James Madison: A Biography

by Ralph Louis Ketcham

The best one volume biography of Madison’s life, Ketcham’s biography not only traces Madison’s career, it gives readers a sense of the man. As Madison said of his early years in Virginia under the study of Donald Robertson, who introduced him to thinkers like Montaigne and Montesquieu, "all that I have been in life I owe largely to that man." It also captures a side of Madison that is less rarely on display (including a portrait of the beautiful Dolley Madison).

Genres: Biography, Presidents, History, Nonfiction, American History, Us Presidents, Politics

753 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

A specialist in American constitutional and political theory in the early republic and a former editor of the papers of James Madison, Ralph Ketcham was Maxwell Professor of Citizenship and Public Affairs emeritus at Syracuse University. Ketcham attended the Coast Guard Academy, Allegheny College, and Colgate University before earning his doctorate in Ameican Studies from the Maxwell School in 1956. Prior to his appointment to Syracuse in 1963 Ketcham taught at the University of Chicago and Yale University, and he taught at Syracuse until his retirement in 1997.

Reviews

[Mark Muckerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much of a good thing. Clearly a labor of love, in his quest to provide us the fullest picture of Madison, the author fails in the most fundamental responsibility of a biographer: to consume, process and digest every iota of information, but then to sort the significant from the insignificant, in order to paint a picture of a man that is complete, but is relevant. Ketcham fails miserably; in producing a volume of 650+ pages to tell a story that needed no more than 400.

I've only read the one biography on Madison (and rest assured, it's put me well off any desire to read another), but I'm confident that Ketcham has produced the definitive work on our fourth President in terms of completeness of research and minutae of detail. Therein lies his undoing, as what could be a great story of one of our greatest, and most overlooked Founding Fathers, instead becomes a laborious exercise in tedium; a quest for the reader to persevere, in which each new chapter restarts a Sysiphan struggle for progress.

It is important to know Madison's origins, his role in shaping and defending the Constitution, his legislative background, family and relationship with Jefferson, his service under Jefferson, his term in office and the War of 1812, and his retirement years as they laid the foundation for education in Virginia. That's 350-400 pages.

What is not important is what he ate, where he slept, how the roads were, who sat next to him, how many times he was afflicted with a "bilious fever" in his life, and the dozens of verbatim descriptions of his appearance, all of which are identical. Such insignifica burden the text and the reader with another 200+ pages of clutter, which add nothing material to the story or to understanding the portrait of the man.

Perhaps someday in the far off future I'll tackle another Madison biography, provided it does not exceed 400 pages. Sadly, I cannot recommend this one to anyone, even as punishment.

P.S. - at the end, he hits an iceberg and everyone dies.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I debated the rating because this is like a 4.5-star, or 4.75 star. But it's just so good in the way it plunges you into Madison's world! And there are all these anecdotes peppered throughout that give the flavor of the colonial world and really humanize the people who are known to us as abstract historical figures. I loved that stuff!

It's really detailed, though. So if you don't like details (which - why not? It's A)historical B)biography, a good place for details, no?) you might not be thrilled. I did read 40-50 pages at a time several times. I recommend reading it in big chunks if it all possible -- just taking a couple Sunday afternoons and doing 150-200 pages.

In short, James and his Virginia buddies and Dolley and her parents and Lafayette and many others are just awesome, and they are worth your time. And we all owe Ketcham a huge debt for painstakingly researching and writing this thing.

On to Monroe...

[Aaron Million · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being one of the pre-eminent Founding Fathers, James Madison gets less biographical attention than do George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Prior to reading this biography by Ralph Ketcham, I wondered why that was. After reading it, I think much if not all of the lack of attention has to do with Madison's understated personality. Washington is commonly referred to as the father of the country, willingly gave up power not once but twice, and had a dominant, magnetic personality. Jefferson was a man of the world, well-traveled (especially for his time) and author of the Declaration of Independence. Franklin was so many things other than a Founder that, had his life ended in 1775, he still would have been famous for his scientific, printing press, and public service deeds, not to mention Poor Richard's Almanac. But Madison was not like these men, although he was - like Washington and Jefferson - a wealthy Virginia planter and slave-owner.

Ketcham is slow to get this book going. Much time is spent on Madison's youth and education. Sickly from when he was a boy, Madison was prone to periods of ill health and fevers, yet he lived to age 85. Madison was born into wealth and privilege but went north for college, to the College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton). He did not really want to practice law, although he studied it, and eventually drifted into public service first at the local level, then the state level, and finally nationally. While the creation of the Constitution and the subsequent Amendments have Madison's fingerprints on them as much or more than any other man's, he preferred to remain in the background, grinding out his work in committees, not seeking the limelight. Also, unlike Franklin and Jefferson, or John Adams and James Monroe, Madison steadfastly refused any overseas assignment, repeatedly citing ill-health and (his own) weak constitution.

It is well past halfway through the book before Ketcham gets to when Madison becomes Jefferson's Secretary of State. Much time is devoted to Madison's labors in the Constitutional Convention, in the Virginia House of Delegates, and his collaboration with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay on The Federalist Papers. Be prepared for lots of analysis surrounding political theory and constitutional issues. You can't learn about Madison without reading this part of his life as it is essential to both he and the nation. But it sure is dry! I found myself struggling to get through these sections - the material is dense and not easily absorbed on the first pass. I'm not sure if Ketcham could have made it more interesting - possibly, as his writing style will not be confused with Ron Chernow's, but there is only so much you can do to enliven such a subject.

Also, even though Madison went on to be Secretary of State for eight years, and then President for eight more years, I think that he actually peaked in the late 1780s/early 1790s with his superb work on the Constitution and his subsequent campaign, with Hamilton, to try to sell it to the new country. He later came to opposite conclusions on federal vs state power than Hamilton did, which helped usher in factions, which quickly became political parties (with Madison being a Republican, and Hamilton a Federalist). I found Madison inconsistent in his positions concerning that issue - originally he advocated for a strong central government as the the weak Articles of Confederation weren't working for anyone during most of the 1780s. Later on though, he moved towards the states' rights camp, although never all the way there. I think he saw Hamilton over-reaching on the federal scale and he felt that he needed to provide a counter-balance to him, with the end result Madison moving too far towards the states.

