Customer Reviews

James Madison: A Biography

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was a well written biography. It explores the public and private life of the fourth president. The book is a deep one volume work about James Madison. I particularly enjoyed the author's fascinating coverage of the events surrounding Madison's career: For example, there is a great deal to learn here about the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention not only about the role Madison played in them. Not only does the author write about historical events but he also presents interesting accounts of Madison's friendships and antagonistic political relationships. I also finished this book with a good sense about the political climate surrounding Madison's public career. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it invites further study. The only fault I found worth mentioning was the speculativeness of the first two chapters. Instead of simply writing that we know little about Madison's early life, the author tried to fill in the missing years with his surmises.

If you are searching for a light or relaxing biography of Madison, this will not be the measured choice. This is a difficult and sometimes plodding read, so be forewarned. The excuse that Ketcham is an "academic historian" and therefore is allowed to be boring is indeed a stretch, Stephen Ambrose writes beautifully and is an academic historian as well.

This is a trustworthy, sober and lengthy treatment of Madison, written by a man who knows his subject intimately. The reader can trust the facts between the covers, but there is an integral element missing: Madison himself. There are innumerable anecdotes and descriptions of Madison, but it's buried within the minutiae and sheer length of this very heavy tome. I never got a sense of Madison as a human being, only as a political or revolutionary shadow.

Recommended only for those either obsessed with Madison or tolerant of a chilly and plodding read.

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.

In this, the 250th anniversary year of James Madison's birth (16 March 1751), I hope people will want to read more, and know more, about "The Father of the Constitution" and one of the most important Founding Fathers. And for a serious, academic treatment (no, it is not 'pop' biography or 'easy' reading) of Mr. Madison's life, thoughts, beliefs, and accomplishments - this is the one book to read.

Yes, I happen to work at Montpelier, Mr. Madison's life-long home and the home that he and his wife Dolley shared during their marriage - and I can promise you that Dr. Ketcham's well-worn, tabbed (it looks like a porcupine) book is our 'bible' when it comes to James Madison.

There are other, quite good, books about Madison but this is the one for a thorough overview, from birth to death.

This is a brilliant biography - it is wonderfully detailed (maybe too much so) and leaves little uncovered. Ketcham's early chapters on the buildup to, framing and ratification of the Constitution are especially good. I also like the way Ketcham shows how Madison's thought and political philosophy was informed by the times and events Madison lived through.

I have a couple of minor gripes, though. the first is Ketcham's glaring omission of the rest of Dolley Madison's life. What happened to her after James Madison died? Apparently she edited many of the great man's papers, had to sell many of his letters at less than market price (suggesting financial woes?) - but that's all Ketcham gives us. That's a little frustrating.

Being a law student, I would have liked to see more comment on what Madison thought of the "Marshall Court's" rulings. There is a brief note on McCulloch v Maryland, but nothing on Marbury v Madison! What did Madison think of the idea of judicial review?

These are but minor gripes. But one substantial complaint I do have with Ketcham's biography is the way he always emphasises the consistency of Madison's republican principles. He makes good points on this throughout the biography, but sometimes what Ketcham sees as a principled stand on republican principles, I would see as indecision. And it makes Madison seem a bit single-minded.

All in all, a wonderful bio, though.

James Madison: A Biography written by Ralph Ketcham is a comprehensive fact-filled biography of James Madison our fourth President of the United States from birth to death. Reading this biography for gleamming of facts and tid-bits of Madison's life was clear and succinct, but you feel like you've ridden a horse all day with a sore back. The author knows his subject matter well and captures the essential man and his times, but the writing style hurts.

Oh, the story is penetrating and readable, but the author really never answers his own questions and leaves it up to the reader to draw conclusions, which I find to be a style most suited for class lectures, not biographies. I'm sure the author didn't intend the book to be a lecture, but it sure reads like one.

Reading on in the book, we get a glimpse of Madison's personality, with his strengths and weaknesses portrayed as the character of Madison begins to unfold. Thoughtfulness of Madison's theory of government are developed in this book and enlightens the reader as to hints of Madison as a political man.

The only thing that distracts in this book is the writing style, everything else is spot-on with well documented facts and in one of the most comprehensive biographies on Madison written. If you are looking for biography reading like that of David McCullough in "John Adams" or "Truman" you won't find it here, nor will you be entertained like reading James Thomas Flexner's "George Washington."

This is not my first venture in reading about James Madison and I would recommend reading other author/biographers as Madison was a very complex man... a mind that contained libraries, a man that when President seemed feckless, but in later life his wisdom was shinning through. We asked on how to run the government he always recommended reading histoy for the answers.

Over the last several years I've read 30 presidential biographies, usually using Amazon reviewers to help me pick out the best choice. This has been a great way to learn about American history; however, the reader-reviewers let me down this time. Many describe Ketcham's book as highly readable. This is the only of the 30 biographies that I set aside for a time as just being too boring. I challenge anyone but the hardiest of readers to make it through more than 20 pages without having their eyes glaze over. While I have sought out and enjoyed numerous lengthy biographies, at 700 pages this one became a chore and a sedative.

