Rating: 
Summary: Essential reading when trying to understand Madison
Review: As other reviewers have remarked this almost 700-page biography is one not casually approached. Ketcham is readable enough, but his prose is not as accessible to the general public as pop-historians like Ambrose & McCullough. However, given the recent negative publicity surrounding the latter authors' less-than-stellar research makes me think that in the long run, Ketcham has made a more lasting contribution to our understanding of US history than the other authors.
One will not find a more comprehensive biography than this. Ketcham was the first researcher to have full access to Madison's papers, and it is clear that he has done his research. The reader would be well-advised to peruse both the endnotes and the bibliography, as they provide a treasure trove of information.
Ketcham does an excellent job in demonstrating just how much of a long shot at times the drafting & ratification of the US Constitution was, and if not for the brilliance of Madison (both in conceptualizing the framework of government and in defending it in debates --- one forgets sometimes what an extraordinarily able parliamentarian Madison was), the attempt to reorganize the government might very well have been scuttled by obstructionists such as Patrick Henry.
One also appreciates more the fact that not everyone had the same idea on how this new government should constructed, and not everyone was happy with the result. The drafting was the first part --- the ratification was more difficult, and required all of the persuasive powers of the men behind the Constitution, which can be found to great extent in the Federalist Papers. Ketcham does not dwell extensively on the Federalist Papers, using only 10 pages (pp. 239-249) to discuss them. The content of the 85 essays is not analysed (Ketcham apparently assumes the reader is capable of seeking out a copy of the Federalist Papers on his/her own), other than a few of the more notable ones such as #10.
It is at this point that Madison begins to emerge as the main "idea man" for the republican philosophy. Having succeeded in giving the US a workable government, Madison is shown by Ketcham leading the fight in Congress against the tendencies of the Federalists towards concentration of federal government power.
The gist of Ketcham's biography is that Madison, throughout his life, remained true to the ideals of republicanism, but was not dogmatic about it. Even though Madison opposed the Hamiltonian System in the 1790's, by his second term as President Madison was endorsing a national bank, protective tarriffs, and various internal improvements (although he believe that a constitutional amendment was necessary for the government to develop a system of roads & canals). Ketcham argues that Madison's stands need to be considered in their proper context. The stability of the nation & government was much less in question in 1816 than it was in 1793, and Madison felt that tendencies towards centralization did not pose the threat to republican government that they might once have.
Definitely, Ketcham is something of an apologist for Madison, as becomes clear in the chapters covering the War of 1812, not exactly Madison's finest hour. The War of 1812 exposed some glaring weaknesses in the republican philosophy, and also showed that Madison was wholly unequal to the demands of a wartime president. Madison's reluctance to move in the direction of a strong wartime executive meant that he dithered at crucial times when he needed to be making firm decisions. Clearly the buck did not stop here, in Madison's view. Ketcham is most scrupulous in showing that there was blame aplenty to go around, and hardly lets Madison off the hook, but one cannot help but feel that Ketcham is sometimes pulling his punches. Whether or not this is because other historians have subjected Madison to merciless criticism for his wartime leadership, I cannot be sure. Ketcham often cites the commentary of Madison's detractors in his text, so he may have felt that it was necessary to level the playing field. He goes to great pains to explain his defense of Madison, and to put everything in its proper context; for this he is to be commended.
Madison seems unjustly to have fallen into the cracks of history despite his invaluable contributions to the birth of the nation. Ketcham has done the best anyone could to rectify the situation.
Rating:
Summary: Really Explains Madison
Review: I found this to be an excellent biography of James Madison. It can be difficult reading as the author includes much detail in explaining Madison's words and actions, but I really felt that I understood the man after reading this tome. After all isn't that the purpose of a biography.
The book deals with not only the life of the man, but also the relationships he had with fellow founding fathers like Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton, Adams, and Monroe. For great detail, I really believe this may be the best most current biography of our fourth president that is available. Doesn't read like an exciting novel, because Madison was not an action hero but rather was a man whose actions were related to political theory and the establishment of the American government system.
Rating:
Summary: James Madison: A Biography
Review: James Madison: A Biography written by Ralph Ketcham is a comprehensive fact-filled biography of James Madison our fourth President of the United States from birth to death. Reading this biography for gleamming of facts and tid-bits of Madison's life was clear and succinct, but you feel like you've ridden a horse all day with a sore back. The author knows his subject matter well and captures the essential man and his times, but the writing style hurts.Oh, the story is penetrating and readable, but the author really never answers his own questions and leaves it up to the reader to draw conclusions, which I find to be a style most suited for class lectures, not biographies. I'm sure the author didn't intend the book to be a lecture, but it sure reads like one. Reading on in the book, we get a glimpse of Madison's personality, with his strengths and weaknesses portrayed as the character of Madison begins to unfold. Thoughtfulness of Madison's theory of government are developed in this book and enlightens the reader as to hints of Madison as a political man. The only thing that distracts in this book is the writing style, everything else is spot-on with well documented facts and in one of the most comprehensive biographies on Madison written. If you are looking for biography reading like that of David McCullough in "John Adams" or "Truman" you won't find it here, nor will you be entertained like reading James Thomas Flexner's "George Washington." This is not my first venture in reading about James Madison and I would recommend reading other author/biographers as Madison was a very complex man... a mind that contained libraries, a man that when President seemed feckless, but in later life his wisdom was shinning through. We asked on how to run the government he always recommended reading histoy for the answers.
