Book Log 2007 #33: Citizen Washington by William Martin

This seemed like an appropriate title to start on the 4th of July, especially as I was in England at the time. Not a lot of parades or fireworks, as you can imagine.

The book is set after the death of Washington, and takes the form of a memoir by a man who was set out by his uncle to write Washington's story. The uncle has nefarious intent, as he's keen to get dirt on Washington for both personal and political reasons. This gives the book the usual Martin set-up of a main character trying to find something that may or may not exist.

The narrator here runs into fewer life-threatening problems than usual in Martin's books (he does get the cold shoulder a few times, and does encounter the occasional pistol), forcing the stories of the people he interviews to drive things. Which works pretty well, as we get a decent accounting of a pre-Presidential Washington from sources ranging from household slaves to Washington's one (apparently) true love, Sally Fairfax.

The vast majority of the story takes place up to Washington becoming President. I'd have liked more of the story of his Presidency and retirement, though it probably makes sense that the focus is on the parts of Washington's life that weren't quite so public.

Recommended.