The big event during his years at the State Department was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Given Jefferson's known views that the executive branch did not have the authority to do something like buy a gigantic chunk of land from France and make it part of the United States, he (and Madison) somehow seemed to set aside their constitutional scruples and not kick a gifted horse in the face when they saw one. Jefferson seemed to have more trouble with it than Madison did, but I still found Madison somewhat waffling from situation to situation as it related to what powers the federal government did or did not have.

As for his time as President, honestly Madison was not one of our best. Actually, I don't think he was very good. The War of 1812 occurred on his watch, and just about everything that could go wrong, did. While Madison did not inherit an easy situation from Jefferson as it concerned British impressment of American sailors, and French destruction of American ships, he allowed himself to be goaded into a war declaration by Congressional militants such as Henry Clay. The U.S. was nowhere close to prepared to take on Britain, with a very small army and almost non-existent navy. Was all of this Madison's fault? Not at all. Congress bears much of the blame as many members wanted war but refused to adequately fund it.

But Madison really made things worse by making awful selections for Cabinet secretaries. John Armstrong could not have done a worse job as Secretary of War, running William Henry Harrison out of the army because he didn't like him, trying to circumvent Madison's orders, bickering with generals, failing to take the British threat to Washington D.C. seriously, and fleeing the scene of battle when it happened. Madison should never have appointed him, and was painfully slow to fire him. He had to make James Monroe, his Secretary of State, do double duty as acting Secretary of War. Monroe himself made mistakes during the war, although he remained loyal to Madison and personally put himself in harm's way. The other Cabinet members, aside from Albert Gallatin who was sent to Europe as one of the peace commissioners, were not helpful to Madison. Washington D.C. was ransacked and pretty well destroyed by the British. It is hard to think of much worse of an outcome for Madison, short of him being captured.

So how did Ketcham treat Madison? While he did criticize Madison for some of his failings, especially later in the book, overall I think he was too generous. For example, he went far too easy on Madison as a slave-owner. On page 148, he writes "...he abhorred the institution of slavery and sought to have as little as possible to do with it." Yet on page 272 he gets a "Negro servant boy" at the request of a French woman. Well, if he didn't want to have anything to do with slavery, I doubt he would have been as obliging to the lady. Yet Ketcham continues to paint Madison with a friendly brush on this topic, saying on page 374 "Evident, too, in Madison's farm papers is his continuing humaneness toward his slaves...". Well, I am truly am glad that he was kind to them and that he didn't beat them. Truly. Because other owners certainly did. Yet, how much credit do you give someone like Madison, when the bottom line is that he did own other people and, despite stating that he wanted to, never freed his slaves either during his lifetime or upon his death (as Washington did with some of his slaves).

I do feel compelled to point out, in fairness to Ketcham, that late in the book he is more circumspect on this subject and is not as friendly towards Madison on it. On page 629, he writes: "Beyond his invariably humane treatment, which made a slave's life at Montpelier as tolerable as possible, Madison failed utterly to do anything about what he always regarded as a moral evil and an economic catastrophe. He depended all his life on the labor of slaves; he did nothing effective to diminish the baneful place of the despised institution in the social fabric of Virginia...". I think this, while still too rosy for my liking, is a more accurate reading of Madison's relation to slavery than what Ketcham wrote earlier in the book.

On a different subject, I also found Ketcham to be too pro-Madison. No matter who his partner was, it always seemed that Madison was the greater intellect, the one with the brains behind the operation, the one pushing others towards a solution. One example is the aforementioned Louisiana Purchase. On page 422 Ketcham writes that "In effect, Madison joined Jefferson (perhaps led him) in insisting that the circumstances surrounding particular acts must guide the degree to which strict construction was carried.... One suspects that in their discussions at Monticello in September 1803, Jefferson and Madison covered these points, and that more than once the secretary brought the President around to his more flexible view." So, credit Madison, not so much Jefferson, for the Louisiana Purchase. Perhaps so. But even Ketcham admits we don't know. This was a pattern that Ketcham repeated in Madison's relationships with Washington and Hamilton. Generally I am skeptical of one person always looking better than everyone else they collaborate with.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the impressive Dolley Madison. She was integral to Madison finding happiness, and despite not having any children of their own together, she brought him into her large family, and for the most part (except one irresponsible younger relative) this enriched Madison's life. Ketcham goes out of his way to describe Dolley in detail, including her family life prior to marrying Madison. While I appreciate him adding the personal part of Madison's life to the narrative, as he should have, sometimes he tended to get carried away with describing parties that Dolley hosted: who dressed in what, who attended, what the food was, those types of things. A little of that can go a long way.

Despite this being a long book and lengthy read, I found a few things missing that I wish had been included. Ketcham does not really examine how Madison's relationship with Washington soured. I know why it did, but only from reading books on Washington, not really from Ketcham. Equally, Ketcham does not delve too deeply into the estrangement and then reconciliation that Madison experienced with Monroe. And finally, Madison was a titanic figure in American history. What he said and did still matters today, as much as it ever did. We are living in the system that he bears a significant contribution to. Even today - perhaps especially today - people argue over what he and others meant while writing the Constitution. I say this to point out that Ketcham gives no final review of Madison's life and accomplishments, no discussion of the legacy he left behind. This was disappointing. Although, at the same time, I must admit that I was more than ready to finish this book by the time I got to the end on page 671. This is a solid effort on Madison, and I learned much about him, but the narrative is frequently dry and the subject matter sometimes even drier. While I would have preferred a more neutral look at Madison, Ketcham provides enough criticism at times to keep it honest. I am giving it three stars because he obviously put a ton of work into it and in many spots he did strive to be fair and honest about Madison even though he did not always succeed at that in my view.

Grade: C+

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2013/...

