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American Patriarch

The Life of George Washington

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Pub Date Jun 09 2026 | Archive Date Jul 09 2026


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Description

From historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands comes an inspiring portrait of George Washington that examines his unrivaled leadership in the birth of America

From his early military career and role among the Virginia gentry, to his leadership during the American Revolution and reluctant return to public service as the first president of the United States, American Patriarch brings to life the man who was called on time and again by his peers to lead. 

With a dazzling cast of characters, from the French and Indians on the Ohio frontier; to the Marquis de Lafayette, Benedict Arnold and Baron von Steuben on the revolutionary battlefield; to Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton locked in conflict during his presidency, American Patriarch casts Washington as the icon of American virtue who wrested America free from British control, gave credibility to the Constitution, and crafted the norms that would steady America as a nation for generations to follow.

Arriving in time for the 250th anniversary of American independence, this is a masterful portrait of Washington as the unrivaled leader of his times.
From historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands comes an inspiring portrait of George Washington that examines his unrivaled leadership in the birth of America

From his early military career...

Advance Praise

“H. W. Brands is a talented storyteller, with a novelist’s feel for pacing and detail.” —The Wall Street Journal, on The Last Campaign

“Fascinating. . . .This book is the work of a master historian at the top of his craft.” —New York Journal of Books, on The Zealot and the Emancipator

“Brands is the rare academic historian who can write like a bestselling novelist.” —USA Today, on Reagan

“A historical spellbinder. . . . A lively, vivid, and thoroughly researched account of a time when discord gripped the nation and wouldn’t let go.” —The Christian Science Monitor, on Heirs of the Founders

“Jackson was an American original, a wholly fascinating figure whom H. W. Brands brings to life in a big, rich biography. . . . Brands weaves together keen political history with anecdote and a marvelous sense of place to produce a vivid tableau.” —The Boston Globe, on Andrew Jackson

“A biography with a rich cast of secondary characters and a large and handsome stock of historical scenery. . . . This is a Franklin to savor.” —The Wall Street Journal, on The First American

“Like its subject, this biography is both solid and enchanting.” —The New Yorker, on The First American

“Mr. Brands, a terrific writer who commands his material, handles this sprawling, complicated story with authority and panache. [This is] as close as serious history gets to a page turner.” —The New York Times, on American Colossus

“H. W. Brands is a talented storyteller, with a novelist’s feel for pacing and detail.” —The Wall Street Journal, on The Last Campaign

“Fascinating. . . .This book is the work of a master historian...


Marketing Plan

• National Review and Media Appearances, including TV, NPR, and Print/Online Features

• Regional NPR and Podcast Interviews

• Political and Historical Media Coverage

• Original Essays and Opinion Pieces

• Select Author Events

• Online Advertising Campaign Including 1P Author Targeting

• Author Backlist Promotion

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• Academic Marketing

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• Available on NetGalley

• National Review and Media Appearances, including TV, NPR, and Print/Online Features

• Regional NPR and Podcast Interviews

• Political and Historical Media Coverage

• Original Essays and Opinion...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9780385551557
PRICE $40.00 (USD)
PAGES 640

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