The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation’s Call to Greatness

Product Description 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. Review Library Journal, 9/1/09 “[A] well-written biography…Unger presents the fifth president as a man of independence and initiative rather than merely a disciple of Jefferson, Madison, and John Quincy Adams…Will appeal to a more popular audience, especially those who enjoy presidential history or studying the Founding Fathers. Historians and history students should read as well.”BookPage October 2009 “[A] compelling new biography… Unger deftly guides us through Monroe’s pre-presidential period… Unger’s outstanding biography of Monroe is consistently illuminating and a fine introduction to the subject.”Internet Review of Books September 2009 “An excellent biography that sweepingly captures the grand life of this statesman…A remarkably readable biography of a great statesman of the new nation. The book is in many ways worthy of its subject. The narrative has a smooth rhythm, blending the personal and the public man. The historical context of the times is nicely woven into the tapestry of the story and is rarely burdensome for the common reader and impressive for its scope.”The Washington Times, 9/27 “A workmanlike study of a workmanlike president.”Augusta Metro Spirit, 11/4/09 “If there was ever a biography for American history, American politics, and American patriotism fans, this is it…An incredible journey through an incredible life at an incredible time in history…Unger takes readers on a detailed ride through the interactions often lost in textbook portraits and made-for-TV-movies…Written with delicate prose and an easy to follow narrative, Unger’s portrait of Monroe would make a great gift for the history buff in the family.”Charlottesville Daily Progress, 11/15/09 “[A] fascinating book…[that] has more to it than Unger’s meticulous accounting of accomplishments and events. There are wonderful maps and illustrations.”InfoDad blog, 12/3/09 “Monroe emerges as more than ‘just’ a president: he comes across as a multifaceted human being…Both Monroe and this period of United States history come alive.”San Francisco Book Review and Sacramento Book Review, December 2009 “I appreciated Unger’s clarity of expression. His descriptions of the American and French Revolutions, the events surrounding the Louisiana Purchase, and the War of 1812 are among the most lucid I’ve read.”Richmond Times-Dispatch, 11/29/2009 “The Last Founding Father is compelling both as a biography of a fascinating, unfairly neglected politician and a swift-reading account of the founding of a nation.”Bookreporter.com, 12/11/2009 “Supremely well-written and enlightening…Unger shows us much more than just a president…Unger goes a long way to opening up the eyes of a reader to the vast value Monroe had at the founding of our nation, and taking stock of all his achievements along the way brings a great sense of sadness that such a patriot should be so readily forgotte