“James Madison: A Biography” by Ralph Ketcham was published in 1971 and has long been considered by many the pre-eminent single volume biography of our fourth president. As an early editor of The Papers of James Madison, Ketcham was fortunate to have access to materials not available to earlier biographers. He is Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University (where he earned a PhD in 1956) and his most recent book “The Madisons at Montpelier” was published in 2009.

Although James Madison is not as well-known as other “Founding Fathers” he played a critical role in our nation’s earliest years – directly and behind-the-scenes. He is considered the “Father of the US Constitution” for his role in its drafting and passage, was a primary champion and author of the Bill of Rights, was a key advisor to Presidents Washington and Jefferson, served as Jefferson’s two-term Secretary of State and was the fourth President of the United States.

Ketcham’s “James Madison” is a sober, detailed, well-researched and lengthy treatment of Madison covering most aspects of his life – from his birth in 1751 at Belle Grove Plantation (more on this interesting site in a later post) until his death at Montpelier in 1836. While reading this 671 page tome, one imagines there must be little about Madison’s life which Ketcham did not include. And on the whole, Ketcham’s biography seems quite well-balanced and objective. Though bias in Madison’s favor shows slightly at times, the author is generally critical of Madison’s leadership style, his handling of the War of 1812, and his actions (and inactions) regarding slavery.

Ketcham provides a particularly detailed and penetrating account of the drafting, passage and ratification of the Constitution, describing Madison’s role as well as the parts played by numerous antagonists. After absorbing this section of the book and reflecting on the multitude of perils faced through ratification, it seems little short of a miracle that this pillar of our government survived the fractious political environment into which it was born. A few books focused on the founding of our country will soon appear on my “must read” list as a result of Ketcham’s description.

As seems typical for a book of this vintage, the author’s writing style can be garrulous and difficult to traverse and the subject matter frequently proves dense. Some have described large portions of the book as “boring” – a complaint difficult to argue, particularly when reflecting on the seemingly endless pages leading up to, and including, the War of 1812. Others lament occasionally tedious diversions into discussions of political philosophy. But given Madison’s particular skill set, it seems difficult to imagine a complete treatment of this deep political thinker not examining in detail his core political beliefs.

More regrettable in my view is that the one thing missing from this otherwise complete biography…is Madison himself. Despite its length and tendency for detail, the biography seems utterly devoid of vitality or warmth – or passion of any type – relating to its primary subject. Some of the blame may rest on Madison, who has been described as erudite but austere, mechanical and emotionally distant.

However, by the end of the book I felt exceedingly well-acquainted with Madison’s political activities…yet knew virtually nothing of him or his family on a personal level. And given her reputation as the nation’s most-loved “First Lady” I would have enjoyed getting to know better his famously gregarious wife, Dolley. I also felt the author missed an opportunity to better describe the extraordinarily unique and powerfully symbiotic relationship between Madison and Thomas Jefferson.

But what it may lack in personality or frivolity, Ralph Ketcham’s “James Madison: A Biography” makes up for in depth. It is a fabulously insightful, extremely detailed and objective examination of Madison’s political life, and his enormous contributions to this country. Certainly, this biography is missing is a personal touch which would serve to humanize Madison and animate the sometimes tedious aspects of his life. But while readers expecting a David McCullough style journey will be sorely (and quickly) disappointed, as an academic matter, this biography was excellent.

Overall rating: 3¾ stars

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Madison just may have been the brightest of the Founding Fathers, and probably one of the 3 or 4 smartest Presidents. His intellectual gifts were beyond dispute, acing his way through Princeton at the age of sixteen as he did. Yet his weaknesses as a leader showed up in his somewhat bumbling efforts during the War of 1812, where he apparently knew what needed to be done but couldn't bring these steps to fruition. His lifelong "republican" ideology, which viewed strong government as anathema, taxes as theft and strong military forces as a threat to democracy was fine and good during peacetime, but in the event of a war with a major power, this style of governing was almost the cause of a national catastrophe. However, one should remember that Madison enjoyed a long and fruitful career, became known as the "Father of the Constitution" and was revered as a great man both by his contemporaries and posterity. And his wife was the model that all First Ladies must still live up to! This readable biography is an excellent introduction to the man and to his era.

[Amanda Grinavich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one took me awhile - it's extremely detailed & well-researched. Very well done. I had no idea how much Madison contributed to the country before, during, and after his presidency. It's astounding. I'd kill to sit down to dinner with him, Washington, Adams, and Jefferson.

[ShirleyS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed and well-researched.
Difficult to read, but I persevered and in doing so I feel I got to know the 4th President a great deal better and appreciate his level-headedness.

[Bryan Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best one-volume biography on Madison. Although it is dense and not altogether geared to a general audience, Ketcham does a fine job in his balanced view of Madison. Ketcham's writing style is crisp as he skims along each topic giving you just enough, and I did not feel too bogged down. Madison shines through the Revolutionary/Early Republic period, but his presidency was not as strong. He did his best during the War of 1812, but his leadership in war were not as skilled as Washington, Lincoln, or FDR. You do appreciate him more after reading this book.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every year, for the last 4 years, I listen to a presidential biography. They are generally harder works for me to get through, but this one proved almost impossible.
A lot comes down to the audio narrator who honestly sounds like a computer reading the book - so much so that I at first looked it up to make sure it was actually a human. And for THIRTY EIGHT HOURS, that’s a lot.
It is too bad because Madison himself is an interesting man, and had the most interesting wife, but there was a lot I tuned out.
He was our first really smart (nerdy) president, and it was shocking to me how much of his first draft of the Constitution remains the same. He “abhorred” slavery but still owned many human beings. And he showed his capacity to politically grow & change by switching from a Federalist to an anti-Federalist in his pre-presidential career.
I wish I could have learned about him a different way, because this book did too much & with a very difficult narrator.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

By no means is this an easy biography to read. Written a couple of decades ago, it doesn't follow the new wave of historical biographies available today by Chernow, McCullough, and others. Newer works have access to new information not available even a couple of decades ago and the style of writing is much more accessible for the typical reader. Ketcham is old school - he's laying out the facts on James Madison's life and adding just a hint of his own commentary now and then as he sees fit. This makes for a very dense read, with quotes and lists and very detailed accounts of the major political events in Madison's life. A lot of quotes and lists and detailed accounts.

