Customer Reviews

James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity (Signature Series)

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If it were not for the "Monroe Doctrine" the fifth president of the United States would likely be as unknown to the average American as Martin Van Buren or Millard Fillmore. Yet, in this distinguished biography by Harry Ammon, first published in 1971, James Monroe emerges from the shadows of his good friends and fellow early Virginian presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, to receive due credit for his significant contribution to the formation of the American republic.

Some historians have criticized James Monroe as a man of modest talent who provided the country with feckless leadership during the crucial international, economic and political crises of his times - the collapse of the Spanish empire in the Western Hemisphere, the Panic of 1819, and the Missouri Compromise of 1820, respectively. However, Ammon argues rather persuasively that these critiques are either unfair or overblown. Monroe's conduct in the White House was guided by his deeply held republican principles, which maintained that executive power was subject to strict limitations. To compare Monroe's leadership performance to that of 21st presidents is, in Ammon's opinion, supremely unjust.

But even taking such thoughts into consideration, the truth is James Monroe was not a great man - and Ammon doesn't claim that he was. He notes, for instance, that the correspondence between Jefferson and Madison covered a full range of intellectual topics, from philosophy and science to government and literature, whereas letters to Monroe kept strictly to practical political concerns. Indeed, Ammon describes Monroe as a man of rather pedestrian abilities, but with a highly developed sense of republican principles and political drive who was much more instrumental in directing US policy than traditionally given credit for.

If Monroe was a failure, it was in his ambitious attempt to restructure the American political system following the War of 1812. Ammon maintains that the proposed reconciliation and amalgamation of the triumphant Republicans and crippled Federalists (the so-called "Era of Good Feelings") was the primary objective of his administration, and in that endeavor Monroe failed utterly and completely.

What is most striking in Ammon's narrative is Monroe's multifarious contribution to early American government: staff officer to Lord Stirling during the Revolution who was wounded in a gallant charge against the Hessians at Trenton and later suffered the privations of Valley Forge; delegate to the Constitutional Convention; United States senator; Republican minister to France during the Federalist administration of Washington; special envoy to Paris to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase; minister to England during the Jefferson administration; governor of Virginia; secretary of state during the Madison administration and then secretary of war during the War of 1812; and, finally, two-term president. His lifelong commitment to public service, which left him financially destitute upon his retirement in 1825, is worthy of the sincere gratitude of posterity.

Ammon is an able historian and this biography is a credit to subject and author alike. At 573 pages, however, it is a rather dense tome and the casual reader should stay away. But for those interested in a serious review of an important character in early American history, Ammon's "James Monroe: the Quest for National Identity" is highly recommended.

I can't say that I agree with the previous reviewers. I too have been reading the biographies of each president in order, and I must say that Ammon's work is the least satisfying one I have read thus far. Unlike Flexner's work on Washington or Malone's work on Jefferson, Ammon's work gives a rather superficial portrait of Monroe the man, and his discussion of contemporary events isn't very detailed; Ammon presumes the general reader has a more detailed knowledge of 19th century history than may be warranted. Granted, after reading this book, I knew a little more about what James Monroe did (enough to answer some Trivial Pursuit questions), but I still don't feel as if I truly understood the man, his motivations, his character, his times and his impact.

Though published over thirty years ago, it is easy to see at a glance why Ammon has never been bettered. This is an exhaustive examination of the political life of our fifth president -- and an exhausting one. Ammon goes through Monroe's life with a thoroughness that makes this a book an excellent source of information about Monroe, but at the price of making it an excruciatingly dull read at times. If you want to know EVERYTHING there is to know about Monroe's political career or about diplomacy in the Federalist Era, then this is your book; otherwise, I would recommend either Noble Cunningham's The Presidency of James Monroe or the volume on Monroe in "The American Presidents" series.

