'' Mr. President '' : George Washington and the Making of the Nation's Highest Office

[Read by Robertson Dean] Although the framers gave the president little authority, Washington knew whatever he did would set precedents for generations of his successors. To ensure their ability to defend the nation, he simply ignored the Constitution when he thought it necessary and reshaped the presidency into what James Madison called a ''monarchical presidency.'' Modern scholars call it the ''imperial presidency.'' A revealing new look at the birth of American government, ''Mr. President'' describes George Washington's assumption of office in a time of continual crisis, as riots, rebellion, internecine warfare, and attacks by foreign enemies threatened to destroy the new nation. Drawing on rare documents and letters, Unger shows how Washington combined political cunning, daring, and sheer genius to seize ever-widening powers to solve each crisis.