The period measured by the life of George Washington 1732 to 1799 was one of revolution and change in many parts of the world as Enlightenment thinking took hold in the minds of men. When George was a young man, Benjamin Franklin was the most well-known American, Louis XV was on the throne of France, and George II was king of England. Father Junipero Serra had just arrived in Mexico to work with the Panes Indians. Mozart and Bach were writing their immortal music and Voltaire warred with his pen against Ignorance, Injustice and Superstition. The young nobleman Lafayette watched the feisty American colonies with fascinated interest as they stood up to Mother England when she sought to tax them unfairly. James Cook was sent by the Royal Society of London to Tahiti where their team of astronomers might observe a total eclipse of the sun and thereby accurately measure the distance between the earth and the sun. These are just a few of the wonderful narratives explored by Foster in her Newbery Honor Book of 1940. Prolifically illustrated with intriguing line drawings and detailed timelines, Foster's telling of the life story of George Washington does justice to the man it celebrates.

George Washington's World

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8George Washington's World was first published more than 50 years ago. This expanded edition by Genevieve Foster's daughter incorporates new material, especially in the areas of women's history, African-American history, and Native American history. The purpose of the book is to present a slice of life, or picture of what the world was like during Washington's lifetime. As such, its chapters cover major periods of his life, such as when he was a boy, a soldier, a farmer, a commander, a common citizen, and president. The writing style is engaging, and the narrative, which contains unattributed dialogue, reads more like fiction than a history text. The presentation is enhanced by a generous number of pen-and-ink drawings.Marilyn Heath, Greenwood High School, SC