Ralph Ketcham is Professor Emeritus of Political Science, History and Public Affairs, Syracuse University.

This valuable anthology of the framer's essential writings allows readers to experience the panoramic depth of Madison's mind. For those just beginning their study, Ketcham's choices offer a meaningful introduction to Madison's complex view of the whole. . . . Of special note is the final section, in which Ketcham provides a selection of Madison's treatises on issues that cut the Union asunder in the decade prior to the Civil War. In this reviewer's mind, the editor is to be praised for his efforts in assembling such a comprehensive, cohesive, and concise collection. Summing Up: Essential. --M. J. C, Taylor, CHOICE