Whether acting as a military officer or civilian officeholder, George Washington did not possess a reputation for glad handing, easy confidences, or even much warmth. His greatest attributes as a commander might well have been his firm command over his own emotions and the way in which he held himself above if not apart from the men he led. Understanding the full range of Washington's leadership, which embraced all shades of persuasion and coercion as well as multiple modes of command and solicitude, requires the examination of his influence on the lives, careers, and characters of the members of a diverse fraternity of younger men. In Sons of the Father, leading scholars analyze Washington's relationships with men such as Daniel Morgan, Anthony Wayne, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Henry Knox, Nathanael Greene, Gouverneur Morris, Alexander Hamilton, and the Marquis de Lafayette. The men on whom this volume focuses were not all his closest associates. Yet all are important figures in that their interactions with Washington provide glimpses into various aspects of his capacities for management, motivation, control, and the cultivation of talent. The essays in this volume demonstrate Washington's consistency in treating all these men differently, for different reasons, at different times. It was perhaps part of his genius to recognize the individuality of the men with whom he interacted as well as the shifting requirements of changing circumstances. -- Publisher.

Introduction / Theodore J. Crackel -- George Washington's mentors / Fred Anderson -- "The spirit and ardor of a veteran soldier" : George Washington, Daniel Morgan, and the ideal of service / L. Scott Philyaw -- Most loyal but forgotten son : Anthony Wayne's relationship with George Washington / Mary Stockwell -- "General Washington did not harbor one principle of federalism" : Thomas Jefferson remembers George Washington / Brian Steele -- George Washington and James Monroe : military compatriots, political adversaries, and nationalist visionaries / William M. Ferraro -- Guns of the revolution : Henry Knox, George Washington, and the war of American independence / Mark Thompson -- "My favorite officer" : George Washington's apprentice, Nathanael Greene / John W. Hall -- Gouverneur Morris and George Washington : prodigal son and patient father / Mary-Jo Kline -- The great collaboration : the increasingly close relationship between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton / Peter R. Henriques -- George Washington and Lafayette : father and son of the revolution / Stuart Leibiger -- Son of the army : Captain Robert Kirkwood of the Delaware Regiment / Thomas Rider -- Afterword : unanticipated challenges and unexpected talents : leadership and the colonial matrix / Jack P. Greene.