James Madison and the Making of Ameri..., Kevin R. C. Gutzman
James Madison and the Making of Ameri..., Kevin R. C. Gutzman
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James Madison and the Making of America

Author: Kevin R. C. Gutzman

Narrator: Arthur Morey

Unabridged: 15 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/27/2012


Synopsis

In James Madison and the Making of America, historian Kevin
Gutzman looks beyond the way James Madison is traditionally seen—as
"The Father of the Constitution"—to find a more complex and sometimes
contradictory portrait of this influential Founding Father and the ways
in which he influenced the spirit of today's United States.  Instead of
an idealized portrait of Madison, Gutzman treats listeners to the
flesh-and-blood story of a man who often performed his founding deeds in
spite of himself: Madison's fame rests on his participation in the
writing of The Federalist Papers and his role in drafting the
Bill of Rights and Constitution.

Today, his contribution to those
documents is largely misunderstood. Madison thought that the Bill of Rights
was unnecessary and insisted that it not be included in the
Constitution, a document he found entirely inadequate and predicted
would soon fail. He helped to create the first American political
party, the first party to call itself "Republican", but only after he
had argued that political parties, in general, were harmful. Madison
served as Secretary of State and then as President during the early
years of the United States and the War of 1812; however, the American
foreign policy he implemented in 1801–1817 ultimately resulted in the
British burning down the Capitol and the White House.

In so many ways,
the contradictions both in Madison's thinking and in the way he governed
foreshadowed the conflicted state of our Union now.  His greatest
legacy—the disestablishment of Virginia's state church and adoption of
the libertarian Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom—is often omitted
from discussion of his career.  Yet, understanding the way in which
Madison saw the relationship between the church and state is key to
understanding the real man.  Kevin Gutzman's James Madison and the Making of America promises to become the standard biography of our fourth President.

About Kevin R. C. Gutzman

Kevin R. C. Gutzman is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution and Virginia's American Revolution and coauthor of Who Killed the Constitution? He is a professor of history at Western Connecticut State University. Kevin lives in Bethel, Connecticut.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Aimee on May 19, 2024

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I totally agree with Caren, this book does read like a textbook. I'm a huge history buff, and I love reading about it. But I too could not get though it.......more

Goodreads review by Justin on April 26, 2017

I received this Advance Reading Copy through Goodreads First Reads program, so I'll refrain from any quoting or commentary on spelling and proofing. Gutzman has obviously done a tremendous amount of research to put this book together. If what you're looking for is a more textbook telling of James Mad......more

Goodreads review by Stacey on August 26, 2014

I won this book as a First Reads ARC. Let me start by saying what this book is not - this is not a biography as I think of McCullough's "John Adams" or Chernow's "Hamilton" as biographies. If I were looking for "James Madison and the Making of America" in a brick and mortar book store, I'd expect to......more

Goodreads review by Steve on March 03, 2020

Ask average persons on the street who is the most revered founding father and they'll likely say "Washington" or "Jefferson". Fair enough: Washington for his guiding example of leadership (more for what he could have done but didn't) and Jefferson for his lofty political ideals. But, if you want to......more

Goodreads review by Robert on June 21, 2013

Dull, dry and dispassionate. I gave it four stars because if you're looking for a "just the facts, ma'am" biography that will make you look smart when some blowhard starts popping off about the Constitution at a dinner party, this baby does the trick. Sadly, in the author's hands Madison becomes kin......more