A Magnificent Catastrophe

The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign

De: Edward J. Larson

Narrado por: John Dossett

CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title

"They could write like angels and scheme like demons." So begins Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Larson's masterful account of the wild ride that was the 1800 presidential election—an election so convulsive and so momentous to the future of American democracy that Thomas Jefferson would later dub it "America's second revolution."

This was America's first true presidential campaign, giving birth to our two-party system and indelibly etching the lines of partisanship that have so profoundly shaped American politics ever since. The contest featured two of our most beloved Founding Fathers, once warm friends, facing off as the heads of their two still-forming parties—the hot-tempered but sharp-minded John Adams, and the eloquent yet enigmatic Thomas Jefferson—flanked by the brilliant tacticians Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, who later settled their own differences in a duel.

The country was descending into turmoil, reeling from the terrors of the French Revolution, and on the brink of war with France. Blistering accusations flew as our young nation was torn apart along party lines: Adams and his elitist Federalists would squelch liberty and impose a British-style monarchy; Jefferson and his radically democratizing Republicans would throw the country into chaos and debase the role of religion in American life. The stakes could not have been higher.

As the competition heated up, other founders joined the fray—James Madison, John Jay, James Monroe, Gouverneur Morris, George Clinton, John Marshall, Horatio Gates, and even George Washington—some of them emerging from retirement to respond to the political crisis gripping the nation and threatening its future.

Drawing on unprecedented, meticulous research of the day-to-day unfolding drama, from diaries and letters of the principal players as well as accounts in the fast-evolving partisan press, Larson vividly re-creates the mounting tension as one state after another voted and the press had the lead passing back and forth. The outcome remained shrouded in doubt long after the voting ended, and as Inauguration Day approached, Congress met in closed session to resolve the crisis. In its first great electoral challenge, our fragile experiment in constitutional democracy hung in the balance.

A Magnificent Catastrophe is history writing at its evocative best: the riveting story of the last great contest of the founding period.©2007 Edward J. Larson; (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"In this absorbing, brisk account, Larson re-creates the dramatic presidential race of 1800...an invaluable study of a crucial chapter in the lives of the founding fathers -- and of the nation." -- Publishers Weekly

"Pulitzer Prize-winner Larson vividly recounts America's first overtly partisan election.The colorful cast of Founders included Madison, Jay, Pinckney, Monroe and Samuel Adams; the behind-the-scenes machinations of High Federalist leader Alexander Hamilton and Republican organizer Aaron Burr were especially dramatic. Larson does justice to them all and demonstrates his storytelling mastery....[A] smartly conceived, beautifully wrought campaign history, bound to entertain and inform." -- Kirkus Reviews

A distant reflection

While we are embroiled in divisive politics in 2024, it is instructive to look back at the dawn of our republic and see how crazy things can get. Larson brilliantly describes the machinations and intrigues that surrounded the election of 1800 and leaves us breathless. The parallels and perils of these two eras must be noted!

Some pages aren't read in the audible book

Is there anything you would change about this book?

If the person who read it didn't skip many pages at a time. State continuously exactly what is on the book. Let's say the person was reading on page 142, it read a paragraph, skipped the next paragraph, read a sentence from the following paragraph then decided to skip 3 full pages until it started reading again from what is on the book.

Has A Magnificent Catastrophe turned you off from other books in this genre?

No it has not

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I liked how the reader sounded it wasn't a robot nor it was annoying. I dislike how the person kept skipping sentences from the book or even at times pages.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably.

Any additional comments?

Read the whole book continuously, exactly what is on the book.

Snore

Turned a fascinating story into a long bore. Narration added to this unfortunately. Read something else

Many paragraphs were simply left out...

Great book! mostly disappointed in how many paragraphs were removed during the read through... Is this a condensed version?

Get this if you have to use it for a class!!!

Honestly this audiobook helped me finish the novel in 2 days what would have likely taken me a week otherwise. Be warned though that it tends to skip lines frequently, sometimes entire paragraphs. Once or twice I had to go back and read about 4 pages! Other than that, it was definitely beneficial for me as I am not an avid, nor a quick reader and helped me better understand the history behind it.