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U.S. Landmark Books #71
George Washington: Frontier Colonel
The early life of George Washington in a new, illustrated edition of the classic biography by Sterling North. Before he became the first president of the United States, George Washington was a frontiersman. North fully captures the spirit of the man as he examines Washington's childhood in colonial Virginia, his work as a teenage surveyor, his early experiences as a member of the Virginia militia, and his many adventures before the American Revolution. The fully rounded man who emerges from this captivating portrait is uncomfortable with words, shy around women, completely at home in the outdoors, and deeply in love with the country he helped found.
175 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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416 people want to read
About the author
Sterling North
108 books87 followersThomas Sterling North was an American author of books for children and adults, including 1963's bestselling Rascal. Surviving a near-paralyzing struggle with polio in his teens, he grew to young adulthood in the quiet southern Wisconsin village of Edgerton, which North transformed into the "Brailsford Junction" setting of several of his books.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling...
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling...
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 31, 2017
'George Washington: Frontier Colonel' by Sterling North is a history book written for young readers. It was originally published in 1957, and the reprint adds some pictures and inset facts.
This book tells the life of George Washington, up to the point that he becomes president. His birth, how we got Mount Vernon, and how he wanted to go to sea as a young man. We learn his first losses and victories in war and how he met Martha. We learn how he got involved in fighting in the Revolutionary War and how he reluctantly became president.
I enjoyed reading this book. I hadn't read much about Washington's wedding, and I learned some things. Some years ago I read 'Rascal' by this same author, and this book reads in a comfortable similar manner. The art included is good. There are famous paintings, but also some lithographs.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
This book tells the life of George Washington, up to the point that he becomes president. His birth, how we got Mount Vernon, and how he wanted to go to sea as a young man. We learn his first losses and victories in war and how he met Martha. We learn how he got involved in fighting in the Revolutionary War and how he reluctantly became president.
I enjoyed reading this book. I hadn't read much about Washington's wedding, and I learned some things. Some years ago I read 'Rascal' by this same author, and this book reads in a comfortable similar manner. The art included is good. There are famous paintings, but also some lithographs.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
February 8, 2023
I'm working on a project currently so I'm trying to get through as many of these Landmark books as I can find. I'm also trying to read them to the greatest degree possible in order of time period, rather than their number in the series. This one is #71, in fact, and the one on the Revolutionary War is in the #80s, but those will get read before some of the others published earlier.
This offering capably and in a fairly balanced manner discusses George Washington's early life and formative years, which were fraught with adversity, especially his exploits on the frontier, some of which, in fact, he barely survived. Born into some modest privilege, young Washington certainly didn't have the same opportunities as his two older half-brothers, who were educated in England. Washington, in contrast, was trained in more practical subjects, especially mathematics. As such, he became a skilled surveyor, and began his forays into the wilds of the frontier as a young teenager in that role, which would suit him well later in life. As such, the difficult terrain and harsh comditions became highly familiar.
Most of the book addresses Washington's early military career, but there is some information about his personal life, most notably regarding the number of high-born young ladies who spurned his advances and apparent proposals of marriage. He joined the Virginia militia as a young man, as had his older brother Lawrence, and was sent as an envoy to demand that French forces cede land claimed by the British. This episode began Washington's career as a statesman, in some regards, as one of his chief duties was negotiating the difficult political terrain in dealing with not only the French, England's historic enemy, but also various indigenous tribes, some of whom were allies of the British and others the French - as both powers had historically used native peoples to their own advantage. Washington also honed his skills as a builder, adventurer and soldier during this time.
The book is fairly balanced in that it doesn't lionize Washington or gloss over his early failures, nor does it mince words about his significant and devastating losses in his early career, which haunted him all his life. Indeed, the book, in keeping with the series' tradition of imparting moral lessons, highlights the fact that his early failures played a direct role in shaping his character. I've always wondered if Washington ever made an analogy between his terrible loss at Fort Necessity, where French forces attacked the small outpost with about 1,000 troops, resulting in the loss of hundreds of Washington's men, and the devastating Roman losses under the emperor Augustus in the Teutoberg forest (AKA the Varian Disaster) in 9 AD. He may have indeed, if he had had a more Classical education.
There's less material on his family life, other than his marriage to the widow Martha Dandridge Custiss, but there is a modest amount of coverage of his personal affairs, specifically the management of his estates, including Mount Vernon, which he inherited after the death of his older brother, Lawrence. Some of his early poetry is also included, which mostly concerns his being unlucky in love, as it were - apparently he had some crushes on some local Virginian young ladies in his youth, but his affections were not returned. The book draws from a fair number of primary sources, including Washington's own journals and writings, which reveal him as an exacting, precise and calculating young man, which is perhaps not surprising, considering his early training in mathematics and attention to detail.
