Major Washington

For a closer look at the legendary man who became our country's first president, Chicago Tribune columnist (and writer for the cartoon strip Dick Tracy) Kilian focuses on three critical years in the life of George Washington, 1753-1755. Seen through the eyes of fictional colleague Thomas Morley, young Washington is a charismatic, imposing figure whose fierce ambition and passion may have been the catalyst for the French and Indian War. We also get a glimpse of the individual behind the heroics, the man who suffers devastating bouts of ""the flux,"" embarrassingly bad teeth and the heartache of loving Sally Fairfax, the wife of his close friend and supporter. By rather fussily attempting to replicate Colonial English in his first-person narrative, however, Kilian sometimes distracts from his plot and invites questions of historical authenticity. Since the story centers on three forays into and beyond the Appalachian Mountains, Kilian is hard pressed to differentiate the first two trips. He is at his best in the third trek, describing Washington's harrowing experience as a major aide-de-camp to British General Edward Braddock. Without any clear rationale, the author telescopes nearly two decades into the final two chapters rather than end the book in the 1750s. Still, the novel is full of amusing tidbits, including a recipe for milk punch alongside the symptoms of Ben Franklin's eczema. (Feb.)