The first few hundred pages of the book take an effort on the reader's part to get through. Madison's early life and secondary role through the Revolution and the early parts of the new nation are necessary to understand how he developed into the integral Founding Father he became, but these years are less than engrossing. Ketcham details them nonetheless, until he finally hits his stride at the Constitutional Convention. This is where the academic Madison begins to truly shine and just as John Adams spearheaded the drive for independence, Madison (with Alexander Hamilton's help) leads the push for a strengthened national government to replace the Articles of Confederation.

The second half of the book moves along nicely and Ketcham does a much better job of holding the reader's interest during Madison's years as Secretary of State under Jefferson and during his own Presidency from 1809-1817. There is a low level bias to portray Madison in a positive light during these years, but it does not overwhelm the facts and Ketcham reserves some critical analysis of Madison at points through the text that provide a contrary view that is less than positive. The idea that Madison was a better behind-the-scenes support academic rather than an extraordinary leader is the final impression you get after reading this book, and probably a fairly accurate one.

The book succeeds in many ways, including focusing on Madison's long collaboration with Jefferson and how critical that relationship was to the new nation. Jefferson was the powerful visionary supported (and sometimes countered) by Madison's academic prowess and firm footing in translating ideas into a workable form. Ketcham supplements the political aspects of Madison's life with his personal life in just the right balance as well. Dolley Madison and the social world Madison lived in (including his life at Montpelier) are also given life through personal letters, newspapers, and third-party accounts of the couple.

Where the book fails (which is rare) is the lack of connection to the rest of the events during Madison's life that don't directly involve him. Washington's death doesn't even get a mention in the book, while Hamilton's death at Aaron Burr's hand is given one sentence. Surely these events and others of great national consequence deserve additional attention. Dolley Madison's life after Madison's death also is not described and would have been a good inclusion to complete the cycle of his influence in the years between his death and the Civil War.

Overall a great book, probably the best and most thorough on Madison available. Newer works do not seem to be as in-depth and also contain a greater positive bias for Madison and his impact. He is definitely one of the big 6 (with Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Franklin) of the Founding Fathers and a truly remarkable man, but just like his illustrious peers he also had his unique faults and failures throughout his life. You can't say this book gives a strong personal impression of the Madison, but the reader comes away with a strong conviction that Madison was essential to new nation, faults and all, and was truly irreplaceable in our national history.

[RYD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though he was one of the Founding Fathers, I admittedly didn't know that much about James Madison before I read this biography. The book gave a good picture of Madison's personality and his contribution to the country's birth. Its writing was rather dry, though, which is a problem for a nearly 700-page work.

[Brian Miracle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long read, but worth it if you want to know Madison. Stephen Floyd (www.bestpresidentialbios.com) recommends this as the best Madison biography and I would agree. The book does a good job of showing Madison and his interactions with the other great men of his age. Also shows the immense contributions that Madison made to the founding and shaping of our republic.

[Furnison · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a reference book if you need to look up a detail about James Madison this is very good. As a book for the general reader interested in history, it is remarkably dull and boring.

[Zorlon Zorlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Operation Read Every President's Biography

Our 4th president is considered by some to be one of the more elusive Founding Fathers...more like Founding Farter! Seriously, Madison had more fart attacks ("bilious attacks" as his letters put them) than Jabba the Hutt at a baked bean eating contest. But that isn't the most interesting thing about him, although it's certainly up there. Yes, Madison was sickly, small, gassy, and had a fear of public speaking. He was also wildly uninteresting and therefore not very good fodder for a biography: he was no drunk, never sought the company of loose women (or men, for that matter, I'm looking at you John Randolph of Roanoke!), and seems to have been a 50-year old virgin which was around the age he was when he married his way more interesting wife.
I'll be more frank: "elusive" is just a nice way of saying "irrepressibly dull". Scholars just try to be nice.
On the other hand, there is much of interest swirling around Madison since he was one of the most pivotal dudes in a more and more questionable, "formative" age of our "great" country. I put all that in quotes because as one studies the first, say, fifty years of US history, you will begin to recognize certain trends that may seem strangely familiar. Madison was a big part of it. He basically wrote our Constitution yet was a committed Jeffersonian small-r republican who wasn't above gutting the federal government for really no reason whatsoever. (Guess what, Jimmy? Actually having a navy might've kept the Brits from invading Washington and burning your house down.) Keep in mind that Madison was one of the authors of a little something called The Federalist Papers which basically argued for ratification of the Constitution. You can see he was a little inconsistent. He also "abhorred" slavery but never freed his own slaves, despite the noble example of Edward Coles and others in his circle. Anyway, it's easy to find blame in these early years for a lot of what we find so stupid today (political hypocrisy, shrill states' rights advocates who are also hypocrites). Madison was a key player, despite his awkward social persona. He was a fine political writer and was a major behind-the-scenes player, advising Washington, Jefferson, and even Hamilton!
Ketcham's scholarship is impeccable and if the work seems boring that's because Madison was about as exciting as having your lips slowly pressed between the pages of a telephone book by a narcoleptic pencil sharpener. Since Madison the man is so dull, Ketcham focuses heavily on his political writings and political career often to a degree of detail that might be daunting to the lay reader, so the strengths and weaknesses are not his fault.