This book was one of the better ones in the series, as it focuses equally on the individual and the events which shaped the course of American history. There are, however, some glaring omissions which would not be overlooked if the book were written in more modern times, specifically Washington's complex relationship with the institution of slavery, and some of his controversial business dealings. However, on the whole, it's a good introduction to the major events in this time period, and is written in more common vernacular prose than some of the earlier books in this series. Highly recommended for students of all ages, including adults who want a refresher on early American history but don't have time to read something more lengthy.
This offering capably and in a fairly balanced manner discusses George Washington's early life and formative years, which were fraught with adversity, especially his exploits on the frontier, some of which, in fact, he barely survived. Born into some modest privilege, young Washington certainly didn't have the same opportunities as his two older half-brothers, who were educated in England. Washington, in contrast, was trained in more practical subjects, especially mathematics. As such, he became a skilled surveyor, and began his forays into the wilds of the frontier as a young teenager in that role, which would suit him well later in life. As such, the difficult terrain and harsh comditions became highly familiar.
Most of the book addresses Washington's early military career, but there is some information about his personal life, most notably regarding the number of high-born young ladies who spurned his advances and apparent proposals of marriage. He joined the Virginia militia as a young man, as had his older brother Lawrence, and was sent as an envoy to demand that French forces cede land claimed by the British. This episode began Washington's career as a statesman, in some regards, as one of his chief duties was negotiating the difficult political terrain in dealing with not only the French, England's historic enemy, but also various indigenous tribes, some of whom were allies of the British and others the French - as both powers had historically used native peoples to their own advantage. Washington also honed his skills as a builder, adventurer and soldier during this time.
The book is fairly balanced in that it doesn't lionize Washington or gloss over his early failures, nor does it mince words about his significant and devastating losses in his early career, which haunted him all his life. Indeed, the book, in keeping with the series' tradition of imparting moral lessons, highlights the fact that his early failures played a direct role in shaping his character. I've always wondered if Washington ever made an analogy between his terrible loss at Fort Necessity, where French forces attacked the small outpost with about 1,000 troops, resulting in the loss of hundreds of Washington's men, and the devastating Roman losses under the emperor Augustus in the Teutoberg forest (AKA the Varian Disaster) in 9 AD. He may have indeed, if he had had a more Classical education.
There's less material on his family life, other than his marriage to the widow Martha Dandridge Custiss, but there is a modest amount of coverage of his personal affairs, specifically the management of his estates, including Mount Vernon, which he inherited after the death of his older brother, Lawrence. Some of his early poetry is also included, which mostly concerns his being unlucky in love, as it were - apparently he had some crushes on some local Virginian young ladies in his youth, but his affections were not returned. The book draws from a fair number of primary sources, including Washington's own journals and writings, which reveal him as an exacting, precise and calculating young man, which is perhaps not surprising, considering his early training in mathematics and attention to detail.
This book was one of the better ones in the series, as it focuses equally on the individual and the events which shaped the course of American history. There are, however, some glaring omissions which would not be overlooked if the book were written in more modern times, specifically Washington's complex relationship with the institution of slavery, and some of his controversial business dealings. However, on the whole, it's a good introduction to the major events in this time period, and is written in more common vernacular prose than some of the earlier books in this series. Highly recommended for students of all ages, including adults who want a refresher on early American history but don't have time to read something more lengthy.
December 26, 2017
Title: George Washington - Frontier Colonel
Author: Sterling North
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group
Date of Publishing: October 15, 2016
This book was reviewed for NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.
Did you know that as well as being the first President of the United States, George Washington was a brilliant strategist and led the armies in our revolt against England? This book tells the story of George Washing, the young boy who grew up in Virginia, His work as a surveyor and how he became active in the militia and with the help of others fought and won our county's independence from an overbearing king.
I gave "George Washington - Frontier Colonel" a 5 out of a total of 5 stars.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760352291/...
B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/geor...
Author: Sterling North
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group
Date of Publishing: October 15, 2016
This book was reviewed for NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.
Did you know that as well as being the first President of the United States, George Washington was a brilliant strategist and led the armies in our revolt against England? This book tells the story of George Washing, the young boy who grew up in Virginia, His work as a surveyor and how he became active in the militia and with the help of others fought and won our county's independence from an overbearing king.