Rating: 
Summary: Plodding Narrative - Thoughtful Analysis
Review: Ketcham has an authoritative understanding of Madison's career and life, but the narrative drags at a number of points. The book is informative and well-written, but it tends toward overkill.
Ketcham provides thoughtful analysis of Madison's career and how it related to the writing of the Constitution and the formation of the nation. In fact, his writing style is a bit unusual--he describes Madison's life from Madison's point of view, and you think that perhaps Ketcham agrees completely with Madison. But then he concludes a section with an analytical summary, giving his judgment of Madison's actions; and some of his judgments are devastating. The author was overall very fair to Madison.
Good book for getting an idea of Madison's role in the declining years of the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, Federalist Papers, the application of the Constitution in the early years, the embargo, and the War of 1812.
I would recommend this book, but be prepared to slog through some sections.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good if you can get through it
Review: Let me start by saying from a purely academic standard this book deserves 5 stars. However, it appears that Mr. Ketcham is incapable of writing a sentence without 4 or 5 clauses and using as many four syllable words as possible (kind of like the sentence I just wrote). I plodded through this book. The book gave me an understanding of the how political parties evolved and I feel it helped me to see today's parties in a new light. His presentation of the constitutional convention is unparalleled in detail and comprehension. If you can get through this book, it is well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Good but far from great
Review: Over the past few months, I have started reading the biographies of the Presidents. After reading many user reviews and talking to friends who are partaking in a similar venture, this seemed like the best book to read. The best thing about this book is the incredible amount of details and facts the author uses to tell the story. This is also the book's biggest drawback. Sometimes the listing of facts and dates and names became so strecthed out I found myself re-reading passages to remind myself what the passage was originally about. I felt at times, this book read more like a history book than a biogrpahy, as if I was reading a crib sheet of notes about someone's life rather feeling what it was like to live their life. Isaacson's "Franklin" and Flexnor's "Washington" are much better at making a biography into a story rather than a history book. But for Madison, this book may be the best that's out there.
Rating:
Summary: A SERIOUS Biography of a Great Man!
Review: Reading this book is a bit of an undertaking. It took me several weeks to slog throught the first 2-300 pages. The book is absolutely comprehensive (at least relative to other single-volume biographies), maybe overly so in parts. For example, I thought the author went into way more detail than I needed on the contents of the Princeton University library while Madison was a student there. The first third of the book was pretty dry in my view, and I was already thinking about what other bio of Madison I could find. Once the discussion turned to the Revolutionary War period and especially the Constitutional Convention, however, the book really took off for me and thereafter was an absolute joy to read. I could not have enjoyed the last half to two-thirds of the book any more than I did. It was fascinating and went a great way toward renovating my impressions of Madison which were damaged somewhat after reading bios of Washington (Flexner) and Adams (McCullough), which were not all that comlimentary. I have to believe that this is THE definitive one-volume bio of Madison. I just wish it was still available in HB from someone other than the Easton Press. On to James Monroe (Ammon)!
Rating:
Summary: A SERIOUS Biography of a Great Man!
Review: Reading this book is a bit of an undertaking. It took me several weeks to slog throught the first 2-300 pages. The book is absolutely comprehensive (at least relative to other single-volume biographies), maybe overly so in parts. For example, I thought the author went into way more detail than I needed on the contents of the Princeton University library while Madison was a student there. The first third of the book was pretty dry in my view, and I was already thinking about what other bio of Madison I could find. Once the discussion turned to the Revolutionary War period and especially the Constitutional Convention, however, the book really took off for me and thereafter was an absolute joy to read. I could not have enjoyed the last half to two-thirds of the book any more than I did. It was fascinating and went a great way toward renovating my impressions of Madison which were damaged somewhat after reading bios of Washington (Flexner) and Adams (McCullough), which were not all that comlimentary. I have to believe that this is THE definitive one-volume bio of Madison. I just wish it was still available in HB from someone other than the Easton Press. On to James Monroe (Ammon)!
Rating:
Summary: Very thorough.
Review: This is a very thorough, very detailed biography of James Madison. Its tone gets a bit dry at times, its writing style a bit ponderous, and the attempt to make up for a lack of hard facts regarding the details of Madison's early years by speculating ("we can imagine Madison looking out of his window at these sights and thinking...") was a bit distracting, but understandable. But overall, the book is highly recommended for anyone with the attention span necessary to read history.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Book on a Brilliant Man
Review: This is an absolute gem of a read. In addition to being an excellent education on Madison, I felt as if I were traveling on a rich historical journey back in time. James Madison was a man of integrity and brilliance, and the chronicles in this literary treasure allow the reader to appreciate the greatness of this indespensable founding father. As President, his patient handling of the War of 1812 was commendable, despite difficulties and inept generals, and after the conclusion of the conflict, the nation was more unified than ever before. It was a solid reinforcement of the independence gained from the revolution. There was no question of a challenge from Britain again. There is no doubt in my mind that Madison is the most underrated President. And of course his exceptionally brilliant knowledge, skill and leadership during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 led to the ratification of the nation's cornerstone. Every person who values freedom owes a great debt to this man. America was an experiment in Democracy, and without James Madison it may not have been secured. This is more than a book, it is an experience.
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