Knowing Professor Dalzell and Mrs. Dalzell personally, I was incredibly curious to see how they blended the two seemingly connected but perhaps contrasting topics of George Washington and his home. Essentially, they were connected very successfully. The entire history of the home itself is told vividly with photographs, anecdotes, and objective descriptions of its development. Following, Washington's own personal, military, and political history is told in light of the times, and in the book's shining ability, in relation to the home itself. The Dalzell's cleverly-melded arguments and discussions leads the reader to a full knowledge of Mt. Vernon and its inspiring owner.

I openned this book expecting to read a story about a house and how it was built. I was surprised, and impressed, to discover that what went on as Mt. Vernon took form was far more interesting than I had expected. This is not so much a book about a house as it is the story of how George Washington related to the slaves on whom he relied to execute his architecture. In other words, the story here reverberates far beyond the boundaries of the plantation. It went to the heart of the republic, and it goes to the heart of this nation. Slavery is encoded in our national DNA (sorry, Jefferson). The Dalzells make it clear that it is also mortared in the wood and plaster (cut and painted to look like stone) of our national edifice. Are you tormented, or at least intrigued, that a slaveowner could style himself father of a republic dedicated to freedom? Maybe Washington was, too. Find out. Visit Mt. Vernon, and do it by reading this book.

Mount Vernon was both architecturally innovative and a true mirror of Washington's feelings and mind. He never wrote an autobiography and his diaries consist largely of farm accounts, but in Mount Vernon, the authors write, "he produced a text from which it is possible to coax a remarkably full sense of his political convictions and of how, over time, they changed." The book, George Washington's Mount Vernon, combines the public and the private sides of his life and uses the combination to enrich our understanding of both.

My Friend My Hero is a great book that all young people and parents should read. It shows a great portrayal of how our youth can make intelligent decisions, despite all the negativity they're faced with everday. The author did a wonderful job of displaying realistic everyday situations that a youth faces along with a good mix of humor. This book is a winner!!!

The ability to effectively grasp the attention of teenagers without using the profane language was most impressive to me. My friend, My Hero, definitely, is able to touch the hearts of readers on all levels. I ended with my eyes wide opened and my mouth to the floor. My friend my Hero reached my heart and my emotions. It starts off light, but ends deep and touching. There is no possible way you could leave from reading this book without your eyes being flooded with tears. ................ and if you think this book is great wait until you read Jerald Hoover's next book, "He was my friend too".

I read this book in two days and found it staggering. As a single mother of a 10 year old daughther, and a resident of the Bronx, I found this story quite riveting and inspiring for young people. It is great to read a book written by someone from the community whom you can truly relate to. I was able to visualize and feel compassion for all of the characters, I was able to identify as a parent the plight and true nature of peer pressure and the pressures of every day life in this environment. This book is a dose of reality that all children, urban and suburban should have as a part of their home-library and if they don't already have a home-library, this book a great place to start.

George Washington's Mount Vernon is not only an American landmark but a landmark of what America is, a warm, welcoming and gracious home. This beautiful book takes you through a four season walk of Mount Vernons spectacular grounds and a detailed and historical tour of the homes interior. With the easy interesting writing and the spectacular color photography all guided by the expert hand of Wendell Garrett, we learn and understand Washington's love and devotion to his beloved home. For anyone searching for detailed information on colonial interiors or historical gardening ideas, this book will be a welcomed addition to your home library.

This lovely book, full beatiful photographs is a must for any one interested in American history and garden history in general. In fact it gives us Americans a garden history (slavery excluded) to be as proud of as the British are of theirs.
Lots of well researched interesting facts, useful advice, historical insight and pretty pictures make this book thoroughly enjoyable and I recomend it highly.

A charming glimpse of 18th century Mount Vernon through the eyes of a fictitious cat named Liberty. Captivating for children and adults.

