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

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

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 (1751Â–1831) went on to become Americaâ€™s first full-time politician, dedicating his life to securing Americaâ€™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 Americaâ€™s fifth president. The country embraced Monroeâ€™s dreams of empire and elected him to two terms, the second time unanimously. Mentored by each of Americaâ€™s first four presidents, Monroe was unquestionably the best prepared president in our history.
Like David McCulloughâ€™s John Adams and Jon Meachamâ€™s recent book on Andrew Jackson, this new biography of Monroe is both a solid read and stellar scholarshipÂ—history in the grand tradition.

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