As an amateur historian, I have set out to read a biography of each U.S. President. Harry Ammon's book was among the best that I read. Ammon presents history as a great story, filled with larger than life characters. The book clearly explains the politics of the day and gives the reader a definite understanding of the often overlooked President Monroe. This book is a triumph and an unexpected page-turner.

I was pleasantly surprised by Prof. Ammon's book. He has chronicled the life of one of the nation's more interesting, and yet overlooked, presidents - a Revolutionary War hero, diplomat and consensus builder. At least that's the Monroe that Ammon portrays.

But it is not a fawning biography - although I suspect Ammon is sympathetic to Monroe.

The best perspective I gained from it was the concept of how rough-and-tumble early U.S. politics were. The first quarter-century of the republic was not unlike the same time span in the developing nations of Africa between the early 1960s and mid-1980s, with its fears of coups and invasions and of the return to a monarchy.

I recommend this book to everyone studying the presidency.

James Monroe by Ammon
Over the last several years, I've read biographies of the first 40 presidents. I've usually used Amazon readers to guide my selections. At the end of this review is a rating of these biographies.

James Monroe was the last of the founding fathers to be president and he is one of most underrated statesmen and presidents. During the Revolutionary War he served with George Washington. Later he was minister to France and Secretary of State. Aside from Washington he is the only president to run for a second term without opposition. He was an excellent diplomat. His cabinet included John Quincy Adams and John C. Calhoun , and it can be argued this was the most effective cabinet and administration of the 19th century. Monroe is closely linked with fellow Virginians, Madison and Jefferson, and while he does not rank as a genius or philosopher with this pair, he was probably a better leader than either. Monroe's political style was to solve problems, be diplomatic, and develop consensus. Ammon's accounts of 12 hour cabinet meetings demonstrate this style of governance. Monroe also believed in a limited presidency . He consistently chose to respect the separation of powers, and at times limited his effectiveness out of respect for the Constitution.

Ammon's biography is better than serviceable. It shines during Monroe's early years and his presidency. The book often drags during the middle third. My sense is this is because Monroe was more of a peripheral figure during these years, and this biography tends towards a tangential sense of history during this section.


