Hard-Headed Idealist [Book review of short Madison bio]

Wall St Journal ^ | OCTOBER 13, 2011 | Review by ARAM BAKSHIAN JR.

[Pharmboy]

Hard-Headed Idealist

The man who drafted the Bill of Rights later helped Thomas Jefferson conduct a back-channel propaganda war..

Yes, George Washington was the father of our country, but who fathered its politics? Certainly not Washington, who detested the very notion of partisanship and did his best to govern as First Magistrate, above the interests of "faction." His successor, the honest but hyper-irascible John Adams, was temperamentally incapable of cold political calculation, one reason that he was so vulnerable to attack during his single presidential term. Thomas Jefferson, who cultivated an above-the-fray, nonpolitical persona, had a keen private appreciation of political maneuvering but preferred to leave the heavy lifting, and occasional dirty work, to loyal subordinates. Which brings us to the most trusted and able of those subordinates, Jefferson's fellow Virginian James Madison.

Madison is remembered today as one of the key framers of the Constitution and the drafter of the Bill of Rights; as the husband of the vivacious Dolley Madison; and as the president who barely escaped capture by the British punitive expedition that raided Washington during the War of 1812. But he deserves to be remembered for a great deal more. Richard Brookhiser, in the latest in his series of concise and highly readable books about the Founding Fathers, conveys the man in full and files a strong paternity suit pointing to Madison as the father of American politics.

[Pharmboy]

Brookhiser is one of the good guys...

[Pharmboy]

'Nuff said...

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...

[iowamark]

http://www.amazon.com/James-Madison-Richard-Brookhiser/dp/0465019838

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for the link...

[the OlLine Rebel]

Great! Another gift idea for my mom, who loves biographies of Founders (and had the Washington book by Brookhiser).

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks Pharmboy. I think I saw this while out and about this week. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[aculeus]

Sounds good!