You would have liked young George Washington. He was the best horseback rider in Virginia, according to Thomas Jefferson. He was an excellent wrestler, swimmer, fisherman and duck hunter.

From the age of 14 until his death, he enjoyed surveying farms and fortifications. He was interested in the building of canals and the draining of swamps, the breeding of better horses and dogs, and the cultivation of fruit and flowers. In almost everything he tried he was excellent, with the single exception of writing poetry. The love lyrics he wrote to the girls, most of whom were unkind to him, were so clumsy they were amusing.

There was nothing amusing, however, about his bravery. A major at the age of 21, a lieutenant-colonel at 22, the hero of Braddock's defeated army at 23, Washington was a courageous frontier fighter.

George Washington: Frontier Colonel tells the truth about young Washington, a warm-blooded and sometimes hot-headed soldier who could also be a loyal friend and pleasant companion. In this exciting book you will ride with him and watch him slowly earn that great tribute to his wisdom and his valor: "First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of his Countrymen."

From the dust jacket