Lynne Cheney JAMES A LIFE RECONSIDERED MADISON NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Lucidly written . . . this is probably the best singe one biography of Madison that we now have." -Gordon S. Wood, THe NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW - ames Madison was a true genius of the early republic. While still in his thirties, he was the intellectual driving force behind the Constitution. As secretary of state, he managed the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the size of the United States. As president, Madison led the country in its first war under the Constitution, the War of 1812. Yet today he is commonly overlooked as a shy and sickly scholar. Now Madison is given his due in a majestic biography that encompasses the whole man. Lynne Cheney shows that far from being shy, Madison was a masterful politician who understood the uses of reticence. Cheney highlights Madison's friendships and rivalries with other Founding Fathers and offers insights into the nuanced political thought that was pivotal to shaping the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. James Madison presents an intimate portrait of the leader who did more than any other to create the nation we know today.