The Last Founding Father
James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness
[Cambridge, Mass.] : Da Capo Press, 2009.
Format: Book
Edition: First Da Capo Press edition.
Description: xii, 388 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits, plans ; 24 cm
In this lively and compelling biography Harlow Giles Unger reveals the dominant political figure of a generation. A fierce fighter in four critical Revolutionary War battles and a courageous survivor of Valley Forge and a near-fatal wound at the Battle of Trenton, James Monroe (1751-1831) went on to become America's first full-time politician, dedicating his life to securing America's national and international durability.
Decorated by George Washington for his exploits as a soldier, Monroe became a congressman, a senator, U.S. minister to France and Britain, governor of Virginia, secretary of state, secretary of war, and finally America's fifth president. The country embraced Monroe's dreams of empire and elected him to two terms, the second time unanimously. Mentored by each of America's first four presidents, Monroe was unquestionably the best prepared president in our history.
Like David McCullough's John Adams and Jon Meacham's recent book on Andrew Jackson, this new biography of Monroe is both a solid read and stellar scholarship--history in the grand tradition.
Contents:
"To be free-- we must fight" -- "A brave-- and sensible officer" -- "I may lose my scalp" -- "A most interesting connection" -- "A subversion of liberty" -- "One continuous scene of riot" -- La belle Américaine -- "Let calumny have its course" -- "To prevent this greatest of evils" -- "Nothing but simple justice" -- To repair an injury -- "We have met the enemy-- " -- "The poor Capital-- crack'd and broken" -- The "Era of Good Feelings" -- "Embroidered with gold" -- "Winked away by compromise" -- A momentous decision -- Rejoice! -- "A plain and gentle man".
Subjects:
Monroe, James, 1758-1831.
Presidents -- United States -- Biography.
United States -- Politics and government -- 1817-1825.
United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865.
Monroe, James, 1758-1831.
Presidents -- United States -- Biography.
United States -- Politics and government -- 1817-1825.
United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865.
ISBN:
9780306818080 (alk. paper)
Availability | |||
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Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
BIOGRAPHY Monroe, James | Main (Downtown) | Third Level, Biography | Transit Request |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 353-376) and index.