I gave "George Washington - Frontier Colonel" a 5 out of a total of 5 stars.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760352291/...
B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/geor...
March 22, 2026
I enjoyed reading this entertaining biography of a famous American. The book covers George Washington’s youth and his service in the French and Indian War. It also mentions his marriage and his service in the Virginia Legislature. There is only a brief chapter on the American Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States since other books in the Landmark Series specifically cover these topics.
February 24, 2019
Reliving my childhood, I'm re-reading Landmark history books first read some 60 years ago. I remember daily visits to my local library during the summers of my youth to sit and read these books in the comfort of air conditioning which we lacked at home.
December 28, 2023
Sterling North does an excellent job introducing Washington's life up to 1775. I actually prefer a biography like this if the biography is less two hundred pages, because it delves deeper on a part of life, rather than trying to hurriedly fly over the whole.
February 10, 2025
A good book about a great man. This book gave me many new words to put into my vocabulary journal. The book is written in 1957, at a time when most people in the world still highly esteemed George Washington. I'm thankful for books that still esteem such great men.
December 17, 2019
Great for a history geek but not me. It was written well just not my style. I was hoping for some revolutionary war action but that wasn’t here.
February 23, 2011
I enjoyed this book. A glimpse at a young George Washington at the threshold of world events. We see him today as a statesman or finely clothed Commander in Chief set in marble. We read descriptions of him as gruff or aloof, somewhat untouchable. In this short but informative book (a "glimpse" as I said), you begin to get the idea that he was something more. The minds eye may have difficulty picturing him in frontier garb, paddling a canoe, sleeping under the stars, half freezing while making his way on foot, over and through frozen rivers avoiding unfriendly Indians, not to mention seeing him as a teenage surveyor, sleeping in the "Inns" of the day on piles of vermin infested straw. We see him befriending, communicating and bargaining with Indian chieftains, learning the ins and outs of the political landscape.
This is a story of his formative years. Striving to be a military commander while suffering defeat due to his inexperience in the reality of the battlefield, cheating death several times in the process. It also touches on his love life and his understandable infatuation with Mount Vernon.
I feel that this book, while entertaining and informative in itself, is a great jumping off place to begin learning about Washington the man, particularly as new facts and other more elaborate books are surfacing almost daily about his life, his world and his legacy due to modern research techniques.
This is a story of his formative years. Striving to be a military commander while suffering defeat due to his inexperience in the reality of the battlefield, cheating death several times in the process. It also touches on his love life and his understandable infatuation with Mount Vernon.
I feel that this book, while entertaining and informative in itself, is a great jumping off place to begin learning about Washington the man, particularly as new facts and other more elaborate books are surfacing almost daily about his life, his world and his legacy due to modern research techniques.
May 24, 2013
This is a good , general overview of the youth of George Washington that molded him to be the amazing American icon he is and the great leader he was.. It is written to a lower level , but that should bring some universal appeal to anyone of any reading level if they have an interest in learning more about the first leader of our republic.
September 3, 2015
It was a nice short synopsis of George Washington's early life. It was a nice compliment to David McCullough's 1776 and the current book of his that I'm reading on John Adams. I found this little gem at a goodwill store. I plan to hang on to it for when my kids are studying American History and the American Revolution. It will make a great homeschool resource.
May 29, 2011
Read this for a social studies book report at school and did not like it, or think it was well-written. The formatting had errors, there were typographical errors, and it seemed to jump around a lot. Would not recommend this book for anyone.
September 16, 2016
The Father of the USA gets a broad brush treatment in this short book. The biography is one dimensional and not impressive. I know that this is written for young adults but it could have been expanded.
January 9, 2016
I learned a lot about the Young George Washington that I never knew. He was very close with his half brothers and had trouble with the ladies. I now have graduated to the Chernow's version. I read it with my 11 year old and he really enjoyed it! It made George seem more human and quirky!
February 12, 2018
North’s classic biography of our nation's first President, George Washington: Frontier Colonel, is a great introduction for young readers. The language is easy to follow, and presented in such a way as to be interesting. The narrative follows Washington from his childhood in Virginia, to his time as a surveyor, a seafarer, and a militiaman, up to the point he became the first leader of our fledgling culture. I don't think I ever really knew how reluctant he was to accept. It also delve into more personal aspects of his life with Martha. I liked that. Sometimes 'short’, kid-oriented biographies focus on the biggest and flashiest parts of the subject’s lives. Throughout are gorgeous pictures and lithograph images.
If you have any children with a love of history, this is the perfect gift!
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
If you have any children with a love of history, this is the perfect gift!
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews