Young Patriots: The Remarkable Story of Two Men. Their Impossible Plan and The Revolution That Created The Constitution (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "By 1786, five years after George Washington's victory over the British, the American people had lost their way..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This engaging if shallow history of the making of the Constitution salutes Madison and Hamilton as the leaders of a coterie of dynamic young men battling a sclerotic old guard to construct a vigorous national government. This interpretation is not quite borne out in the text. Hamilton played a secondary role, and the new Constitution was actually championed by such pillars of the old guard as George Washington, on whom the author lavishes much adulation. And there's the question of whether Madison's crafting of the Constitution, an undoubtedly masterful political balancing act, was quite the work of visionary genius the author considers it. Historian Cerami, author of the excellent Jefferson's Great Gamble, gives an astute rundown of the political antagonisms and compromises embedded in the Constitution, noting its accommodations to slavery, its uneasy truce between state and federal power, and the backwardness of an independent presidency in comparison with British-style parliamentary supremacy. But he avoids the kind of deeper critiques of the Constitution made by Dan Lazare and others who view its mechanisms as antiquated. With Cerami's reverence toward the "sacred relic," this book falls short of a trenchant analysis. . (July 5)
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From Booklist

Narrating the ordainment of the Constitution, Cerami follows in the tradition of such classics as Miracle at Philadelphia, by Catherine Drinker Bowen (1966), and the pithy Brilliant Solution, by Carol Berkin (2002). Cerami's rendition of the familiar events--from the momentum to hold a constitutional convention, to its deliberations, to the fight for ratification--strives to dispel their very familiarity by creating a you-are-there atmosphere via the figures of James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. Cerami evokes the look and heat of Philadelphia in the summer, building his atmospheric prose on the foundation of Madison's concept of a new constitutional structure. Though the transitions between descriptive material and Madison's ideas can be abrupt and simply digressive, Cerami's prose smoothes out upon reaching Independence Hall and the fateful compromises made inside. Notes and a bibliography lend the work to student research, yet recreational readers who enjoyed Cerami's account of the Louisiana Purchase (Jefferson's Great Gamble, 2003) will be the primary audience for this reconstruction of 1787. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 354 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks (May 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402202350
• ISBN-13: 978-1402202353
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,195,570 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Political Battle for the Constitution Of The United States, June 26, 2005

By	C. Hutton "book maven" (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

With the recent spate of published books on the era of the American Revolution (see "1776" for starters), Mr. Cerami fills a void in his tale of the creation and the subsequent ratification of the US Constitution in 1787-1788. "Young Patriots" tells the story of what kind of nation should the United States be -- a loose collection of sovereign states or a strong sovereign nation with centralized powers.

Most Americans are unaware of the little-known political brawl over the ratification process that nearly failed to pass the Constitution -- i.e. New York approved it by a nail-biting vote of 30-27 while Virginia had a narrow 89-79 margin. Alexander Hamilton of New York and James Madison of Virginia were the winning "floor managers" for the Federalists of their respective states.

"Young Patriots" is a readable, lively account of the birth of American politics. Mr. Cerami wrote a political sequel of sorts with "Jefferson's Great Gamble" (2003), his rendition of the Louisiana Purchase. Other tales of this fascinating era includes Catherine Drinker Bowen's "Miracle At Philadelphia" (1966), another perspective on the Constitutional Convention, and Joel Achenbach's "The Grand Idea" (2004), the story of the deals made for the founding of our nation's capital.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview of Two Exceptional Americans, October 21, 2005

By	JMK "JMK I" (California) - See all my reviews

Alexander Hamilton and James Madison truly formed a great combination as they helped to develop the constitution. The book follows the paths of two prodigies from vastly different backgrounds and describes how they were able to become the two primary sources for the development and eventual passage of the greatest document to govern the activities of government.

Rather than try to compose two biographies within one book, Charles Cerami lightly touches upon the personal lives of Hamilton and Madison, yet provides sufficient information for the reader to understand the formative years of the two brilliant political theorists. The majority of the material then passes onto the Constitutional Convention and the other founders who were influential in the composition of the governmental framework.

Cerami's work concludes with the difficulty the founders faced in persuading Anti-Federalists and a skeptical public that the complete reconstruction of the government was a significant necessity. This is where we find Hamilton and Madison at their finest. The exceptional pair collaborated to produce one of the greatest works of political theory in what became known as The Federalist Papers, in order to encourage passage of the constitution. Unfortunately, once they witnessed the approval of this famous document and assumed leading roles in the new government, differences began to surface between the two which led to political opposition.

Cerami was successful in exposing these differences, yet maintaining a positive theme throughout the book. His admiration for both gentlemen and his pride in their accomplishments are evident through his writing. He avoided the personality flaws of each man that have already been sufficiently written about and refused to dwell upon their personal lives. It was refreshing to read about Hamilton without being subjected to the incident that many people associate him with-the duel with Aaron Burr. Additionally, it was good to see that Madison truly was his own man, rather than some sycophant to Thomas Jefferson as some authors have categorized him.

The reader is provided a unique view of the events surrounding that famous period in American history. You will walk away with a greater appreciation of the talents of Hamilton and Madison and realize how instrumental they were to promoting the idea of a constitutional convention, producing the ideas behind the constitution, and ensuring its passage during the comfirmation process.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Young blood reinvigorates the Revolution, June 30, 2005

By	B. D. Weimer "lex rex" (Minnesota, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When we think of the Founding Fathers, we think of wealthy older gentlemen such as Washington and Franklin. And rightly so -- the Revolution would never have succeeded without the active support of the American establishment.

But Cerami's book approaches the Founding from a fascinating new perspective -- the brashness of two brilliant young men, Madison and Hamilton. They were both in their 30s, and brought a fresh and aggressive approach to America's difficulties after the war. The Articles of Confederation were fundamentally flawed; a completely new government was required. Hamilton and Madison saw this with crystal clarity. They were anxious to move the process forward, as quickly as possible.

Cerami focuses on this providential nexus between national need and youthful genius. Had Madison and Hamilton been in their 50s, there would have been no new Constitution. The Convention would have simply amended the Articles. The states would have continued in their autonomy and weakness. And the American experiment would likely have failed.