Washington's End

There is good reason George Washington’s post-presidency gets short coverage.

He lived less than three years after stepping away from the presidency.

But the shortness of his post-presidency is no reason to gloss over the conclusion of Washington’s life, according to historian Jonathan Horn in the opening pages of his book, “Washington’s End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle.”

Washington had his hands full after the presidency: Getting his lands and enterprises together after being away years from Mount Vernon, dealing with relatives and a neverending stream of guests he knew and others who were merely curious strangers, editing his papers for posterity, weighing his legacy – knowing the contradiction of being a slaveholder and the father of a country that grasped independence was hypocritical, offering solicited and unsolicited advice to various leaders, being pulled briefly back into military command, etc. While most historians and biographers treat this short period of retirement as postscript or epilogue, Horn dives deep. He writes in a narrative style that brings the research and the subjects to life.

Granted, the story often works as flashbacks to earlier periods in Washington’s life. But these episodes serve to underscore some aspect of Washington’s post-presidential life.

Horn finds a human Washington, one dealing with his monumental legacy deep in the shadow of his mortality.

He remains vital as his time nears an end for him and for the young nation that would have to figure out how to cope without George Washington to rely on.