Rating: 
Summary: The Underrated Founder
Review: While this book focuses mainly on the mediocre presidency of James Madison, the author nevertheless is able to convey the crucial role he played in the formation of the government. After reading Wills' account the reader comes away with a clear understanding that, aside from Washington, Madison was the most indispensible figure in the drafting and passing of the Constitution, the creation of our government. In fact, if it were not for Madison's foresight and persuasion, Washington may never have participated in the Constitutional Convention, leaving it doomed to failure. That Wills is able to convey all of this, and still concisely explain Madison's difficulties as Chief Executive, is a marvelous achievement considering the brevity of the book.The dominant event of Madison's presidency is, of course, The War of 1812. The war defines Madison's administration. Wills writes of how Madison led or bungled the country into a war that it was ill-prepared for. He describes Madison's ineptness as Commander-in Chief. He analyzes how Madison, the staunch states-righter (ironic in itself) centralized power in the federal government in order to fight the War. And finally, we see, surprisingly, how Madison comes out of the morass he created more popular than ever. Wills provides persuasive reasons why this was the case. Very informative and highly readable. Madison's life and the times in which he lived are anything but dull. Wills will leave you wanting to learn more about this most underrated of the founders.
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