James Madison

By: Richard Brookhiser

Narrated by: Norman Dietz

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Eminent historian Richard Brookhiser presents a vivid portrait of James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution” and one of America's greatest statesmen.

©2011 Richard Brookhiser (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A useful introduction to a man who is often outshone by his presidential predecessors but who nevertheless was instrumental in creating our modern political system." ( Kirkus)

Reliving history

This biography of James Madison reminds us that politics has not changed much in the 200 plus years of our existence. The story reads more like a story than a collection of facts.

great book!

Wonderful writing! And great voice! I loved it, and thank you to the author. I will continue with this author and narrator.

Not Exhaustive Detail but Not Bad

Overall: good book. Get more than just an overview of Madison, however not exhaustive detail of the man. Would have liked more detail from his time as President but satisfied with the listen nonetheless.

Things I Didn't Know I Didn't Know

There are those who speak and write of the Founding Fathers as if they determinedly soared above the gravitational pull of politics and ambition. This book offers further reminders of the wrongheadedness of that assumption. Madison was the consummate political operative and played a seminal role in developing our political party system. That insight alone makes this book worth knowing.

As I traveled with and through this book I learned about Madison???s backstage maneuvering to instigate the Constitutional Convention. I discovered more about his connections to Washington and Jefferson???whom he admired???and his interactions with Hamilton and Monroe???with whom he occasionally found common ground. How his gift for studied political action influenced his relationships with these other Founders is the truly fascinating core of this book

The narrator never slowed my listening and took a perfect tone???scholarly but secretly entertained by the twists of President Madison???s story. As a result, I was informed and entranced and sorry to hear Madison???s life come to an end.

Excellent summary of a political actor

Brookhiser cogently describes the life of an ambitious man. Madison is a man slightly ahead of his time; struggling with the questions of his era and unwilling to reach the intellectual & moral conclusions to which the Constitution & Bill of Rights surely indicate. Madison is surrounded by truly great thinkers and self made men. in comparison, he is a gifted, commendable bureaucrat and a slavish flunky to Jefferson.

Madison is the first of a long line of self-dealing, hypocritical party hacks legion in demagogic politics.

Madison is the bridge from Enlightenment age thinkers to a modern form of politics we are familiar with today. Fascinating in a way.

My Constitution

What did you love best about James Madison?

The history of how we came to be from a political point of view.

What other book might you compare James Madison to and why?

Liberty & Tyranny by Mark Levine

Which scene was your favorite?

Washing turning down the offer to be King and not accepting a third term as President. Washington walked away from power.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

It was sometimes tedious to listen to, but the history was more than I could have hoped for. Why in the world do they not teach this stuff in school.

ps I went to a private school, but it was very, very progressive. Yikes!

Not really a biography

This book, while I enjoyed it, was not really a biography. It was more a history of the beginnings of the country with a focus on the Constitution. Next to nothing about Madison's personal life is explored. I still found it interesting.

James Madison

This book covers the career of James Madison from the working on the Constitution through his presidency. The story gives an overview of the forming of the government. Brookhiser gave Alexander Hamilton excellent marks for how he created the Treasury Dept and how the federal monies flowed. Madison and Hamilton did not agree on forming the U.S. Bank. Brookhiser indicated that Madison was mentored by Jefferson and they had a life long friendship. The major concern of the book was politics and that Madison was one of the best at playing politics. Apparently from all the work Madison did on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights he became a pro getting committee member to get the work done. The book slowed down a few times but overall was interesting. Norman Dietz did a good job narrating the book.

a bit dry.

when I set out to find a biography on Madison I found there were not alot of options. this one came recommend the highest but it's a bit dry. narration was ok but not much you can do.

Good introduction to a great man

James Madison is one of those figures who seem to always be at the edge in discussions about historical characters. Some may know of him as the “Father of the Constitution” or as the fourth President of the United States. Few actually know much about the man himself. In this biography Richard Brookhiser seeks to show us that character.

Madison was a small man, barely five feet tall, leaving him dwarfed by the tall Virginians George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. He was not a powerful speaker, but he was a man with a great mind and an attention for details. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Constitution of the United States. He was the creator of the first political party in the United States. He was a junior partner in a lifelong political coalition with Thomas Jefferson, but he was never Jefferson’s inferior. He was not without his flaws and neither is this book. Brookhiser tends towards imbalance when discussing Madison’s political foes. Madison was a man who saw conspiracy around a lot of corners. Brookhiser gives this too much credence. For example he makes men like Alexander Hamilton and John Adams look like they were trying to subvert Constitution and create a monarchy. This is patently absurd.

The book itself is well written and easy to read. Be sure that if you read this book you balance it out with others about the period. I would also recommend Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis, Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow, John Adams by David McCullough, and Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham.