George Washington is remembered for his presidency and his military leadership while his role as a businessman is often overlooked. Washington was born during a time in Virginia when many planters, including Washington, struggled with debt and faced the fear of being overwhelmed by debt. Washington wanted to find a way to get away from debt and move into greater independence from the colonial economy. First Entrepreneur: How George Washington Built His- and the Nation’s- Prosperity by Edward G. Lengel is the true story about Washington’s successes and failures that lead to his own wealth and that of his country.

This thoroughly documented historical account begins with Washington’s ancestors and their economic pursuits which fortunately gave Washington an inheritance after his father died when Washington was still a boy. The inheritance and other pursuits, some surprising, made Washington a very wealthy man. Lengel is a professor at the University of Virginia and is the director of the Washington Papers documentary editing project in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Christina Callison

Christina Callison has been blogging about books for the library’s website since 2006. She has read hundreds of books that include mysteries, fantasies, horror, thrillers, non-fiction, general fiction, and some science fiction. She continues with her goal of finding new books and authors to recommend.