About:
Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy by Nathaniel Philbrick is a travelogue/history book of the author, his wife, and sometimes the dog. The family travels up and down the eastern seaboard following Washington’s footsteps after his inauguration.
- 400 pages
- Publisher : Viking
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0525562176
My rating for Travels with George — 4
Buy Travels with George from Amazon.com*
More Books by Nathaniel Philbrick*
Thoughts:
It’s not difficult to figure out what Mr. Philbrick was going for in this book. He keeps mentioning Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck as his inspiration. This meant that Travels with George by Nathaniel Philbrick is a travelogue, a love letter to his dog, and a history book.
The main goal is to retrace George Washington’s footsteps, poke around the edges of history, and find the uncomfortable stories that no one tells. The author is not shy in spinning the book as a cautionary tale, showing the reader what Washington did for America before, according to him, it might fall apart.
Traveling in the 18th Century was not comfortable, it was rugged, and taxing, the roads were bad, crude accommodations, food was an issue, and natural hazards were all over the place. Add to that Washington, a huge, biggest celebrity, drew crowds everywhere. Luckily, the author, his wife, and his dog were traveling more comfortably.
For a history buff living on the East Coast, my family has been at many of the places the book talks about. Which added to my appreciation and enjoyment. History is always better when one can visit the places books talk about, and in the United States, being a young country, history is still fresh and often relevant.
The ending is a call for America to use the tools the Founding Fathers gave it to preserve the union. It’s messy, and not easy, but ultimately the fault, whether with success or failure, is going to be our own.
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free.
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
