You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe Summary
Overview of You Never Forget Your First
Coe's feminist take on Washington shatters myths perpetuated by "thigh men" biographers. This bestseller humanizes America's first president, revealing personal struggles and moral complexities. As Doris Kearns Goodwin notes, it's "a bewitching combination of erudition and cheek" that reimagines presidential history.
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Key takeaways
The Man Behind the Monument
Picture George Washington staring back at you from a dollar bill. What do you see? A marble statue? A mythical figure who never told a lie? For nearly 250 years, Washington's story has been told by what Alexis Coe calls "Thigh Men"-male biographers obsessed with proving his virility, defending his masculinity, and constructing elaborate myths that have little to do with the actual man. These historians gave us wooden teeth (false), cherry trees (invented), and a flawless hero (impossible). But what happens when we strip away the mythology? We discover something far more interesting: a deeply ambitious, sometimes contradictory, remarkably human figure whose greatness came not from perfection but from his ability to rise above his own limitations at crucial moments. For generations, biographers have spun tales that say more about American mythology than historical truth. The wooden teeth story? Washington actually wore dentures crafted from ivory, animal teeth, and-disturbingly-teeth purchased from his own enslaved workers at below-market rates. His Mount Vernon ledger meticulously records paying 122 shillings for nine teeth from enslaved individuals, while dentists typically charged clients twice that amount. The famous silver dollar toss across the Potomac? Physically impossible given the river's mile-wide span at Mount Vernon. The cherry tree confession? Pure fabrication by Parson Weems, who brazenly promised his publisher the biography would "sell like flax seed." Even Washington's supposed devout Christianity was exaggerated-the Valley Forge prayer scene was invented whole cloth.
Origins and Early Ambitions
The Revolutionary Commander
Strategy, Propaganda, and Espionage
The Personal Cost of War
The Precedent-Setting Presidency
The Complicated Legacy
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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