#492 - The Life of George Washington: A Dialogue with H.W. Brands

#492 - The Life of George Washington: A Dialogue with H.W. Brands

From Converging Dialogues by Converging Dialogues

May 26, 2026 · 1h 8m

About this episode

Xavier Bonilla dialogues with H.W. Brands about the life and legacy of George Washington.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with H.W. Brands about the life of George Washington. They discuss Washington as an enigma, his social and political statue, his upbringing and temperament, and his relationship with his wife and his relationship with slavery. They also talk about Washington as a general, as president, and the legacy of Washington. H. W. Brands holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. He has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including The General vs. the President , a New York Times bestseller. Two of his biographies, The First American and Traitor to His Class , were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. He is the author of the latest book, American Patriarch: The life of George Washington . Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

People in this episode

Host: Xavier Bonilla

Guest: H.W. Brands

Topics covered

  • George Washington
  • biography
  • history
  • politics
  • slavery
  • military leadership
  • legacy

Keywords

  • George Washington
  • H.W. Brands
  • biography
  • history
  • politics
  • slavery
  • military
  • presidency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Texas at Austin

Books & works: The General vs. the President, The First American, Traitor to His Class, American Patriarch: The life of George Washington

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