Bonus - You can see my reviews (SMR) for many of the following books, but here's a capsule summary
The BEST
Franklin Roosevelt - Conrad Black - captures so many facets of a great leader weaving his way through constant challenges, completely engaging writing; SEE MY REVIEW
Teddy Roosevelt - Edmund Morris - the best writing hands down of a presidential biography - Teddy himself was so much fun that its hard to miss with this subject
John Kennedy - Robert Dallek - detailed, balanced biography of a complex man, SMR
Lyndon Johnson - Robert Dallek - volume one is as good as Morris' Teddy Roosevelt in terms of story- telling and describing the complexity of an absolutely driven man. Volume 2 deals with LBJ's presidential years and the morass of Viet Nam - its well written but like the war itself, it goes on and on from one disappointment to the next. SMR
John Adams - David McCullough - great writing, perhaps a bit too favorable to Adams, but this is the book that got many readers to take a first or second look at our founding fathers
Warren Harding - Francis Russell - absolutely the best biography of a unqualified president - captures Harding's sexual scandals as well as the smoked filled rooms and corruption of the times and Harding's administration, SMR
Chester Arthur - Thomas Reeves - a great biography of an very corrupt politician and an incredible job of detailing the spoils system and New York politics, SMR
The SECOND TIER
Harry Truman - David McCullough - McCullough is always engaging, but it seems to me that he places Truman a little too high on the pedestal
Abraham Lincoln - David Donald - the authoritative biography of Lincoln, I felt like crying at the end
Jimmy Carter - Peter |Bourne - a good history of the time and an unflinching, thorough analysis of Carter Written by a Carter insider, but not afraid to criticize. SMR
Franklin Pierce - Roy Nichols - a well written description of a man who was simply in over his head, SMR
Martin Van Buren - John Niven - paints a pretty likeable picture of a man who many despised and distrusted, sifts through a great deal of detail about New York politics, and the Jackson and Van Buren administrations - subtly introduces the idea that most of Jackson's successful policies came from Van Buren
Grover Cleveland - Alyn Brodsky - a better than average biography, very well organized and readable, soft pedals Cleveland's personal indiscretions SMR
James Buchanan - Philip Klein - Buchanan schemed to become president for 30 years - Klein's biography gives a great overview of years of US politics and of Buchanan's scheming sort of politics, SMR
James Monroe by Harry Ammon
Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation - Merrill Peterson - a very thorough description of Jefferson and his times - much more emphasis on his politics and other works than his personal life, SMR
Andrew Jackson - Robert Remini - this is perhaps unfairly low - I read the one volume abridgement, and would have preferred the detail of three volumes
Gerald Ford - James Reeves - brisk writing and the best retelling of Watergate. A thorough description of Ford's developmental years and career prior to becoming president, but his presidential years are given less than 30 pages. SMR
John Quincy Adams - Paul Nagel - uncovers Adams' personality and depression in a very sympathetic way but covers Adams' failed presidency with only a single chapter.
Andrew Johnson by Hans Trefousse - a very good biography of a very complicated guy during the US`s darkest years - at times I had trouble keeping the many Reconstruction era politicians straight
Rutherford Hayes - Ari Hoogenboom - a good biography including Hayes' war years, rise to the presidency, and his years in office. Although the election crisis of 1876 is presented in detail, Hoogenboom tries a bit too hard to give Hayes a free pass. SMR
Ike Eisenhower - Geoffrey Perret - a workmanlike complete biography
Ulysses S. Grant - Feeley - a great biography of Grant as a general, but it really falls down (as did Grant) during the presidential years
Millard Fillmore - Robert Rayback - a good biography of a forgotten president who actually had some success in forestalling the Civil War
Ronald Reagan - Edmund Morris - the weirdest "major" presidential biography - the fictional and real narrative are confusing. Although Morris captures Reagan, so much time is taken up with childhood, adolescence, and acting that important parts of the presidency are glossed over. SMR
George Washington - Douglas Southall Freeman - I read the one volume abridgement of his seven volume monster. Freeman tells a great story, but he probably admires Washington too much.
NOT QUITE GOOD ENOUGH
Ulysses Grant - McFeely - This is a great biography of Grant's early life and Civil Wars years, but Feely seems about as disconnected from the eight years of Grant's presidency as Grant was.
James Garfield - Allan Peskin - Garfield could be a caricature of a post Civil War president - log cabins, Civil War general (not much of one), Ohio, Republican, and weak - Peskin writes too much about Ohio politics and not enough about the corruption of the times
Herbert Hoover - David Burner - A pretty boring read about a fascinating character during a fascinating time
Woodrow Wilson - August Heckscher - Wilson was a very complex guy. This book captures Wilson and his times but it is a pretty dry read
James Madison - Ralph Ketchum - just too dry - SMR
Calvin Coolidge - Robert Sobel - this never really grabbed me but it is written in an engaging style
William Henry Harrison - Freeman Cleeves - This biography is more than 50 years old. The narrative is engaging and Harrison had an interesting life; BUT, Harrison gets pretty much a free pass for his relationship with the many tribes who he evicted from the Northwest Territories. See the recent biography of William Clark for an more revealing telling of this aspect of Harrison's life.
VYING FOR THE WORST
Zachary Taylor - Jack Bauer - Taylor was an egotistical, quarrelsome, and paranoid guy who became president after winning several important battles during the Mexican War. Bauer does a workmanlike job detailing Taylor's life but he avoids a lot of the controversy by not making some pretty basic judgments into Taylor's character.
Richard Nixon - Tom Wicker - An odd book. Wicker writes with great insight into Nixon, but he seems to get tired of writing the book. Watergate is almost completely left out as is much of the last years of Nixon's presidency. SMR
James Polk Eugene McCormac - This two volume set was one of the most disappointing biographies I read, but there is little available as far as a complete biography of Polk. A political biography, that completely ignores Polk's personal life (slave-owner, ambitious wife, father). SMR
John Tyler - Oliver Chitwood - A poorly organized and overly apologetic biography of one of the leading candidates for worst president. Written in the thirties, this book is stylistically dated. SMR.
William Taft - Judith Icke Anderson The author is a disciple of the Fawn Brodie - psychoanalytic school of biography. Taft is actually a pretty easy guy to figure out, and he was quite open and honest about his feelings about his life and career. He didn't need this sort of biography.
Benjamin Harrison - Harry Sievers - This is dreck! Three volumes of hero worship. Harrison had an interesting life and was an ineffective president, but this set does little to engage the reader. SMR
William McKinley - Kevin Phillips - This is more of a long essay than a biography. Way too many aspects of his life are brushed over. I was left with far too many questions about McKinley, and definitely feel a need to find another McKinley biography. SMR

