Although most people know that James Madison was the fourth president of the United States of America, they may not appreciate the force of this man who seems in retrospect to be almost indispensable to our early history. Jean Fritz scintillating account delves into Madison's personal relationships as deeply as his political achievements: clashes with Patrick Henry, romance with Dolley Payne Todd, Friendship with Thomas Jefferson. The paradox of Madison's unimposing stature and the great impact he made on America is fully revealed inthis book as we come to know exactly why he came to be known as "the Great Little Madison."
About the Author:
Jean Fritz researches the past as if she were a journalist. She says, "My beat may lie in another time, but my approach is that of a reporter, trying for a scoop, looking for clues, connecting facts, digging under the surface." At the center of her research are the people who shaped the past, and she is especially interested in the quirky things about them. "History is full of gossip; it's real people and emotion," says Fritz. The details about these people and their emotions make Fritz's biographies and other historical books come alive for today's readers. Until she was 12 years old, Fritz and her family lived in China, where she relied on stories and writing to ease her loneliness. In those early years, she began to keep a journal in which she wrote her feelings about people and life. When she grew up, she held a number of jobs that involved writing. She also tried to get some of her children's stories published, but at first she did not succeed. Eventually she worked as a children's librarian for two years, gaining a deeper understanding of the craft of writing for children. She began sending her stories out again, and this time they began to be published. That was nearly 50 years ago, and Fritz's writing career is still going strong!
159 Pages
