating events." — American essayist Charles M. Warner, 1881
"As is almost unnecessary to say, Irving was one of our great literary artists, and his works are worth reading again and again." — American writer Charles Neider, February 1975
Reasons to Read This Book: Washington Irving was a world-renowned American writer. He was the forerunner of a series of writers, including Cooper, Hawthorne, Melville, James, Mark Twain, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Hemingway, who were inevitably influenced by the tradition he pioneered. He was an American writer who made a living through writing, an American literary figure who gained fame in Europe, the father of American short stories, and the author of the great work A History of New York from the Beginning with an unmistakably American spirit. His name, George Washington, further underscores his extraordinary connection to the "Father of the United States." He wrote The Life of Christopher Columbus, The Life of Goldsmith, and The Life of Muhammad, all about heroic figures. He loved heroes and epics, so he chose The Life of George Washington as the culmination of his life's work. This was his "final masterpiece," his "last, and greatest work."
Recommended for the Following Groups:
- Advocates or critics of American culture
- Scholars or enthusiasts of biographical literature
- Scholars or enthusiasts of American literary history
- Scholars or enthusiasts of Western culture
- College and high school students
This book is derived from Washington Irving's renowned biographical work, The Life of George Washington. Washington Irving was once called the "Father of American Literature" and held a significant place in the history of American literature. As a child, he met George Washington by chance, inspiring him to admire and worship the "Father of the United States" so much that he resolved to write his biography. At the age of 49, he made up his mind, began writing at 57, and finally started the work at 72. After four years of effort, he completed this monumental work. This book is imbued with the author's 76 years of life experience. It is not just a biography of the "Father of the United States" but also a grand and magnificent "History of the Founding of the United States" and "History of American Success," written in the form of a novel. The significance and value of the "Father of American Literature" writing the biography of the "Father of the United States" are self-evident.
He was a general, a statesman, and the founder of the United States of America. Unlike Jefferson, Hamilton, and Franklin, who were more creative and insightful, he was more important than any of them. Without him, no political movement could succeed, and without him, there would be no United States of America. In the hearts of Americans, he was the "man of the war," the "man of peace," and the "man of his country." Many leaders of that era believed that he held a distinguished position among all heroes in history.