You Never Forget Your First

A Biography of George Washington

De: Alexis Coe

Narrado por: Brittany Pressley, Alexis Coe

An instant New York Times best seller

An NPR Concierge Best Book of the Year

“In her form-shattering and myth-crushing book…Coe examines myths with mirth, and writes history with humor…. [You Never Forget Your First] is an accessible look at a president who always finishes in the first ranks of our leaders.” (Boston Globe)

Alexis Coe takes a closer look at our first - and finds he is not quite the man we remember.

Young George Washington was raised by a struggling single mother, demanded military promotions, caused an international incident, and never backed down - even when his dysentery got so bad he had to ride with a cushion on his saddle. But after he married Martha, everything changed. Washington became the kind of man who named his dog Sweetlips and hated to leave home. He took up arms against the British only when there was no other way, though he lost more battles than he won.

After an unlikely victory in the Revolutionary War cast him as the nation's hero, he was desperate to retire, but the founders pressured him into the presidency - twice. When he retired years later, no one talked him out of it. He left the highest office heartbroken over the partisan nightmare his backstabbing cabinet had created.

Back on his plantation, the man who fought for liberty must confront his greatest hypocrisy - what to do with the men, women, and children he owns - before he succumbs to death.

With irresistible style and warm humor, You Never Forget Your First combines rigorous research and lively storytelling that will have listeners - including those who thought presidential biographies were just for dads - inhaling every word.

©2020 Alexis Coe (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"An important achievement. [Coe] has cleverly disguised a historiographical intervention in the form of a sometimes cheeky presidential biography." (The New York Times Book Review)

“In this breezy yet fact-filled revisionist biography, historian and podcast host Coe (Alice + Freda Forever) takes George Washington’s previous - predominantly male - biographers to task...Readers who like their history with a dose of wry humor will savor this accessible account.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Evenhanded and engaging, this biography brings fresh insight to one of America's most written-about leaders.” (Kirkus Reviews)

George Washington!

This is by far the best biography on George Washington! It put many many things in the timeline in a most accurate light. Very enjoyable!

Great Realistic Biography!

A funny, well told, realistic biography. The performance and stories are fascinating and many haven’t been heard before. Unlike the bald faced myths espoused in schools to this day. you’re looking for an American propagandist fluff bio there’s a bunch written by many a self-aggrandizing white guy and you’ll enjoy them. These historical figures are complex flawed individuals back then as now and it’s good to have a well rounded view of them to better understand the hot mess we currently find ourselves in.

So realistic!

This book made me feel George Washington was a very real person with his foibles but also his strategic intelligence.

Engaging and honest

Such an engaging and honest account of our first president. Revealing auditory that captures the personality behind the general and president.

Concise and Entertaining

Very well read and it held my interest all the way through. Great details. try it.

Not what I expected

Interesting perspective on GW. The focus wasn't what I thought it was going to be. A sure product of our current situation.

GW didn't have to be perfect to achieve greatness

As the Audible History editor, I have a bias toward lively historical narrative, especially when it's richly detailed, and this audio fits the bill. Drawing on her skills as a researcher, Alexis Coe unearthed the minutiae of George Washington's daily life (his aches, his pains, his likes and dislikes); her irreverent yet evenhanded prose brings him to life. (So does Brittany Pressley's narration of the meat of the audio!) Alexis Coe is the Snopes of general history, in my opinion, as she approaches her subject from the angle of: what do we believe and is it true? (Spoiler alert: he lost more battles than he won.) She knows which facts to curate to make listeners feel the heft of reality, too -- check out the recipe for hoecakes and consider how much (enslaved) labor George Washington's favorite breakfast required. I hope listeners embrace this audio, not just as a trove of gem-like detail, but also as a way of looking at the totality of America's origin story. In the quest for a more perfect Union, it's History to the rescue...again!

Really great exploration of our first president

This is excellent historiography for folks who want to know a little more about our founders but who think presidential history is boring at best. This is Washington, warts and all, in a vivid, three-dimensional portrait. I cannot recommend more highly!

Fascinating and Approachable

I learned so much, and the narration was excellent. Highly recommended, history lover or not.

A+++

Really enjoyed this bio! I feel like most bios are long and arduous to get through, this was not the case here. Learning about Washington was a joy while listening to this book.