This biography is an authoritative account of Monroe's life. Although Monroe seems to have been a highly private person who never wrote about non-political subjects in his letters and left no diary, Ammon writes an amazingly complete review of his life.

Another strength of the book is how well Ammon covers the careers of the contenders for the presidency in 1825 (JQ Adams, Crawford, Clay, and Jackson). Most authors tend to be biased in their writings on these polarizing figures, but Ammon is fair in his judgments. He also goes beyond JQA's diary as a source for Crawford, which is a big plus since JQA loathed (probably with good reason) Crawford.

The writing is more scholarly than memorable, so it can be tough slogging at points. Also, the book is sparse on analysis and interpretation. It is subtitled "Quest for National Identity," but I don't see that Ammon makes the case for how Monroe was involved in the creation of the American identity. He is actually much more interested in Monroe's relations with the dying Federalist Party and how the four-way presidential election of 1825 affected Monroe's second term than he is with the formation of a national identity.

Overall, the book is well worth reading, but it's not an easy read and Ammon could have done better at relating the significance of Monroe.

This is without a doubt THE definitive biography of James Monroe, but, unfortunately, it was not written with the same aplomb as McCullough's John Adams or Joseph Ellis' book on Thomas Jefferson (American Sphinx). I agree with some of the other reviewers who said the book is long on detail, but short on analysis. Still, I am glad I read it and feel that I learned a lot about Monroe. I just wouldn't classify it as a great biography. Just the best one available about James Monroe.

James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity written by Harry Ammon is a book that covers from James Monroe's birth to his passing. As the nation mourned Monroe's death, it also moved it, not because of the achievements of his administration were then valued so highly but rather because the people saw in his death the passingof one of the last heros of the revolutionary generation.

Not only like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams who both died on the very same day July 4, 1826, but James Monroe died on the Fourth of July five years later, bringing the struggle for independence more sharply into focus. This book takes us from the Virginia Tidewater in Monroe's life, to his service in the revolutionary army, where he was wounded and later recovered and served in the Washington administration, the United States Senate and governer of Virginia, he served with the Madison administration as Secretary of State and War. Later being elected to the presidency of the United States.

If anything can be said, this biography does justice to James Monroe as it is exhaustively researched and documented. The scholarship is perceptive and it sheads light on the politics and personalities, making this work indespensible. I found that the author narrative to be a little dry... maybe because I read it after reading David McCullough's "John Adams." But, in all fairness, the narrative needs a little "juice" to liven it up, as somnolence is a severe side effect.

James Monroe was not as well known as some of the others that served as president, but his accomplishments, nervertheless, were of noteworthiness as to establishing the national identity of the United States of America.

This is a very thorough, very exhaustive look at the life of the fifth president of the United States, and while it may not be as easily readable as, say, David McCullough's "Truman", it is certainly less dry and slow-going than most scholarly works. If you're looking for a full-life biography of Monroe, one that truly informs you on the subject and does not simply dramatize the story of a historical figure's life, this is an excellent choice. If you're looking for light reading with a historical basis, this is definitely NOT what you're looking for.