A biography of the early years of America's founding father, from the bestselling author of Astoria —"Supremely entertaining: the pacing superb, the descriptions of conflict and wilderness travails rousing. . . . A worthy addition to the shelf of Washington biographies" ( Wall Street Journal ).

Finalist for the George Washington Book Prize

"Forget the idea of a musty history tome; this is a gripping, cinematic adventure tale that made me envious of not just young George Washington's exploits, but Peter Stark's ability to make them so real and immediate." —Carl Hoffman, author of Savage Harvest

Two decades before he led America to independence, George Washington was a flailing young soldier serving the British Empire in the vast wilderness of the Ohio Valley. Naïve and self-absorbed, the twenty-two-year-old officer accidentally ignited the French and Indian War—a conflict that opened colonists to the possibility of an American revolution.

With powerful narrative drive and vivid writing, Young Washington recounts the wilderness trials, controversial battles, and emotional entanglements that transformed Washington from a temperamental striver into a mature leader. By weaving together Washington's harrowing wilderness adventures and a broader historical context, Young Washington offers new in-sights into the dramatic years that shaped the man who shaped a nation.

"Stark puts his background as an adventure writer to good use, bringing thrilling immediacy and literary flair to George Washington's youthful exploits as a Western surveyor and eventual participant in the French and Indian War." — Publishers Weekly

"This is colorful history, bringing to life a period in which Washington, despite serious illness, matured and began demonstrating the skills that led to his later military triumphs and his quiet leadership as president." — Booklist