| |||||
James Madison: A Biography
Books: Text Books: Curriculum and Instruction: Item 4
|
James Madison: A Biographyby Ralph Ketcham
|
42 of 48 people found the following review helpful: Review of James Madison: A Biography, April 1, 2000 Reviewer:Matthew Gunia (Saint Louis, Missouri) - I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed other biographies and I had a hard time determining why. I think part of the reason is that I just finished "Truman" by David McCullough before reading this one. If I wrote a biography, I wouldn't want it to follow Truman. Second, I think I was turned off by the fact that Ketchum tried to fill in parts of Madison's early life by saying thing such as "we might imagine Madison looking out his window at those mountains." etc. I understand that very little information about Madison's early life is available and historians often piece together what they can, but the underlying "this isn't fact" attitude it a turn off. I feel it necessary to stress that I don't fault the author as this seems to be a matter of personal preference. In this book, Ralph Ketcham does a good job examining Madison's political beliefs, theories and writings and how they all came together as Madison helped write the Constitution. He also helps us to understand the political and personal relationships between Virginia's "aristocracy" including Madison, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Mason, George Washington, etc. Finally, we see how Madison was an unsuccessful president as he was neither able to mantain control of his cabinet nor wage a successful war in the War of 1812 (yes, we did win the war...kind of...but it should have been a much easier victory, and some of the blame must be put on Madison). Interesting insights and Madison should be studied, but this book really lacked something I still can't put my finger on. So, I recommend it for fellow history buffs, especially those interested in Early American History. I don't recommend it for those looking for a fun leisurely read.
Shop Bookstores:
Books
Resources
Most Watched Book Auctions
Curriculum and Instruction at Sduf
News To Peruse
More Subjects
Book Review Directory
Reviewed Authors
Reviewed Titles
Review List
Site Map
