For two centuries, James Madison has been in the shadow of his fellow Founders, but here Noah Feldman offers an intriguing portrait of this elusive genius and the constitutional republic he created—and how both evolved to meet unforeseen challenges. The architect of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights was a contradictory figure, suggests Feldman, who notes how Madison hoped to eradicate partisanship yet found himself institutionalizing the political divide, and as an advocate of sanctions who plunged the nation into an unnecessary war with Britain, one that paradoxically bolstered America's prestige. Here too is a portrait of Madison as a savvy shaper of public opinion, and as the husband of the vivacious yet diplomatic Dolley Madison.

"Feldman gives us a rich portrait of our fourth president in all his many aspects: constitution maker, politician, partisan, friend, slaveholder, husband, president, and elder statesman. The result is a fresh, bold, and much-needed look at a pivotal figure in American and, therefore, world history."—Annette Gordon-Reed

"Feldman, combining laudable scholarship with delightful writing, does a brilliant job of showing how Madison's precise and reasoned mind, along with his personal friendships and rivalries, created our code as a nation."—Walter Isaacson