[Rachel N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very comprehensive biography of the fourth president of the U.S.
The good: The part of the book detailing the writing of the U.S. constitution was fascinating. The biographies of the first three presidents I read didn't have much at all about the constitution and it was information I didn't know. The sections covering Madison's time as secretary of state to Jefferson and the War of 1812 while Madison was president were also very well done and informative.
The bad: Sometimes the author goes into too much detail, especially at the beginning of the book. The book starts with Madison's family tree going back multiple generations which was boring and confusing because people's names kept getting thrown in and after a bit I didn't know who anyone was. There was also a very long section detailing everything Madison studied in college. A little info to help show how his ideas developed was needed but this was overkill.
Overall: I recommend the book but unless you are extremely interested in Madison I suggest skimming or skipping the first few chapters.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsure if Madison was a boring man or if this was a boring biography. He probably had the best legal mind of any of the founding fathers but that did not prevent this from being a drag at times.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and presented! This is an excellent comprehensive biography on the entire life of James Madison. I believe it does much honor to the Father of the Consitution. My favorite quote of the book is, "It seems clear he neither embraced fervently nor rejected utterly the Christian base of his education. He accepted its tenets generally and formed his outlook on life within its worldview." Our founders may not have all embraced Christianity, but no honest research of our history cannot say that we were not positively influenced by the Christian worldview in a profound way. Your worldview is everything and shows what you believe. This says a lot about the history of our country!

[Justin Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's encyclopedic in detail which is a double-edged sword. It's not written in the easiest style, and can certainly get bogged down at times. However of all the early presidents Madison's life story probably most benefits from extreme detail: his genius was based in granular policy-making and nuanced navigation of turbulent times rather than sweeping victories, simplified ideology, or charisma. He was the enlightened philosopher of the revolution, which in my opinion makes the extra effort associated with diving headlong into the weeds well worth it, and this this book worth investing your time into.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so good; so thorough and expertly balanced. Ketchum is able to write about all of Madison's awesome contributions, his political writing, and his shortcomings, without coming off as biased in anyway. I especially appreciated the details Ketchum gave about the federal convention.

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was doing my doctoral work I first began to read about our fourth President, James Madison. For a very long time scholarship on early presidents stopped at Jefferson. There were tons of biographies on Washington, Jefferson and Adams. For almost 50 years the definitive biography of James Madison came from a distinguished Syracuse professor named Ralph Ketchum. I read his biography which was published in the early 70s. For someone who was described as frail in early childhood, the fourth president had a remarkable series of careers over a life that stretched more than 80 years.

He started off as a son of a wealthy planter in Orange County Virginia. He decided to go to the College of New Jersey (Princeton) and became its first graduate student under the tutelage of Scottish Enlightenment philosopher John Witherspoon. He then got into politics and in the time leading up to the independence movement read assiduously about how governments function. He came to the Constitutional Convention as the best prepared member. He took meticulous notes on the Convention’s debates.

When the Constitution was in the process of being adopted he wrote 26 of the 85 essays in the Federalist. I think it can be argued that his essays are the most definitive including #51 which is about the clearest statement on the limits of government that has ever been written.

When independence was won, he took key roles in the new national administration serving joint roles as a leader in Congress and a key aide to Washington. He eventually rotated into the Presidency after Jefferson. He was president during the War of 1812 which ultimately ended England’s petulance at the loss of its former colony.

But then comes a remarkable almost 20 year period where he presided as the intellectual godfather from his plantation called Montpelier. During that period many prominent people made the trek to the house to consult. Ketchum wrote a great history of that period called The Madisons at Montpelier.

In the last decade there have been a series of partial biographies of Madison exploring one or more aspects of his life. Noah Feldman, Lynne Cheney and Jay Cost each penned great books worth reading.

What would compel me to go back to Ketchum? First, it is the most comprehensive and I think for the most part Ketchum deals with the nuances of Madison’s thought effectively. That being said after 40 years of more reading I want to think about the conclusions which the author came to. There are two areas where I think Ketchum got Madison wrong.

The first relates to the problem addressed in the differences between national and federal systems, There is a lot of confusion on this point. The Founders understood that the Articles were not working and wanted to give more authority (but not too much authority) the the national government. Ketchum seems to argue that Madison was a closet nationalist. I think, if indeed he meant that, the conclusion is wrong. Madison spent a good deal of his life including the year before the convention, studying political systems using his own and Jefferson’s libraries. While the central government got more authority, it was circumscribed. The Ninth and Tenth amendments are clear statements of the limits. The early progressives simply ignored that subtlety. Some writers like Gary Wills simply ignore the evidence of Madison’s nuances and Ketchum clearly does not. But this time I kept coming back to Madison’s writings across several decades. Like the discussions of the religious clauses of the First Amendment, there is plenty of room to debate.

The second concern relates to the role of the Chief Executive. I think Ketchum argues that Madison did not actually believe in the three co-equal branches of government. A good deal of the early history of the country, with Madison in the center in many places, had a devolution of power to the executive function. But if one reads Federalist 51 there is no question that Madison was ultimately very skeptical of unchallenged power in governmental systems.
Even with those two minor quibbles Ketchum’s is clearly the foundational biography of our fourth President and even with all the new scholarship it remains the base line history.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this journey to read all about the founding fathers to see to what it was that they all found. This book is a heavy one, a big fat heavy book for a tiny spindly slight little man - interesting. I think the book is heavy not only because the life of this father was so long it's also on account of his brain being so large. I mean he did write our beloved constitution. Can you imagine being yelled at for breaking laws and then being able to say "but I wrote the dang laws! I'm the daddy of this country's law and I can relieve myself wherever I damn well please officer!" Most men can only aspire to such social status. There were many things in the book which I'd predicted. I knew Louisiana was gonna get purchased. I swear. When I first read the word Louisiana I turned to the gentleman what sat next to me on the bus and said "I bet this Louisiana is gonna get itself purchased by book's end - and sure enough! I know not a lot is said about J.M. in school houses so I will take your FAQ's right here.
Q. Did he have slaves?
A. Yep.
Q. Did he free his slaves?
A.Nope. But he thought on it a good while.
Q.So what's the deal with him and old Jefferson? You know....
A.Nothing untoward as far as I could tell.
Q.War of 1812. What's the deal?
A.Whelp, England didn't want to believe that America was big enough for her britches so they challenged her and tried to impress her sailers - not by putting on a magic show for em but by stealing em off of boats. Jemmy said "No!" and we fought a war for our dignity.
Q.Did we need to fight that war?
A. Yes. If dignity matters to ya
Q.What did Jemmy think of that fella from the play ole Alex Hamilton?
A.They liked each other once but then had a fallen out over money it seems. Then they disagreement was ended when Alex's spine caught a bullet from the man who introduced Jemmy to his wife Dolly Madison (true story)
Q.What was Madison's true height?
A. 5'6" Thereabouts (if you're a historian who liked him. 5'4" if ya didn't) I kinda liked the fella so he'll stand tall in my telling of his tales.
Q.Did he have children?
A.No
Q.Was that on accounta his love for Mr. Jefferson?
A.I answered that before. No! I think it is because something might have been wrong with his sperm (true)
Q. If Madison knew so much about constitution writing why didn't he leave no instructions for us so as we could interpret the dang thing?
A.Madison hated to spoil surprises. He wanted us to figure out the ending for ourselves.

All in all I recommend this book on this here 4th of July to all those what love writers of laws, and fathers of countries and lovers of liberty. (It's a dense one though-seriously) Since I made it through the whole affair please feel free to pepper me with your questions.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thorough, and thoroughly dry, overly warm, and somewhat lopsided bio of the father of the bill of rights.

Ketcham's mammoth 1971 single volume biography of the 4th president came out well before the "rehabilitation" of either Adams or Hamilton, so the Federalists (high and low) present a consistent minor antagonist to Ketcham's Madison.

I say "minor" because this biography, while not quite hagiographic, rides the line a little too closely as the biggest obstacle Madison ever seems to face his commitment to republican principles (or "bilious fever" which is described repeatedly). It's a little too much like when a job interviewer asks for your biggest character flaw and you answer, "I work too hard." -- Ketcham's Madison is never naive (re foreign relations), hypocritical (re Constitutional authority), or downright wrong (Embargo Act) -- no, he's always SO supremely committed to his republican principles that any and every decision he makes, no matter how destructive its consequences, requires just a refinement of the argument.

That's not to say Madison was *bad* -- he was generally a poor leader/executive, and a better legislative force -- far from it, but Ketcham's portrayal rarely exposes his subject to any actual criticism that isn't of a "he cared too much" variety. Only his failure to secure Washington from the British in the war of 1812 does Madison really come in for some criticism from Ketcham. Even the disastrous Embargo Act (signed by Jefferson but championed by Madison) gets at best a "eh, it wasn't that bad...and they meant well" treatment.

That aside, the biography itself is severely lopsided. After leaving the Presidency in 1817, the book goes into fast forward and the last 20 years of his life is blown through far too quickly--especially as compared to the first half of the book. The first half barely takes us to the Constitutional Convention and is OVERDONE with minutiae of Madison's early life -- everything from weather to foods to road conditions on his travels (all sourced appropriately, but dry as can be). It teeters precariously on the boring...

That's the major drawback to this bio, it's so wrapped up in inconsequential details of Madison's early life that I almost checked out by the time the meatier stuff of the Constitution FINALLY made an entrance and became far more engaging as a result. But it was almost too little, too late, for such a ponderous work.

Ultimately, Ketcham's "James Madison" is packed with information. And some of it is interesting.

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my journey through presidential biographies has unfolded I've sort inadvertently saved James Madison, in spite of being one of the most important, primarily because there are so many biographies and none are especially recent or distinguished above the others. Down to just Madison, Tyler and Van Buren now I figured it was time to just pick one and go and I'm pretty happy that I ended up with this one.

This book was a big and fairly dry single volume cradle to grave but what made it great was that it leaned heavily into the parts of Madison's biography that I was most excited to learn about; the constitutional convention and the political philosophy that undergirds the US constitution. Ketcham spends a lot of time teeing up Madison's education and studies of past republics and democracies as well as the ancient and enlightenment philosophy and uses that background to basically go article by article through the the constitution as it was written. He also does a great job showing the context and the personalities involved, and the sticking points and efforts to torpedo the convention, and the fight to ratify after including the Federalist Papers.

The book also gives a fairly apologetic view of Madison's less remarkable presidency and political career, which well illustrates how quickly things get messy when you move from theory to practice.

There's a lot of early American foreign policy here, with America serving as a heavily abused pawn in the Napoleonic wars and leading up to the war of 1812, all of which left me freshly pissed at both the British and the French in spite of the 200 years.

[Elizabeth Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painstakingly researched, at times a bit painfully detailed, otherwise excellent biography of James Madison. In other presidential biographies, I've appreciated the additional detail about the social mores of the time and the additional people in the particular president's life, but in this case, I think the book could have benefitted from some additional editing.

Madison, among the most brilliant of our presidents, was described alternately as charming and engaging and as socially awkward and, had they used the word back when he was alive, nerdy. The concepts he had, from a fairly young age, and the fact that he commanded such respect from others while being otherwise fairly unassuming. Based on this book, Madison didn't seem to display the narcissism inherent in anyone actually wanting the job of president in the first place, although this may have been connected to him being only the fourth president (then again, second president John Adams was a total narcissist so maybe not...).

Madison, instead, wanted to work -- he had ideas, and not unlike Alexander Hamilton, could barely keep up with getting all his ideas and concepts down on paper. This book made me want to re-read the Federalist Papers, which I likely haven't laid eyes on since high school.

A fascinating president, an even more fascinating time in the country's history. Definitely recommend this book -- just feel like it could have been a bit tighter.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t look forward to reading this book. Don’t judge a book by its cover, they say, but, dang - it’s an ugly cover. On the front is a horrible, craggy rendition of Madison looking severely at the reader. The back cover has a summary of the book that includes the following descriptive words and phrases: “bulky, solid and scholarly…in detail...lengthy accounts…not exactly interesting reading…something less than exciting.”

Reviews on Goodreads are a mixed bag. People seem to either love it or hate it. But this is was the biography chosen by the Goodreads History Group for discussion of Madison. So, with a heavy sigh, I resigned myself to read it. And I’m glad I did, because it is wonderful.