I love cookbooks like this, because people have sent in their best stuff - favorite recipes that have been tested and tried. It is a good start for a cookbook collection, since it has many popular favorites in it. A lot of the recipes in this cookbook are very easy, so this is a great beginners' book, many of them rely on premade or canned stuff, which bothers me a bit as a buy-and-make-fresh-purist, but especially for the beginner cook on a shoestring budget, there are many good recipes. The cookbook has no pictures that are recipe-related, but the instructions are generally phrased very well. Some of the more elaborate ones do require some experience and knowledge - I know that a friend of mine had some trouble reproducing the custard, never having made a custard before.

Despite being very close to several major clashes in the Civil War, the home of General Washington remained a site sacred to North and South alike. Muir draws heavily upon letters, military orders, and other period documents to tell this story of Mount Vernon in a very quick and lively manner, adding some interesting color to Civil War history and some insight into what day-to-day life was like for civilians near the USA-CSA border.

This book was very informative. I learned the "behind the scenes" of the great historic preservation movement in action. The book was very in depth and very easy to read!

This novel's subtitle describes one part of the story, the title another. From the introduction, this is Mary Higgins Clark's first published novel, originally titled "Aspire to the Heavens." It tells the story of the love she feels she discovered between George and Martha Washington. However, his love for Mount Vernon was just as powerful, and very real.

Told in small chapters that run from the end of his presidency to the past when he first met Martha, the story skips many of the important events in Washington's career. It does tell of some of the things we do know about his relationship with Martha. He worried about her spoiling her children. He loved Jacky and Patsy very much, and the latter did die in his arms. And he and Martha (also called Patsy) raised Jacky's youngest two children as their own. Since Martha burned all but a very few examples of their correspondence, not much else can be known for certain of their feelings for one another.

The lack of substance makes this small book unsatisfying, although it's a pleasant read. In places it evokes the times and how people lived. For a more in-depth fictional story of the lives of these two, readers may want to try "Washington's Lady" by Elswyth Thane. It can be difficult to find, but is worth the effort. She too depicts their relationship based on love and respect, but in much greater depth.

I don't normally read Mary Higgins Clark's books, but I decided to give this one a try. It was a fast and interesting read, and I enjoyed it very much.

This book was first written in 1969, and is being republished for the first time. It's a book that flashes between George Washington leaving the Presidency in 1797, and his memories of his life, from the beginning, then to when he met Martha ("Patsy") Custis. He grows fonder and fonder of Patsy, and when she is widowed with two young children to raise, he realizes that he really does love her, and marries her. We also read of the trials and tribulations of their life together, and of Washington's many accomplishments and defeats. I'm not sure how historically accurate this book really is, but I enjoyed it. Clark makes the people come alive, and we really do care about George and Patsy. A nice surprize from a book that I didn't think I'd like!

I've always enjoyed Mary Higgins Clark's mysteries and this historical love story has proven to me that Ms. Clark is more than a great mistress of suspense - she is quite capable of entertaining in other genres as well!

This charming historical novel was actually the author's first novel, originally published in 1968 under the title "Aspire to the Heavens". It was re-released in 2002 and I can't think of a more appropriate time to do so!

With the tragic attacks on our nation on September 11, 2001, it is wonderful to read this highly-readable, well-researched novel about George Washington - the man who helped to give us the freedoms we so enjoy today! As Washington passes the presidential torch onto John Adams and returns to his beloved Mount Vernon, both he and his wife Martha (aka Patsy)flashback to their younger years. We're so used to stodgy accounts of Washington's military victories and political accomplishments that it was a pleasure to read a well-crafted story about Washington as a man and a husband.

This is a short novel and a fast-read so it's a great beach or airplane book. I would love to see it made into a television movie, perhaps to be aired on George Washington's birthday!

A really fascinating topic but a very disappointing read. I had high hopes for this one but found it written at about the 5th grade level. I don't know why Vern didn't write the book himself. He couldn't have done any worse than Freedman.

About a true hero. As cool as the snow that surrounds him; a man of simple ways and grand accomplishments. It is a rare experience and an honor to tag along on this historical expedition. The reader is drawn into this adventure! I read this after I met Vern and found his ways to be genuine and sincere. Vern is a great friend, regardless of whether you meet him in person or in the book. Enjoy!