James Madison: The Founding Father [Paperback]

Robert Rutland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 1997

Available for the first time in paperback, James Madison: The Founding Father is a lively portrait of the man who essentially fathered our constitutional guarantees of civil and religious liberty. Focusing on the role Madison played at the Continental Congress and in each stage of the formation of the American Republic, Robert Allen Rutland also covers Madison's relationship with his beloved wife, Dolley, his fifty-year friendship with Thomas Jefferson, and his years as a respected elder statesman after serving as secretary of state and fourth president of the United States.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this very human portrait of Madison and his role in the early, problem-fraught years of the new republic, University of Virginia professor Rutland, editor of the Madison Papers, not ony depicts him as a fervent patriot, combining "erudition and common sense," but recounts his goals and frustrations, victories and defeats, along with frequent incapacitation because of bad health. Most significant were his contributions as chief framer of the Constitution and his defense of it as coauthor with Hamilton of the Federalist Papers. Madison and Jefferson (with whom he shared views on the need for an educated public and the gradual abolition of slavery) founded the Republican Party in opposition to Hamilton's Anglophile Federalist Party, which favored monied interests. Emerging from early retirement on his Virginia plantation, he helped assure Jefferson's election to the presidency and subsequently served for two terms as secretary of state. His wife Dolley acted as hostess for the widowed president as she did during her husband's White House tenure, despite the disruptions of the ineptly conducted War of 1812. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"James Madison is an excellent short biography of a complex man."—New York Times Book Review

"The biography's author, Robert Allen Rutland, knows his Founding Fathers. . . . He writes with clarity and spirit."—New York Times

Rutland "has put together a one-volume work that is lively, fast- paced, and extremely revealing. At last Madison comes alive on the printed page! . . . Rutland's story is biography at its best."—Richmond News Leader

"A lively and sympathetic biography by a leading Madison scholar, one which provides the reader with the best succinct treatment of a complex personality, an introverted intellectual with a special genius for politics."—Richard B. Morris

"A brilliant and engaging portrait of Madison as a republican leader and statesman."—Merrill D. Peterson

"A wonderfully vivid and appreciative biography by the master Madison scholar. Rutland combines a flair for style with scholarly integrity."—Leonard W. Levy

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri (September 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826211410
• ISBN-13: 978-0826211415
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,580,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Falls Short, February 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: James Madison: The Founding Father (Paperback)

If you are looking for a biography of James Madison, look elsewhere. Rutland's subtitle, "The Founding Father," makes it clear what this book is about: Madison's participation in the creation and passage of the constitution and the Bill of Rights. Although it does cover most of his life, the focus is definitely on Madison's role as founding father.

The book deals with the major issues of Madison's political life, often in too minute detail, but does not satisfy the biographical aspects of his life. There is absolutely no mention, for example, of Madison's birth date, or even the year he was born in! Further, the book failed completely to engage me. I set it aside for weeks at a time before I finally finished if off, despite its modest size.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A guy who peaked early, February 14, 2001

By 

J. Marren "jtm497" (Glen Ridge, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: James Madison: The Founding Father (Paperback)

I picked up this book because I was to attend a conference on Madison and wanted to know something more than the murky recollection I had from school of this less well known "founding father." I was fascinated to learn how it came to pass that after initially opposing the Bill of Rights Madison was the guy who actually got it through the first Congress. The early years were interesting, but this book rather quickly turned into a rather bewildering discussion of the ins and outs of trade with Europe and the problems that led up to the War of 1812--which sounded like a totally forgettable incident in American history. Madison was by and large an untalented president--his greatest achievements were complete by the time he was 30--the Bill of Rights and, before then, the Federalist Papers. Maybe the book went downhill with the career of its subject, but I thought the writing could have been a lot clearer and a few sentences of background information each time a new subject was introduced would have helped this book alot.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars James Madison just wasn't cool..., May 11, 2001

By 

JOHN GODFREY (Milwaukee ,WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: James Madison: The Founding Father (Audio Cassette)

not like Jefferson & Hamilton or celebrated like Washington & Franklin. My fellow reviewers seemed disappointed in this as a biography. But it was not Mr. Rutland's purpose to write a personal story of Mr. Madison's life although his later years were covered quite well. I am glad, however, I took the easy way out by listening to the audio version (unedited). It was as if I was in Mr. Rutland's class as he was giving a lecture. The years after The Revolutionary War, The Federalist Papers, The Constitution & The Bill of Rights, are the real meat of this book. Madison's behind the scenes leadership in Congress was consummate. If we do not appreciate how important he was 200 years later, it seems that he contemporaries did. To his sorrow he was, with Jefferson, responsible for creating the two party system we now operate under. That he wanted to heed Washington's advice against the party system is evident. But he found this advice quickly outdated. As a result Washington, & to a lesser extent Adams were the only unaffiliated presidents in our history. Happily, none of this two-party stuff is cluttering up our Consititution. As Secretary of State under Jefferson & President on his own he was unremarkable. Any one could have mucked things up as well as he did. Indeed his best years were his early years. What seemed to me remarkable was the love, respect & friendship that existed between Madison & Jefferson all of their adult lives. It was an alliance of two great men that never wavered & recreated the "republican" type government of ancient Greece. Mr Rutland was obviously impressed by this relationship & alludes to it several times. I appreciate biographies that teach me something about history I didn't know. How great is this book? Hard to say. But it fit the bill.