Ketcham was a professor of political science, public affairs and American studies at Syracuse University. The University website tells us that Ketcham “specialized in constitutional and political theory, especially as it emerged and evolved during the era of the first U.S. presidents. Ketcham’s books in this vein included the acclaimed biographies of …James Madison….”

Ketcham, an expert in Constitutional and political theory, writes about Madison, who is perhaps history’s foremost expert with regard to the practical application of enlightened governmental theory. Between the author and his subject, James Madison: A Biography contains a large dose of constitutional and political theory, but I thought it was easy to swallow. I understand why many reviewers might describe the biography as dry, too detailed, too long, etc. This book does address theory, philosophy, and history, and Ketcham’s analysis is detailed, thorough, and well supported. James Madison: A Biography is absolutely awesome if the reader welcomes the application of Ketcham’s expertise to Madison’s story.

For instance, the development of Madison’s ideas regarding the role of factions in a large republic made for really interesting reading. Yeah, I know, how can this be interesting? I’m sure for a large segment of readers this topic is a snoozer. But the Constitutional Convention was this crazy intersection of philosophy, governmental theory and the American Revolution – the practical application of enlightened abstract theory to the real world – at a critical, pivotal moment in time.

Madison had no delusions about humankind’s selfish nature and was unwilling to risk the ideal of freedom on a belief in the good nature of humans. He uses human nature to secure our freedom in a way that would make it difficult for any ruler or majority to suppress others. His idea was to enlarge the republic and rest the power of government on a broad base of the populous, who, with their diverse interests, would not allow a majority to rule, or when a majority did rule, that the diverse interests would make it difficult to galvanize the majority into action.

Ketcham does a great job of showing the reader the development of Madison’s theory. Madison saw the utility of faction at work in Virginia in 1784 and 85 when Governor Patrick Henry sponsored legislation to create a religious assessment which was in essence a state sponsored church. Madison managed to invigorate Baptist and other denominations to oppose the measure, and it was defeated. These religious factions similarly situated, but with divergent interests, secured religious freedom from governmental interference.

Madison carried this idea - that of providing divergent factions in a large republic an interest in government as a means to protect liberty – into the constitutional convention. There it was woven into the Constitution. After the convention, Madison writes of the utility of faction in Federalist #10 as a reason to support radification.

While I always understood our Constitution to be deliberately calculated to provide checks and balances, I was never introduced to Madison’s theory. I’ve always thought of our American liberty as resting on ideals of fairness or perhaps toleration and restraint, as well as law. Madison’s theory is more Machiavellian or Hobbesian, ascribing to the belief that humans are primarily motivated by selfish concerns, and those interests should be bound together and pitted against one another. In doing so Madison sought to save us, not only from oppression at the hands of government, but also from our own worst inclinations. Ketcham’s presentation of this theory resonates with me and gives me a bit more clarity about our government and its appearance of perennial paralysis. As I am writing this review, a Republican controlled Congress and Republican President couldn’t manage to agree on immigration legislation. It’s interesting that Washington, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, were all frustrated during their years in government and relieved to retire from their posts. Perhaps their frustrations, as well as ours today, are the deliberate result of our republic’s design.

If this type of thing sounds like your cup of tea, then you'll love this book. History lessons abound and Ketcham's insights and commentary are really, really good.

James Madison: A Biography is a good biography, but it is a great history book. I read another reviewer who said this book help him “understand the deeper currents flowing through the first years of our nation.” Another said “a clear window to the beginning of our republic.” I concur wholeheartedly with both comments. If you want a deeper understanding of this time period, our government, the nature of the relationships between the founding fathers, the rise of the Federalist and Republican parties, the demise of the Federalist party, the degree to which Jefferson and Madison stayed true to their Republicanism once in a position of power, and much more, then read this book.

Goodreads has the consensus rating at 3.93, and that may be true as a biography, but, in my opinion, it’s a 5 star history book.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This does, unfortunately, stretch and stretch in some areas, and for every ten pages of interesting information absolutely germane to knowing the man, there are one or two that absolutely do not seem to matter. It often feels like a product of indecision, the author seemingly unable or unwilling to part with any scrap of information.

As exhausting as it could be, it was at least illuminating, and this matters because Madison never seemed to me as talked about or as revered today as many of his illustrious contemporaries. As with most Presidential biographies I've spent time with, I've identified things about him that I like and admire, as well as myriad failings, and I come away as conflicted as I began, albeit more knowledgeable.

Overall, this is a very solid and well-researched tome that could have benefitted from a little trimming here and there, but that didn't keep me away, and I don't think it should keep anyone else away, either.

[Nate Lanning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the 4 presidential biographies I have read so far this was the least exciting. James Madison had an unmeasurable impact on the founding of our country, he was the father of the constitution after all, but as a person he was just not as interesting as Washington, Adams, or Jefferson. The first half of this book is a bit of a slog but it picks up a bit during Jefferson’s presidency where Madison plays a critical role as advisor and friend of the 3rd president. The most interesting part of this biography was Madison’s presidency, especially the war of 1812 which I did not know much about. Overall this biography, though a bit dry at times, gives a good cradle to grave narrative of the 4th president.

[Colleen Crayton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was incredibly detailed. Too much so. Although I admire the amount of research, I did not need to know what Madison, Washington, and Jefferson had for lunch during the constitutional convention. Still a worthwhile read, but it was a slog.

[Christian Dibblee · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a few overarching thoughts for a book of this density. First, I will freely admit portions of this book are boring, and it is about as academic a read as one could ever hope to find on a president.

Madison presents a fascinating case, primarily because he has not elicited the same kind of attention that the other Founders have. There have been maybe two well-regarded books on Madison in the last 15 years. Ketcham’s effort is from the 1970s, and still resonates.

