The office of American president was just the last stop in the storied political career of James Monroe. The senior statesman was involved in many decisions that shaped our early country from the American Revolution to the Louisiana Purchase, and later the Monroe Doctrine. Brook Poston explores Monroe’s work to empower the young country while defending the ideals of the founding fathers in James Monroe: A republican champion. With a look at some of the more well-known and yet still misunderstood decisions of his statesmanship, Poston explores Monroe’s motivations throughout his legacy.
I give James Monroe: A republican champion 4 out of 5 stars. Like some of the other texts we have encountered recently in our quest to learn more about our early presidents, this book became hard to follow and jumped around a bit. It also felt like some topics received a disproportionate amount of attention, while others were moved through quickly. I also found that this book didn’t capture my attention like some others we’ve read. With that said – it may simply be that my mind is geared more towards fiction at this time.
This is a great book to utilize alongside other historical studies about Monroe. It is appropriate for all age groups, including high schoolers who may be studying early American history. I would also recommend this for readers interested in the Monroe Doctrine – Poston investigates how these principles formed and developed from early in Monroe’s life.
I chose James Monroe: A republican champion as my non-fiction book for November. After this book, we will be moving away from the 5th President and into his successor, John Quincy Adams. These men are so familiar to me from previous studies, and yet so distant from my understanding. At this point with the election complete, I think it is important to read about our past, especially the transfer of power between presidents. What are you reading this weekend?
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Virgin River, Robyn Carr
- Current audio book: Storming Heaven, Denise Giardina
- Book I’m most looking forward to: The Cold Dish, Craig Johnson
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