Product Description

America's greatest political thinker, in the most comprehensive one-volume collection ever published

Over 200 years after the founding of the federal republic, James Madison remains the most important political thinker in American history. The prime framer of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, Madison was also a brilliant expositor of the new republican government and its underlying principles. His eloquent and insightful writing on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, the rights of minorities under majority rule, the role of the states in the federal system, and the separation of powers are central to American political thought and speak to the controversies of the present day.

James Madison: Writings is the most comprehensive one-volume selection ever published. Arranged chronologically, it contains almost 200 documents written between 1772 and 1836. Included are all 29 of Madison's contributions to The Federalist, as well as speeches and letters that illuminate his central role in framing and ratifying the Constitution and in the adoption of the Bill of Rights; early writings on religious freedom; revealing correspondence with Jefferson, Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Monroe; his eloquent denunciations of the Alien and Sedition Acts; influential writings on republican government and constitutional interpretation; and candid private appraisals of the personalities and events he witnessed in four decades of public life. Writings from Madison's terms as secretary of state and president record his determination to uphold American independence during the conflicts of the Napoleonic era and his conscientious leadership of the nation during the fiercely controversial War of 1812. Letters and essays from his retirement reveal his deepening concern over the sectional threat to the federal union he loved.

James Madison: Writings includes explanatory notes, a chronology of Madison's life, and an index.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #172673 in Books
• Published on: 1999-08-30
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 966 pages

From Library Journal
James Madison (1751-1836) was a prominent participant in the American Revolution and the framing of the U.S. Constitution and also served as Secretary of State and President of the United States. Rakove, Coe Professor of History and American Studies at Stanford University and a Pulitizer Prize-winning historian, offers an extensive volume of Madison's essays, speeches, and private memoranda from the Revolution and Articles of Confederation through his post-Presidential activities. The book's scope distinguishes it from similar one-volume efforts and allows us a broader view of Madison's thinking than presented in The Federalist. The chronological order helps readers examine different periods of Madison's thought, e.g., his Federalist Papers expound a theory of an extended republic and a general theory of separation of powers. Larger public and academic libraries will find Rakove's presentation useful for readers' understanding of Madison, whose writings are significant in advancing key ideas central to the American Republic.ASteven Puro, St. Louis Univ.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gary Rosen, author of American Compact: James Madison and the Problem of Founding; The Wall Street Journal, September 1, 1999
"Though these varied documents would have benefited from a good deal more historical stage-setting than is provided here, they still constitute an invaluable sampling from the work of our most original political thinker."

From the Publisher
The Library of America is an award-winning, nonprofit program dedicated to publishing America's best and most significant writing in handsome, enduring volumes featuring authoritative texts. Hailed as "the most important book-publishing project in the nation's history" (Newsweek), this acclaimed series is restoring America's literary heritage in "the finest-looking, longest-lasting edition ever made" (New Republic).

Customer Reviews

James Madison: Writings: Writings 1772-1836 (Library of America)
I do not think Library of the America has even put out a bad book and this is no exception. The contents are of great use to anyone interested in our government. The index in the back is exhaustive and helps greatly. Buy this book.

One way to approach this book and others in the Library of America
I suspect the idea of reading a collection of writings by Madison, Washington, Hamilton and Jefferson to feel a little too much like home work for most of us to want to do it. I also believe fervently that if you really want to learn the history of this country that such a reading is a necessity.
Several years ago, I found a useful way around this paradox. Buy the Library of America volumes of the above individuals and keep them around for when you read contemporary works about the Founders.
I have recently read several books on Madison (right now I am going thru McCoy's excellent The Last of the Fathers). Whenever an author like McCoy mentions one of Madison's writings I go to my LOA Madison volume and read that writing first.
I have found this procedure to have several advantages. It allows me to form my own ideas about the document before McCoy (or whomever I am reading) can influence me. Thus I am provided a quick check on what they are asserting. Over time, this procedure has led me through much of the Jefferson and the Madison volumes. Sometimes I find myself bouncing back and forth between the volumes following a series of letters. (As an aside, it would be a great service if someone were to provide a well-chosen edition of their letters to each other.)
In general, I have found the Madsion volume to be extremely well-selected. I find about 80% of the documents referred to to be contained in this volume. Unlike the others, my major complaint is that there are not any of his notes on the debates during his tenure in the Continental Congress. I would have taken the more controversial route of leaving out Madison's essays from The Federalist. They are easily obtained and take up over 20% of this volume. Those 190 pages would have afforded a nice overview of his Continental Congress service and his Secretary of State and Presidential service (only 50 pages of material!)
But this is a minor complaint. Rakove as stated by all of the reviewers below has done a great job. Whether you use it like I do or work your way through assiduously this is a necessary volume to own for any American history fan.

Constitutional Questions?
The history of the making of our Constitution can be read here. Much valuable insight into contemporary constitutional questions, including separation of Church and State (Madison was a fervent exponent of 'the wall'). A must have and must read for today's politically minded citizen. Surprises abound.