James Monroe: A Life

James Monroe: A Life- Tim McGrath
Dutton/Penguin Group
Release Date: May 5, 2020

Rating: 📚📚📚📚


Synopsis: Monroe lived a life defined by revolutions. From the battlefields of the War for Independence, to his ambassadorship in Paris in the days of the guillotine, to his own role in the creation of Congress's partisan divide, he was a man who embodied the restless spirit of the age. He was never one to back down from a fight, whether it be with Alexander Hamilton, with whom he nearly engaged in a duel (prevented, ironically, by Aaron Burr), or George Washington, his hero turned political opponent. 
 
This magnificent new biography vividly recreates the epic sweep of Monroe’s life: his near-death wounding at Trenton and a brutal winter at Valley Forge; his pivotal negotiations with France over the Louisiana Purchase; his deep, complex friendships with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; his valiant leadership when the British ransacked the nation’s capital and burned down the Executive Mansion; and Monroe’s lifelong struggle to reckon with his own complicity in slavery. Elected the fifth president of the United States in 1816, this fiercest of partisans sought to bridge divisions and sow unity, calming turbulent political seas and inheriting Washington's mantle of placing country above party. Over his two terms, Monroe transformed the nation, strengthening American power both at home and abroad. 

Critically-acclaimed author Tim McGrath has consulted an extensive array of primary sources, many rarely seen since Monroe's own time, to conjure up this fascinating portrait of an essential American statesman and president.

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James Monroe is one of those presidents you can usually name, but otherwise probably don't know too much about.  That was the case for me at least.  Tim McGrath's new biography on Monroe is a brilliant introduction to the man, the politician, and the world he lived and worked in.  Monroe's early life is covered without getting into the minutiae that some biographers enjoy- McGrath knows that in Monroe's case at least, the man Monroe would become formed not in his childhood, but as a young lawyer studying under Thomas Jefferson and as a soldier crossing the Delaware with General Washington.

Monroe is pictured from the beginning as a man who believes in doing his duty by his country, despite what that may cost him personally and financially.  The intricacies of politics might not have come as naturally as the job of soldiering, but Monroe learns as he goes, not only from friends like Jefferson and Madison but from opponents, even enemies, and never forgets the lessons that he learned.

McGrath does a brilliant job showing Monroe's development as a politician- from highly partisan to trying to follow in Washington's steps and erase the two-party system. He brings to life the partisan and highly personal fights in Congress as Monroe's enemies work to prevent Monroe and his Cabinet from accomplishing anything, and brings the reader behind the scenes into Cabinet meetings where Monroe takes the slightly unusual approach of listening to all of his Cabinet members and letting free speech and debate fly across the table before asking questions, and allowing himself to have his mind and policies changed if he truly hears convincing arguments.

James Monroe was not a perfect man, and McGrath doesn't try to convince us that he was.  Apologies are not made, although by understanding the world and time he lived in, maybe some of what today we would call his mistakes are more understandable.   Modern readers will cringe at Monroe's thoughts on slavery and Native American policy- but McGrath reminds us that for his time Monroe was considered progressive, especially compared with someone like the up and coming Andrew Jackson.

This is a well-written, well-researched, and thorough biography of a little known president.  Despite the seemingly daunting length of the book (750 pages) the pace flows well and doesn't get bogged down with extraneous details and lectures.  Although McGrath does fall into the trap of foreshadowing-especially at the end of chapters- his "of only Monroe knew then" approach doesn't happen often enough to get truly aggravating.

A definite win for history lovers seeking to learn more about the founding of America and James Monroe, one of the often overlooked founding fathers.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review