Stories of George Washington Author:Brooks (Softbound)Abraham Lincoln often referred to a favorite book he read as a young boy: "The Life of Washington" by Mason Weems. The impression made deep in his heart was that there was something very uncommon and rare about America and that holding the Union together was worth any cost. This same book was also the #1 book the citizens of our young... more » Republic were reading. After you get past the flowery language and the over-the-top hero worship, you find a book filled with nuggets of wisdom, including the idea that private virtue exceeds public virtue, which was the secret of Washington's greatness. If you want to read what Lincoln read, now you'll be able to.« less