|
| 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Meyerson
Publisher: Basic Books
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $11.40
You Save: $15.55 (58%)
New (34) Used (13) from $11.40
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 117399
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2
ISBN: 0465002641
Dewey Decimal Number: 342.73029
EAN: 9780465002641
ASIN: 0465002641
Publication Date: March 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Book. Orders are usually processed and shipped within 24 hrs. (Seller Reference: B#14N)
|
| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-7 of 7 | | « PREV | | |
Collaboration and Friendship helped ratify the US Constitution May 4, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Liberty's Blueprint: How Madison and Hamilton Wrote the Federalist Papers, Defined the Constitution and Made Democracy Safe for the World, fittingly describes the premise of the book in so little words. Michael I. Meyerson observes The Federalist or Federalist Papers, the essays, which Alexander Hamilton and James Madison composed in order to convince the framers of the US Constitution that one of the most important documents in American history was worth ratifying. Meyerson puts a human face to the story as well as examines this historic moment in terms of history and law. In addition, he clarifies the papers' meaning as well as misinterpretations that have arisen since the completion of the papers in 1788.
But in order to understand its purpose, Meyerson has had to revisit the history of the framers of The Federalist essays, which helped shape freedom and democracy in the US. However, their story is not as romanticized as history books have painted it out to be, but rather it was a series of events that consisted of a blend of squabbles and commiseration that involved rumors of Hamilton's precipitous idea of moving the capital from Philadelphia to New York, which turned out to be congressional President Elias Boudinot's political influence that later had Hamilton confiding with Madison to clear his name from the matter; this event would strengthen their collaboration but also eventually be one of the factors, which ended their friendship.
Despite Hamilton and Madison's demise, they have left a lasting legacy that is relevant today. Meyerson suggests that Madison and Hamilton wanted to provide an understanding of the how laws have an enormous effect on the entire populace be it through a state or national level. But as a law scholar, he ponders with the past and comments on current events through a 21st century lens that many historians would avoid, such as with the War in Iraq and environmental issues. However, he genuinely shows a greater emphasis and meaning to the Federalist Papers and the US Constitution as living documents that help others to understand and to preserve the rights of many people.
Lively introduction to THE FEDERALIST (history + explanation) April 5, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I have been searching for a while some book on THE FEDERALIST which were recent and not a difficult reading, so when I found this work combing history and analysis I decided it to give it a chance, in despite of not finding previous comments on it.
The description on the synopsis provided by the "Book reviews" is fairly accurate. Therefore, I will only point out that this work,combining the personal and the constitutional, law and history, takes a close look at the Federalist Papers,which are essays written by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton in favor of ratifying the Constitution. The book is basically divided in two parts. Part I explains how Hamilton (combustible and heedless) and Madison (priggish and intellectual) became friends, came to write THE FEDERALIST together (John Jay's contribution is briefly mentioned), and afterwards became political enemies. Part II provides reasons to read, understand and appreciate the influence of THE FEDERALIST, the author's succinct and readable interpretation of it and his defense of THE FEDERALIST's critical importance for understanding many of present America's divisive political debates.
Just in case some people may refrain from this work lest it will be scholarly dull, let me tell you that is not the case at all. I could not put it down it and read it in less than a week's time (content: 5 starts; pleasure of Part I: 5; pleasure of Part II: 3 to 4). So I highly recommend it.
All that (and much more that I do not mention in this summary) is developed in 297 pages (footnotes included), the book being divided in the following way: Preface. /Introduction: "A well-established historical controversy": solving the mystery of who wrote THE FEDERALIST //Part I: Writing THE FEDERALIST. Chapter 1: "Testifying the Esteem & Regard": An Unlikely Friendship/ Chapter 2:"To cement the union": sounding the call for a convention/ Chapter 3: "Better than nothing": the drafting of the Constitution/ Chapter 4: "Establishing good government from reflection and choice": Producing THE FEDERALIST/Chapter 5: "The head of a faction decidedly hostile to me": The disintegration of a relationship. //Part II: Reading THE FEDERALIST. Chapter 6:"The most valuable disquisition of government": Why and how to read THE FEDERALIST/Chapter 7: "The diseases most incident to republican government": Appreciating FEDERALIST/Chapter 8: "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition": Lessons on the separation of powers/Chapter 9: "A double security": Lessons on federalism/Chapter 10: "The Greatest of all reflections on human nature": Lasting lessons/Acknowledgments, Works frequently cited, Noteworthy editions of THE FEDERALIST, Notes on the Title, Notes, Bibliography, Index.
Other books on the USA I would also recommend are the following:
A) Dealing with constitutional and political ideas:
1) "America's Constitution: A Biography" by Akhil Reed Amar;
2) Constitutional History of the American Revolution [ABRIDGED]" by John Philip Reid; and
3) "Lincoln's Constitution" by Daniel A. Farber.
B) Other books chosen with an approach historically impressionistic:
4) "The Death Penalty", by Stuart Banner;
5) "The Churching Of America, 1776-2005: Winners And Losers In Our Religious Economy" by Roger Finke and Rodney Stark;
6) "American Colonies. The settling of North America", by Alan Taylor;and
7) "Battle cry of freedom. The Civil War Era" by James M. McPherson.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