On Madison the person, I found the same contradictions that Jefferson presents. He advocated something akin to nationalism at the Constitutional Convention, only to change when in opposition, only to change back when president. Ketcham doesn’t see it that way, instead suggesting Madison’s entire career was focused on protecting republican government, and he adapting to the dangers he perceived. For instance, at the Convention he worried that the states would forget the general welfare if they were given superseding authority over the federal government. And in a sense he was right…the irritations of paper money and 13 different trade regimes did create problems. And yet, before too long, Madison saw the Bank of the United States and assumption of state debts (both Hamiltonian priorities) as unreasonably benefitting the wealthy classes. So he marshalled the Constitution to fight those dangers. Ketcham argues that it wasn’t until his last years as President that Madison really grew satisfied that the government was fully republican (how wrong he was!).

A personal note of admiration for me came when I read Madison didn’t support the Bill of Rights…because he thought the Constitution hadn’t been framed to impede any of the rights that a Bill was meant to protect. That kind of faith in the Constitution is laudable, even if he eventually came to realize a BoR was needed. But he also showed the same care for the document when he put forward the enumerated powers as his reason for avoiding the Bank. Some likely see contradiction comparing these examples to his time in Administrations…I think his vetoing a bill at the end of his career because he thought an Amendment was needed speaks to his continuing care for the Constitution and its language. His strident opposition to the idea of nullification so discussed in the 1820s, on the other hand, shows his focus on the Constitution as providing a national government, not to be too overly burdened with concerns of the states. It’s a complicated legacy, to be sure.

Like any Founder, slavery comes up a fair bit. And similar to Jefferson, Madison early on fought for abolition, then did nothing to change an institution he admitted was bad (he tried getting into colonization). Ketcham is particularly critical on this point, and with good reason. Another topic of interest is Madison’s fascination with the Mississippi River, and in fact he fought very hard to ensure the U.S. had full rights to the River.

There is one conclusion I made reading this book: Madison was not a good President. Some of that is results-oriented (there isn’t much he did domestically), but the bigger issue is his inability to prepare the country for the War of 1812. Jefferson shares that problem as well, as they both supported the ineffectual Embargo. But Madison was Secretary of State during that time too, and Ketcham does a good job showing that by constantly vacillating between tough and sweet talk with both Britain and France, Madison did very little to help the U.S. find a way out. Furthermore, Madison and Jefferson did not do enough to raise an army and navy, ostensibly because they had fought against standing armies as opposition leaders, and their philosophical hackles were raised at the prospect. So the country was ill-prepared for war, and I would argue Madison’s handling of the war was suboptimal, particularly in keeping George Armstrong as Secretary of War. We were lucky that the British decided the contest wasn’t worth it, because for the most part they had the upper hand (though the Battle of New Orleans is an impressive feat of American arms).

Overall, this is a book I would recommend only to folks who really want to learn in-depth about Madison. It is not eminently readable, even if the research and detail can certainly be appreciated. In the end, Madison does deserve more attention, so there’s a role for this book out there for sure. But it can be described as a labor of love for the majority.

[James Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read “James Madison” because, even though he was the fourth US President at a crucial nexus in our history, all I knew about James Madison was that the was the “Father of the Constitution” (whatever that means), and one of the authors of the Federalist Papers. I discovered that one problem with a biography of Madison is that he wrote all the time, and most of his writings are still available. Ralph Ketcham, the author of this definitive biography, has done the heavy lifting for us, absorbing and synthesizing this mountain of data. The result is this magnificent biography.

The text follows Madison’s career chronologically. Madison was there before the Revolution. He was the intellectual leader of the movement that transformed a handful of squabbling former colonies into a single nation. He guided the new United States through the great world war, the one we forget about, between an England newly shorn of its rich American colonies and a France suffering through a bloody revolution that was transforming into Bonapart’s autocracy. Madison fled when the British invaded and burned Washington. He negotiated a peace with all the beligerants, laying the foundation for long-lasting trade. He approved the Louisianna Purchase, which opened the vast space and natural resources of the seemingly unlimited West to the new United States. He guided the infant United States as it grew from a handful of disfunctional States, teetering on the edge of collapse, into a world power. Madison was the leader of the Republicans (not the GOP!) versus the Federalists, when the divide between the two parties was fierce enough that the commercial states nearly seceeded from the Union. This book details each of these eras thoroughly, in detail but with driving and never-dull narrative.

Rather than describe the epochs in his life, as the book does, I will summarize what I think are some of Madison’s most salient characteristics. He was always studious, to the point of risking his health. I suspect this was because he was never the fastest mind in the room (that would be Jefferson), nor the most respected (that would be Washington). He was one of those people with immense, but quiet, talent, who drove himself relentlessly in order to prove himself.

Madison’s health prevented him from accepting any of several diplomatic posts. In fact, he never travelled far from Virginia, treating even a trip to Boston and New York as an extravagent odyssey. I had a definite impression that he was more a hypochondriac than an invalid, especially since he worked such long hours and lived a very long life.

He was very shy, especially in social situations—to the point that his innaugural addresses were almost inaudible, as he mumbled them quietly into the floor. Fortunately his wife, Dolly Madison, was sociable enough for the two of them.

Madison was principled. His Lockean touchstone was that government was legitimate only insofar as its powers were founded on and constrained by the rights of individual people—meaning white, male, propertied people, of course. In his early days, he opposed federal actions that were not explicitly authorized in the Constitution, including a government bank to pay off State debts and a standing army and navy. He was enough of a pragmatist to bend when it proved difficult for the new nation to thrive economically. His principles were particularly tested when it became apparent that a country could not exist in a world with other powerful countries without a navy, an army, and the taxation basis to pay for them. It often took Madison a while to veer from idealism to pragmatism. Whether this was indecision or caution, it sometimes hurt the new Nation’s prospects.

I came away from this book feeling that I knew Madison well enough to recognize him and respect him, without idolizing him. I also came away with a much deeper appreciation for how complicated and dangerous the years between the 18th and 19th centuries were. This was a rich, enlightening read. For US history buffs, this is essential reading. For Americans who want a better appreciation of why the Constitution is what it is, and why it still matters, I highly recommend it.