Book Review: James Madison - A Life Reconsidered by Lynne Cheney
If you have any concerns that author Lynne Cheney's biography of the 4th President of the United States may be tainted by her family's political ideology, you can discard those apprehensions. The author of James Madison: A Life Reconsidered writes a very detailed and objective account of the life of her subject and in doing so dispels many of the myths about Madison being ineffective or lacking energy during his presidency.
From the acknowledgements section at the end of the book, it is clear that this book is a labor of love for Cheney, and her research of her subject is thorough and impeccable. Professionally written and very readable, Lynne Cheney traces Madison's life from his ancestry and his youth, to his service during the American Revolution and his close association with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and to his role as "father of the Constitution". The book also provides an excellent account of Madison's presidency and is especially good in its description of what led up to the War of 1812, and how the nation coped during the war, including when the British attacked Washington, DC and burned the White House. The book concludes with an excellent description of Madison's life as an elder statesman, of the issues he had to confront in retirement both politically and personally, and it puts in context the suggestion that Madison tried to edit his personal papers in order to distort his legacy.
Cheney has an obvious fondness for Madison, but her adulation of her subject is no more than most biographers and much less than some. The brilliance of this work is in how she puts in perspective the political decisions made both by Madison and by the other presidents of his era. She is also able to understand and explain sectional differences of the time, especially on such complicated issues as the nation's relationship with Great Britain and with France, and the very troubling problem of slavery. On that issue, she ably discusses the moral inconsistencies both within the nation and within Madison personally. Although she has great admiration for Madison, she is not an apologist for his contradictory views on slavery and freedom. She makes every effort to understand and explain his thinking in this area, but does not defend it.
The book also give the reader an interesting portrait of first lady Dolley Madison, remarkable in her own right. The portrait of the devoted relationship between these two remarkable persons gives the book a very interesting human element which includes challenges that the couple faced from Dolley's ne'er-do-well son Payne Todd.
Another area in which the author excels is in analyzing is Madison's health, more specifically the likelihood that he was an epileptic. Cheney ably walks the fine line between speculation and reasonable inference, and in doing so is able to paint what is likely a more realistic picture of the true state of Madison's health. She makes a fair case for the proposition that he was not a weak or sickly man, and was likely stronger than most historians give him credit for.
This book is a pleasure to read because it adopts the ideal tone. It is neither too professorial or pedantic, nor does it dumb down any of its subject matter. Cheney respects the reader's intelligence and makes all of the issues of the life and times of James Madison interesting and clear. In the process, she establishes her credentials as an excellent historian and author.
From the acknowledgements section at the end of the book, it is clear that this book is a labor of love for Cheney, and her research of her subject is thorough and impeccable. Professionally written and very readable, Lynne Cheney traces Madison's life from his ancestry and his youth, to his service during the American Revolution and his close association with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and to his role as "father of the Constitution". The book also provides an excellent account of Madison's presidency and is especially good in its description of what led up to the War of 1812, and how the nation coped during the war, including when the British attacked Washington, DC and burned the White House. The book concludes with an excellent description of Madison's life as an elder statesman, of the issues he had to confront in retirement both politically and personally, and it puts in context the suggestion that Madison tried to edit his personal papers in order to distort his legacy.
Cheney has an obvious fondness for Madison, but her adulation of her subject is no more than most biographers and much less than some. The brilliance of this work is in how she puts in perspective the political decisions made both by Madison and by the other presidents of his era. She is also able to understand and explain sectional differences of the time, especially on such complicated issues as the nation's relationship with Great Britain and with France, and the very troubling problem of slavery. On that issue, she ably discusses the moral inconsistencies both within the nation and within Madison personally. Although she has great admiration for Madison, she is not an apologist for his contradictory views on slavery and freedom. She makes every effort to understand and explain his thinking in this area, but does not defend it.
The book also give the reader an interesting portrait of first lady Dolley Madison, remarkable in her own right. The portrait of the devoted relationship between these two remarkable persons gives the book a very interesting human element which includes challenges that the couple faced from Dolley's ne'er-do-well son Payne Todd.
Another area in which the author excels is in analyzing is Madison's health, more specifically the likelihood that he was an epileptic. Cheney ably walks the fine line between speculation and reasonable inference, and in doing so is able to paint what is likely a more realistic picture of the true state of Madison's health. She makes a fair case for the proposition that he was not a weak or sickly man, and was likely stronger than most historians give him credit for.
This book is a pleasure to read because it adopts the ideal tone. It is neither too professorial or pedantic, nor does it dumb down any of its subject matter. Cheney respects the reader's intelligence and makes all of the issues of the life and times of James Madison interesting and clear. In the process, she establishes her credentials as an excellent historian and author.