Publication
New York : Viking Adult, 2014.
Collection
Call number
Biography M
Physical description
x, 564 p.; 25 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
"This majestic new biography of James Madison explores the astonishing story of a man of vaunted modesty who audaciously changed the world. Among the Founding Fathers, Madison was a true genius of the early republic. Outwardly reserved, Madison was the intellectual driving force behind the Constitution and crucial to its ratification. His visionary political philosophy and rationale for the union of states--so eloquently presented in The Federalist papers--helped shape the country Americans live in today. Along with Thomas Jefferson, Madison would found the first political party in the country's history--the Democratic Republicans. As Jefferson's secretary of state, he managed the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the size of the United States. As president, Madison led the country in its first war under the Constitution, the War of 1812. Without precedent to guide him, he would demonstrate that a republic could defend its honor and independence--and remain a republic still"--… (more)
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member ursula
As far as I can tell (this being the only biography of Madison I've read), the main part of his life that is being reconsidered here is his health. Madison has apparently usually been described as having "delicate" health. Cheney argues that overall, Madison was quite hale and hearty, but that his
Madison was not quite as private a person as Thomas Jefferson was, but close to it. Like Jefferson and Washington before him, much of his personal correspondence was burned near the end of his life or shortly thereafter. In the letters that remained, Madison didn't hesitate to redact or change things that he thought might be hurtful to others. In a lot of ways, this sort of consideration illuminates his character. He seems to have cared deeply about those close to him, even to the point of, near the end of his life, potentially damaging his own reputation in order to protect that of the deceased Thomas Jefferson.
Madison was known by strangers to be reticent to the point of standoffishness, but once he was comfortable, people found him witty and warm. He seems to have had an even temper, able to balance out the more expressive Jefferson, and so they worked well together. What they had in common, though, was an ability to nearly disappear outside of public life. This makes Madison a difficult biography subject, since we only seem to catch glimpses of his personality through mentions in other people's letters.
The book is a reasonably quick read, and avoids drawing too many far-flung conclusions. Speculation about what he might have read or thought or been exposed to is stated as such and limited to things like what ideas he may have dicovered through books in his father's library, or what medicines ordered by his mother might have been for him.
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health difficulties can be ascribed to periodic epileptic symptoms, which would not have been something that anyone would really be talking about due to the belief that epilepsy was the result of demonic possession. In that case, it's remarkable that he was able to ascend to the heights of influence he did while merely being thought to be frail.Madison was not quite as private a person as Thomas Jefferson was, but close to it. Like Jefferson and Washington before him, much of his personal correspondence was burned near the end of his life or shortly thereafter. In the letters that remained, Madison didn't hesitate to redact or change things that he thought might be hurtful to others. In a lot of ways, this sort of consideration illuminates his character. He seems to have cared deeply about those close to him, even to the point of, near the end of his life, potentially damaging his own reputation in order to protect that of the deceased Thomas Jefferson.
Madison was known by strangers to be reticent to the point of standoffishness, but once he was comfortable, people found him witty and warm. He seems to have had an even temper, able to balance out the more expressive Jefferson, and so they worked well together. What they had in common, though, was an ability to nearly disappear outside of public life. This makes Madison a difficult biography subject, since we only seem to catch glimpses of his personality through mentions in other people's letters.
The book is a reasonably quick read, and avoids drawing too many far-flung conclusions. Speculation about what he might have read or thought or been exposed to is stated as such and limited to things like what ideas he may have dicovered through books in his father's library, or what medicines ordered by his mother might have been for him.
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LibraryThing member LissaJ
This is the first biography of James Madison that I have read so I have no way of knowing if Lynne Cheney has added anything new to the field. She did do a tremendous amount of research and her knowledge of politics in early America is demonstrated in this book. I may be alone in this, but I really
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had a hard time getting through this at times. It felt very dry in a way that I can’t quite put my finger on, but there were times that I really had to talk myself into finishing. Overall though, I did learn a lot about James Madison’s role in the formation of government and his relationship with other luminaries of the time so ultimately I am glad that I stuck with this presidential biography. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaulsu
This was a surprisingly good book. Cheney wrote a page turner, as a matter of fact, that is, until the end. More about the end later.
Cheney places Madison in his time, from his college days, through the political background of the Revolutionary War, the Constitutional Congresses, and three
In writing of the two political parties, she was definitely in the Republican camp, though she makes a point of saying those early Republicans were not from the 19th c. Republican Party. In any case, I certainly believed what Madison had to say (through Cheney's pen!) about the Federalists.
I found the biography entertaining and a page-turner (as I said previously) until I got to the war of 1812. It could have been my aversion to war in general, but I found the catalogue of events boring. And after Madison's tenure was over, it really dragged. Was Cheney tired of the subject? Was her deadline looming? So, in effect, I award the first 3/4 five stars, the last part 1 star for facts, and the pictures at the end another star. 3.5
Cheney places Madison in his time, from his college days, through the political background of the Revolutionary War, the Constitutional Congresses, and three
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Presidents (Washington, Jefferson, and his own).In writing of the two political parties, she was definitely in the Republican camp, though she makes a point of saying those early Republicans were not from the 19th c. Republican Party. In any case, I certainly believed what Madison had to say (through Cheney's pen!) about the Federalists.
I found the biography entertaining and a page-turner (as I said previously) until I got to the war of 1812. It could have been my aversion to war in general, but I found the catalogue of events boring. And after Madison's tenure was over, it really dragged. Was Cheney tired of the subject? Was her deadline looming? So, in effect, I award the first 3/4 five stars, the last part 1 star for facts, and the pictures at the end another star. 3.5
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LibraryThing member Jarratt
I greatly enjoyed "James Madison." His role as the "Father of the Constitution" cannot be understated. And while he led us through the War of 1812, it was his earlier efforts during our founding that I enjoyed learning about most.
For those of you who might be inclined to skip this book based on the
For those of you who might be inclined to skip this book based on the
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writer's husband (former VP Dick Cheney), you'd be doing yourselves a great disservice. This is an exhaustively researched, thorough, and well written biography. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2014
ISBN
9780670025190