Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am not an historian, so I will write as an avid pedestrian reader. I grew up in an age when the founding fathers were still on a pedestal and had not yet been deconstructed into mere mortals. But now comes the age of the great re-deification of the founding fathers, and I couldn't be happier. We have wonderful books galore about Washington ("The Secret Six" being one of my newer favorites), Jefferson (who survived the Sally Hemings drumming and has reclaimed his rightful position via "The Art of Power" and other tomes), and of course McCullough's "John Adams," all of which give wonderful depth and complexity to their subjects. Now we have Cheney's "James Madison" to round out this quartet. I'll admit it was a little difficult at first to take this book seriously--after all, how hard would it be for Mrs. Dick Cheney to get a book published? However, after skimming the first few pages I was hooked, and completely forgot about her famous husband. Although Cheney is not a faculty member at a prestigious college (the usual candidacy to author this type of tome), she has a sizzling intellect, a beautiful, engaging turn of phrase, elegant pacing, crystal clear organization, and just the right use of quotes to convey her arguments. I was amazed at how the book danced along, giving ample substance where needed, but never losing its momentum and readability. In this age where there are few real heroes (Bonhoeffer and Mandela come to mind), we would do well (especially as Americans, not ashamed to admit it) to clarify and and reinforce our understanding of these special men and how they came together to act as a force for great change.