Our family is a history-loving family. We prefer historical dramas and historical documentaries to contemporary material. The same for books--most of our non-fiction is related to history! We work hard to fill our shelves with material that is more of the "full story," not refashioned to meet particular agendas. Some of the most common people for revised history stories are the United States' founding fathers, as many historians today try to separate them from their beliefs in God in their lives. George Washington: A Life Lived for God & Country is a new release from Biblical Worldview Media. Through this book, the authors hope to share the life story of George Washington. Using the vast collection of original sources from Washington himself and his contemporaries, this book strives to show that he did live his life in devotion to God, and it was firmly part of his character from boyhood and through his service to our country.

George Washington: A Life Lived for God & Country is a historical book that combines the best of primary sources with a biographical account of George Washington's life. This novel is split into two parts: Book I and Book II. Book I consists of twenty-one chapters and is a reprinting of a 1919 publication called George Washington: The Christian written by William J. Johnson. This book contains a chronological collection of primary sources interspersed with commentary from the author. These sources include diary entries, journal notations, letters, and other written words from family, friends, and coworkers. The documents reveal his thoughts regarding prayer, character, service, civic duty, family, and more. Each chapter is separated into topics relevant to the particular stage of his life. It begins when he is a young man and continues thru his death. The final chapters look at writings from other men who were contemporaries of Washington to present a complete picture of the honorable life he lived and the religious character he showed.

Book II is a biography of eleven chapters entitled The Life of Washington written by Robert W. Lincoln in 1851. It is a fast-paced biography giving detailed accounts of George Washington's life, including significant events well known to history like the Continental Congress, his time in the French and Indian War, Valley Forge, and more. Like Book I, this work also includes passages from original writings by Washington. Robert L Lincoln wrote this book to reinforce how deeply devoted Washington was to the service of his country.

George Washington: A Life Lived for God & Country is written for an advanced reader. It is written in a way that can be enjoyed by those desiring to simply learn more about George Washington for personal reasons, but also for anyone researching the man and events he participated in as well. The inclusion of so many primary sources in this book elevates it in relevance above most other styles of biographies. In addition, the information is well documented in the back of the book for future exploration if the reader wishes to know more.

While this is a great resource book for a homeschool library, I believe that anyone who enjoys historical non-fiction would want George Washington: A Life Lived for God & Country as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; however, as a very meaty book containing extensive information in smaller font, I found it slower to read so I could absorb the material. This would be a fabulous book to turn into an audiobook option, especially with all the primary sources from Washington himself. I think I would prefer to listen to this book over reading it.

I found that George Washington: A Life Lived for God & Country met the publisher's goals for this book. It showed infallible proof through the primary sources that George Washington was a man of principle with a deep faith in a higher power of Providence to guide him through his personal, military, and political life. This is an exceptionally informative book to add to any library, especially that of a homeschool family or history lover.

-Product review by Lisa McKinney, The Old Schoolhouse®, May 2022