George Washington may be the most famous American who ever lived, and certainly is one of the most admired. But
although he has been heavily mythologized, it is no myth that the man who led Americans’ fight for independence and
whose two terms in office largely defined the presidency was the most highly respected individual among a generation
of formidable personalities. In First and Always, celebrated historian Peter Henriques illuminates Washington’s life,
more fully explicating his character and his achievements.
Arranged thematically, the book’s chapters focus on important and controversial issues, achieving a depth not
possible in a traditional biography. First and Always examines factors that coalesced to make Washington such a
remarkable and admirable leader, while also chronicling how Washington mistreated enslaved workers, engaged in
extreme partisanship, and responded with excessive sensitivity to criticism. Henriques portrays a Washington deeply
ambitious and always hungry for public adoration, even as he disclaimed such desires. In its account of an amazing life,
First and Always shows how, despite profound flaws, George Washington nevertheless deserves to rank as the nation’s
most consequential leader, without whom the American experiment in republican government would have died
in infancy