Ketcham often uses quotes from original sources, and a serious problem is that Madison wrote like a contract lawyer. Secondly, Ketcham goes on and on. When describing the arguments surrounding the ratification of the US Constitution and the writing of the Federalist Papers, it is fascinating and absolutely essential reading. But when he spends 50 pages detailing endless politics and negotiations in the lead up to the War of 1812, it is just too much to take. Finally, this is a book that needed some serious editing. There are numerous run-on sentences, usually only two paragraphs to a page, and often three sentences take up 100 words. It's exhausting.

Madison is the author of the US Constitution, the Federalist Papers, some of Washington's most famous speeches, much of the Bill of Rights, and he was perhaps the deepest thinker of the Founding Fathers. His thought process and rationale for each of these documents is described thoroughly. This material is timely as we grapple with the separations of power between the branches of government, protecting the rights of those who are in the minority, the rights of States vs. the Federal government, and the separation of church and state. Madison's contributions to the US prior to being elected president were so substantial that had he never been president, he would still rank with the most important of all of our leaders. Unfortunately, he was not well-suited to be president. He was more of a thinker than a leader. He accepted others' choices for important cabinet positions, negotiated poorly between sections of the country and with Britain and France, and allowed others to muddle up the defense of the country during the War of 1812. The White House and most other government buildings were burned following a battle in which less than 30 Americans were killed prior to a disorderly retreat.

I strongly urge those who want to read about the essential American to look elsewhere.

Ketcham's book is a milestone in history for two reasons: 1) Ketcham had access to Madison material unavailable to previous historians; these materials flesh out our understanding of a founding father who was a unique giant of his time. 2) Ketcham captures Madison from the perspective of how Madison himself spent his time and energy. Ketcham is a true historian, unconcerned with revisionists trying to re-invent our founding fathers. Ketcham emphasizes the issues that Madison himself focused most of his attention on rather than spending an inordinate amount of time as an apologist for Madison trying to dissuade current religious propagandists who misuse Madison for their indoctrinal purposes.

Madison is a unique founding father because unlike Washington, a General and mentor to many of the other founders, Madison was one of the primary architects that coalesced various philosophical points of view into a cohesive, unique, set of American ideals. In other words, Madison took the dreams of the founding fathers and crafted them into a reality through his development of the constitution and his documentary defense of that document through his publication of many of The Federalist papers.

Ketcham perfectly captures this development from historical philosophy to political maneuvering to the actual ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Ketcham's Madison also provides a steady hand of guidance as President and after retirement to the secularists of his day trying to protect the integrity of the federal constitution from their ideological enemies.

Another great attribute of the book is the ease of research regarding subject matter. The book is well end-noted, it also has an excellent index and also indexes by subject matter as well. For example, if you want Madison's views on "philosophy and views", Ketcham provides a subject header and references you to corresponding pages.

As other reviewers have remarked this almost 700-page biography is one not casually approached. Ketcham is readable enough, but his prose is not as accessible to the general public as pop-historians like Ambrose & McCullough. However, given the recent negative publicity surrounding the latter authors' less-than-stellar research makes me think that in the long run, Ketcham has made a more lasting contribution to our understanding of US history than the other authors.

One will not find a more comprehensive biography than this. Ketcham was the first researcher to have full access to Madison's papers, and it is clear that he has done his research. The reader would be well-advised to peruse both the endnotes and the bibliography, as they provide a treasure trove of information.

Ketcham does an excellent job in demonstrating just how much of a long shot at times the drafting & ratification of the US Constitution was, and if not for the brilliance of Madison (both in conceptualizing the framework of government and in defending it in debates --- one forgets sometimes what an extraordinarily able parliamentarian Madison was), the attempt to reorganize the government might very well have been scuttled by obstructionists such as Patrick Henry.

One also appreciates more the fact that not everyone had the same idea on how this new government should constructed, and not everyone was happy with the result. The drafting was the first part --- the ratification was more difficult, and required all of the persuasive powers of the men behind the Constitution, which can be found to great extent in the Federalist Papers. Ketcham does not dwell extensively on the Federalist Papers, using only 10 pages (pp. 239-249) to discuss them. The content of the 85 essays is not analysed (Ketcham apparently assumes the reader is capable of seeking out a copy of the Federalist Papers on his/her own), other than a few of the more notable ones such as #10.

It is at this point that Madison begins to emerge as the main "idea man" for the republican philosophy. Having succeeded in giving the US a workable government, Madison is shown by Ketcham leading the fight in Congress against the tendencies of the Federalists towards concentration of federal government power.

