Jefferson, Madison, and the making of the Constitution /

Upon being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1776, Thomas Jefferson met James Madison for the first time. This meeting led to a friendship that lasted a lifetime. Although they did not always agree on political matters, their friendship remained in place, and each would be remembered for his contributions to the nation. For Jefferson, this was the Declaration of Independence. For Madison, it was the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is fair to say that their interactions played a major role in the framing of our government. The story of this friendship is well told by Broadwater (Barton College). Although there are other scholarly works that touch on the same subject, Broadwater has written in a style that will appeal to a wider audience. This reviewer received this book as an assignment from Choice as he was preparing a fall course on Framers of the Constitution for a Life Long Learning Institution program. This reviewer will recommend this book to his students. It belongs in the libraries of institutions of higher education and in major public libraries. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --John J. Fox, emeritus, Salem State University