Washington's Circle

Praise

“A fine, readable history of the first presidency . . . [David and Jeanne Heidler] provide not only a lively history but a group portrait of Washington and the various figures vying to influence him.”—The Wall Street Journal
 
“Washington’s Circle positively glows with narrative exuberance. This is a book that will make even the most jaded student of the American Revolution bark little laughs of pure delight while reading. . . . It’s a stunning achievement to make serious history read as thrillingly as this.”—Open Letters Monthly

“[A] meticulously researched book, filled with beautiful prose and lyrical passages.”—Fredericksburg Free Lance–Star
 
“Highly recommended.”—Library Journal

“Traditional accounts portray George Washington as a solitary actor in the drama of American nationhood, as chilly and featureless as the marble shaft that dominates his namesake capitol. In fact, he was the intensely human lead in one of history’s most colorful, and contentious, ensembles. David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler bring the whole cast to unforgettable life in this character study–cum–group portrait–cum–old-fashioned page-turner. Readers are in for a treat!”—Richard Norton Smith, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller
 
“Washington’s Circle opens a window onto George Washington’s presidency. By profiling those closest to the president, and chronicling the advice they gave the chief executive, David Heidler and Jeanne Heidler have written an admirable history of the nation’s first presidential administration. In showing who Washington listened to, and how at times he was steered by his advisers, the Heidlers disclose the sources of Washington’s most important decisions. Written with grace and verve, Washington’s Circle is both good history and a good read.”—John Ferling, author of Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged a Nation and Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It

“George Washington was the outstanding man of his age, but though he may have been a rock he was no island. Throughout his life he depended on a select circle of family and friends to support and advise him through the many challenges he faced. Never were these relationships more important than during Washington’s two terms as president of the United States. David and Jeanne Heidler do a superb job of illuminating the remarkable group of talented individuals who undertook an equally remarkable collaboration to found the United States.”—Edward G. Lengel, author of General George Washington: A Military Life and director, The Papers of George Washington, University of Virginia
 
“Although many prefer the Founders’ story to be one of soaring ideas, early American politics was really about the strained relationships that subsisted among those who either held or sought power. Washington’s Circle cuts to the chase, that is, the chase for access to the first president, whose political persona revolved around deference and decorum. If an imperfect man, he aimed to honor the Constitution’s call for a separation of powers when other more restless, irritable men were pulling the country in several directions at once.”—Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg, co-authors of Madison and Jefferson
 
“An elegant study on the shaping of the first presidency through the excellent people he chose to serve with him. The Heidlers . . . create a fully fleshed portrait of the first great Founder by comparison to and contrast with the many complicated personalities he had around him. . . . [A] fluid work of historical research and engaging biography.”—Kirkus Reviews