Author Washington Irving believed this, his monumental biography of
America's first great military hero and president, to be his finest
literary achievement. Indeed, it is a masterful work, a superlative life
of George Washington, and stood as a definitive text long after its 1860
publication. Volume I opens with a genealogy of the Washington family,
tracing its roots back to the time of the Norman Conquest, and explores
the future general's education as a boy, his service in the French and
Indian conflicts, and his participation in the early rumblings of
revolution in the British colonies in America. WASHINGTON IRVING
(1783-1859) was born in New York City to Scottish immigrant parents.
Considered by some the "Father of American Literature," Irving is best
known for his short stories, including "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and
"Rip Van Winkle," but he also produced an extensive bibliography of
essays, poems, travel books, and biographies.