George Washington is one of the great figures in world history. He led the Revolutionary Army to victory as a general, thereby achieving American independence. As the first American president, he guided the young nation through its most uncertain and challenging phase. In his masterful biography, Joseph J. Ellis portrays the extraordinary personality of the man who would become the most famous American in history. Joseph J. Ellis creates a comprehensive and multifaceted portrait of George Washington. He describes not only his beginnings, the military years during the French and Indian War and then in the Revolutionary War, as well as his two terms as the first president of the United States. With great sensitivity, he also explores the complex personality of Washington, which has almost entirely faded behind the icon today.