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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant biography, but maybe too comprehensive, 20 Jun 1999
By A Customer
This is a brilliant biography - it is wonderfully detailed (maybe too much so) and leaves little uncovered. Ketcham's early chapters on the buildup to, framing and ratification of the Constitution are especially good. I also like the way Ketcham shows how Madison's thought and political philosophy was informed by the times and events Madison lived through.I have a couple of minor gripes, though. the first is Ketcham's glaring omission of the rest of Dolley Madison's life. What happened to her after James Madison died? Apparently she edited many of the great man's papers, had to sell many of his letters at less than market price (suggesting financial woes?) - but that's all Ketcham gives us. That's a little frustrating. Being a law student, I would have liked to see more comment on what Madison thought of the "Marshall Court's" rulings. There is a brief note on McCulloch v Maryland, but nothing on Marbury v Madison! What did Madison think of the idea of judicial review? These are but minor gripes. But one substantial complaint I do have with Ketcham's biography is the way he always emphasises the consistency of Madison's republican principles. He makes good points on this throughout the biography, but sometimes what Ketcham sees as a principled stand on republican principles, I would see as indecision. And it makes Madison seem a bit single-minded. All in all, a wonderful bio, though.
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