The gist of Ketcham's biography is that Madison, throughout his life, remained true to the ideals of republicanism, but was not dogmatic about it. Even though Madison opposed the Hamiltonian System in the 1790's, by his second term as President Madison was endorsing a national bank, protective tarriffs, and various internal improvements (although he believe that a constitutional amendment was necessary for the government to develop a system of roads & canals). Ketcham argues that Madison's stands need to be considered in their proper context. The stability of the nation & government was much less in question in 1816 than it was in 1793, and Madison felt that tendencies towards centralization did not pose the threat to republican government that they might once have.

Definitely, Ketcham is something of an apologist for Madison, as becomes clear in the chapters covering the War of 1812, not exactly Madison's finest hour. The War of 1812 exposed some glaring weaknesses in the republican philosophy, and also showed that Madison was wholly unequal to the demands of a wartime president. Madison's reluctance to move in the direction of a strong wartime executive meant that he dithered at crucial times when he needed to be making firm decisions. Clearly the buck did not stop here, in Madison's view. Ketcham is most scrupulous in showing that there was blame aplenty to go around, and hardly lets Madison off the hook, but one cannot help but feel that Ketcham is sometimes pulling his punches. Whether or not this is because other historians have subjected Madison to merciless criticism for his wartime leadership, I cannot be sure. Ketcham often cites the commentary of Madison's detractors in his text, so he may have felt that it was necessary to level the playing field. He goes to great pains to explain his defense of Madison, and to put everything in its proper context; for this he is to be commended.

Madison seems unjustly to have fallen into the cracks of history despite his invaluable contributions to the birth of the nation. Ketcham has done the best anyone could to rectify the situation.

James Madison has often been characterized as erudite, but cold, awkward and aloof. Unfortunately, one could use the same words to describe Ralph Ketcham's lengthy biography of the fourth president and principal author of the US Constitution.

In fairness, I read this biography immediately after reading McCollough's "Adams" and Chernow's "Hamilton," so it is difficult to be completely objective in assessing the readability of "Madison." Following enormous talents such as McCollough and Chernow is like asking a decent soloist to step on stage right after Lucciano Pavoratti and Placido Domingo have taken a bow - even a stellar personal performance is likely to look uninspired coming so quickly after men of genius.

Ketcham delivers a learned and comprehensive single-volume life of Madison, but the book suffers from a total absence of warmth and vitality. Madison lived in passionate times and he played a leading role in the development and ratification of the Constitution (including a head-to-head struggle with the great Patrick Henry in the Virginia ratifying convention) and then in stoking the flames of bitter partisanship with his erstwhile collaborator, Alexander Hamilton, and the Washington Administration. However, none of Madison's creative energy, hysteria of the times or the personal enmity he felt for his rivals is conveyed in this book. Passion and hatred were the hallmarks of the age, but Ketcham tells the story with sobriety and sterility, and the end product suffers because of it.

That said, Ketcham's work is notable for something often missing in political biographies - balance and objectivity. The author is surprisingly tough on Madison, especially in the realm of foreign policy and his reluctance to take any meaningful actions - public or private - against slavery.

Madison was Jefferson's two-term Secretary of State and essentially continued in that role during his first presidential term because of the incompetence and disloyalty of Secretary of State Robert Smith, whom Madison appointed in an effort to appease political opponents in Congress (an act that belied Madison's inability to lead nor appreciate the power of his own political standing). Ketcham describes Madison as both a terrible executive and a shortsighted policy maker. For over a decade Madison held firmly to the belief that England and France could be played off against one another and thus insure that American neutral rights were respected. In the meantime, Madison fought against national expenditures on defense and a large military, owing to his Republican principles against such investments and institutions. Ketcham argues that Madison's policies did nothing but promote the likelihood of armed conflict and under conditions distinctly unfavorable to the United States. He greatly overestimated the importance of US trade in the international market and how far both sides would go to accommodate US demands. By 1812, his waffling policies on trade (i.e. non-importation, embargo) and failure to develop an adequate Navy and coastal defenses the US without trust or respect. As Ketcham concludes: "[Madison] often spoke loudly while carrying no stick at all." It was a miracle the British didn't pound the country into a humiliating defeat.

Ketcham also criticizes Madison for his failure to do anything constructive against slavery, an institution the Virginian claimed to abhor his whole life. Madison's cosseted upbringing and long political career were all supported by the wealth generated from his father's large slave-run plantation. In retirement Madison was a supporter of the colonization movement and did nothing to free his slaves upon death. Despite consistent claims of disgust at slavery, Madison's main contribution to the political discourse on the subject was to render it taboo and off-limits for open discussion.

In closing, Ketcham's "James Madison" isn't a bad book. On the contrary, it is a thorough and fair treatment of the life, times and beliefs of one of the most intellectually gifted Founding Fathers. It's just a shame that the story is told without life or feeling. The Madison presented by Ketchum is as cold, remote and lifeless as a marble bust in a museum.