James Madison was a statesman well before his election as the fourth President of the United States. Kevin R.C .Gutzman’s biography James Madison and the Making of America recounts the personal turmoil and strength of character behind the early days of our country. Between his part in writing The Federalist Papers and his work in political office, Madison was among the men who crafted our system of government and the documents that still guide decisions nearly 250 years later. This comprehensive biography takes into account the less than popular decisions Madison made, including during his time as a Representative to the US House from Virginia.
I give James Madison and the Making of America 3 out of 5 stars. As with other historical biographies we’ve read recently, this book had moments that felt more like a textbook and made it difficult enjoy. I had a hard time following what era of Madison’s life the author was discussing at times. This was, in large, a retelling of what we have read in other presidential biographies with only a little new information added. That is to be expected given the small community American politics was during the Revolutionary Era. However, I do feel like some additional backstory and detail was needed for a few of the supporting characters in the narrative.
This is a great place to start if you are just beginning to dig into the lives of our early Presidents. With showcase moments from each of the prior leaders, plus a glimpse of a few to come, this book gives a good overview. However, if you want to dig into Madison’s personal life, there may be other biographies with more focused details available to you. I would recommend this as a great supplemental read to history students needing additional materials on Madison.
I chose James Madison and the Making of America as my June historical biography. As I have been working through presidential biographies, I have been pleasantly surprised by the number available at no charge as part of either my Audible or Kindle Unlimited subscriptions, or even as part of my Libby membership. I encourage you to look into these resources if you are interested in historical biographies as well!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: My Magnolia Summer, Victoria Benton Frank
- Current audio book: Call Upon the Water, Stella Tillyard
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow
Read With Lindsey 