Young Patriots: The Remarkable Story of Two Men, Their Impossible Plan and the Revolution That Created the Constitution

Charles Cerami deserves credit for doing something that is rare for a historian and something that is essential: making the characters he writes on come to life rather than read as a collection of stale hagiography. I certainly saw some minor problems with the work but I would be remiss in not noting that the pluses of this work by far outweigh the minuses. First of all, I cannot emphasize enough the way he covers the characters of the Founding Fathers -particularly Alexander Hamilton and James Madison the two main characters of the book. The Founders were complex personalities and too often they are written of in a simplistic fashion, which speaks as much for the biases of the writers covering them as it does anything else. That is not to say that Cerami is free from bias: he definitely has a liberal bias but he is careful to not let it colour too much of his treatment on these complicated subject matters. For that reason as well as the quality of his writing and overall analysis of the Founders as men and the issues they faced, I give this book five stars. To briefly touch on some of the points that I found of particular interest: ---The main forces behind the Constitution either in the ideas presented in the document or in building consensus for the ideas of other Founders which they believed should be included but (without such a consensus approach) never would have seen the light of day. ---Though Hamilton and Madison were the main characters covered in the book, Cerami also touches on George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (the latter was not even involved in the pre-convention or convention proceedings) but also dealt to some extent with the important contributions of Benjamin Franklin, Gouverneur Morris, George Mason, Roger Sherman, James Wilson, Elbridge Gerry, Edmund Randolph, Rufus King, Patrick Henry, the Pinkney's of South Carolina, John Adams, and various others figures -including some who were practically invisible except for a key decision they were involved in at points where their decisions changed the course of history. ---While often getting a bad rap on the slavery issue, Cerami points out the truth of the matter which to touch on briefly (since this is often misunderstood): there was no consensus amongst the Founders on the slavery issue. If anything, the currents at the time did not favour it even among the more favourable of the Southern states. There were however different opinions as to how this was to be dealt with andCerami astutely noted that most of the Founders (even many who had slaves) viewed the institution of slavery as an unfortunate reality of the time. --Despite that general viewpoint, the Founders generally viewed the slavery issue as a thorny one that could best be dealt with from within the framework of a stable government structure. This is why a man like Madison (who abhorred slavery with every fiber of his being) could agree to the kind of compromises that he did. (Hamilton was not present at those

I felt like I was along side for the ride. You won't want to put it down, neither did my Friend whom I lent it to. It's fascinating, awe inspiriing, engaging etc. I undoubtedly recommend this book. I'm actually going to read it again!!!!

Alexander Hamilton and James Madison truly formed a great combination as they helped to develop the constitution. The book follows the paths of two prodigies from vastly different backgrounds and describes how they were able to become the two primary sources for the development and eventual passage of the greatest document to govern the activities of government. Rather than try to compose two biographies within one book, Charles Cerami lightly touches upon the personal lives of Hamilton and Madison, yet provides sufficient information for the reader to understand the formative years of the two brilliant political theorists. The majority of the material then passes onto the Constitutional Convention and the other founders who were influential in the composition of the governmental framework. Cerami's work concludes with the difficulty the founders faced in persuading Anti-Federalists and a skeptical public that the complete reconstruction of the government was a significant necessity. This is where we find Hamilton and Madison at their finest. The exceptional pair collaborated to produce one of the greatest works of political theory in what became known as The Federalist Papers, in order to encourage passage of the constitution. Unfortunately, once they witnessed the approval of this famous document and assumed leading roles in the new government, differences began to surface between the two which led to political opposition. Cerami was successful in exposing these differences, yet maintaining a positive theme throughout the book. His admiration for both gentlemen and his pride in their accomplishments are evident through his writing. He avoided the personality flaws of each man that have already been sufficiently written about and refused to dwell upon their personal lives. It was refreshing to read about Hamilton without being subjected to the incident that many people associate him with-the duel with Aaron Burr. Additionally, it was good to see that Madison truly was his own man, rather than some sycophant to Thomas Jefferson as some authors have categorized him. The reader is provided a unique view of the events surrounding that famous period in American history. You will walk away with a greater appreciation of the talents of Hamilton and Madison and realize how instrumental they were to promoting the idea of a constitutional convention, producing the ideas behind the constitution, and ensuring its passage during the comfirmation process.

When we think of the Founding Fathers, we think of wealthy older gentlemen such as Washington and Franklin. And rightly so -- the Revolution would never have succeeded without the active support of the American establishment. But Cerami's book approaches the Founding from a fascinating new perspective -- the brashness of two brilliant young men, Madison and Hamilton. They were both in their 30s, and brought a fresh and aggressive approach to America's difficulties after the war. The Articles of Confederation were fundamentally flawed; a completely new government was required. Hamilton and Madison saw this with crystal clarity. They were anxious to move the process forward, as quickly as possible. Cerami focuses on this providential nexus between national need and youthful genius. Had Madison and Hamilton been in their 50s, there would have been no new Constitution. The Convention would have simply amended the Articles. The states would have continued in their autonomy and weakness. And the American experiment would likely have failed.

With the recent spate of published books on the era of the American Revolution (see "1776" for starters), Mr. Cerami fills a void in his tale of the creation and the subsequent ratification of the US Constitution in 1787-1788. "Young Patriots" tells the story of what kind of nation should the United States be -- a loose collection of sovereign states or a strong sovereign nation with centralized powers. Most Americans are unaware of the little-known political brawl over the ratification process that nearly failed to pass the Constitution -- i.e. New York approved it by a nail-biting vote of 30-27 while Virginia had a narrow 89-79 margin. Alexander Hamilton of New York and James Madison of Virginia were the winning "floor managers" for the Federalists of their respective states. "Young Patriots" is a readable, lively account of the birth of American politics. Mr. Cerami wrote a political sequel of sorts with "Jefferson's Great Gamble" (2003), his rendition of the Louisiana Purchase. Other tales of this fascinating era includes Catherine Drinker Bowen's "Miracle At Philadelphia" (1966), another perspective on the Constitutional Convention, and Joel Achenbach's "The Grand Idea" (2004), the story of the deals made for the founding of our nation's capital.