Next Up: James Monroe
James Monroe was our fifth president, and the fourth from Virginia. I knew virtually nothing of him before I began …
Previous articles
Montpelier as Never Seen by James Madison
Montpelier from 2,000′ in a Cirrus SR20 In our nation’s earliest years, the journey from George Washington’s home (Mt. Vernon) …
The Best Biographies of James Madison
[Updated July 2022] James Madison may have provided the fewest biographies for me to read among the first four presidents …
Review of “James Madison and the Making of America” by Kevin Gutzman
“James Madison and the Making of America,” published in 2012, is author Kevin Gutzman’s fourth and most recent book. He …
A B&B James Madison Would Love
James Madison was born on March 16, 1751 at Belle Grove Plantation located on the north side of the Rappahannock River near …
Review of “James Madison” by Richard Brookhiser
“James Madison” is Richard Brookhiser’s 2011 biography of our fourth president, and is the most recent of his dozen or …
Review of “Madison and Jefferson” by Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg
“Madison and Jefferson” is the 2010 dual biography of our third and fourth presidents: their personalities, philosophies, presidencies and their …
Review of “James Madison: A Biography” by Ralph Ketcham
“James Madison: A Biography” by Ralph Ketcham was published in 1971 and has long been considered by many the pre-eminent …
Moving on to James Madison!
Having taken two months to work through my collection of Thomas Jefferson biographies, it’s time to turn to our fourth …
The Best Biographies of Thomas Jefferson
[Updated] After nearly two months with Thomas Jefferson involving five biographies (ten books in total) and over 5,000 pages of …
Review of “Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation” by Merrill Peterson
“Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation” by Merrill Peterson was published in 1970 and is considered by many to be …
Monticello as Never Seen by Thomas Jefferson
Monticello from ~ 2,700 feet MSL in a Cirrus SR20 As I may have mentioned once or twice, one of …
Review of “Twilight at Monticello” by Alan Pell Crawford
“Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson” is Alan Pell Crawford’s third and most recent book, published in …
Review of “American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson” by Joseph Ellis
“American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson” by Joseph J. Ellis was published in 1996 and won the 1997 National …
Review of “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” by Jon Meacham
“Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” is author Jon Meacham’s fifth and most recent book, having been published in late …
My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies 