The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation’s Call to Greatness by Harlow Giles Unger Book Review

Note: Hi, when I review books, or anything really, I’m big on discussing what works and what doesn’t work. That often involves spoilers, and seriously I do mean SPOILERS. If you’re not cool with that, that’s totally fine. I have a spoiler-free review that you can read here on Goodreads. But if you’re cool with spoilers, then let’s sit back and chat about this book.

Note: This book is a part of my Presidential Book Challenge in honor of the 2020 Presidential Elections.

A Brief Summary

-Taken from Goodreads–
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 (1751–1831) went on to become America’s first full-time politician, dedicating his life to securing America’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 America’s fifth president. The country embraced Monroe’s dreams of empire and elected him to two terms, the second time unanimously. Mentored by each of America’s first four presidents, Monroe was unquestionably the best-prepared president in our history.

Like David McCullough’s John Adams and Jon Meacham’s recent book on Andrew Jackson, this new biography of Monroe is both a solid read and stellar scholarship—history in the grand tradition

What works

• The writing itself was decent, with the text possessing a strong narrative approach, especially in regards to the prologue’s opening paragraph. It certainly made it easier to follow along with what was happening.

What May or May Not Work

• What I call the “Rah Rah James Monroe” section in the prologue:
  • “Monroe transformed a fragile little nation into ‘a glorious empire'” and that “although George Washington had won the nation’s independence, he bequeathed a small country, rent by political factions, beset by foreign enemies, [etc.]”
    • Because you’re not successful unless you win a war, found a country, AND make it a superpower all on day one. Geesh, so it took a few decades to get through the mud and wars and build up the country.
  • “Washington’s three successors – [Adams, Jefferson, Madison] – were mere caretaker presidents who left the nation bankrupt, [etc.]”
    • ‘caretaker presidents’? Too bad the author wasn’t alive during Monroe’s lifetime, he would have made for an excellent publicist.
  • “Monroe’s presidency made poor men rich, turned political allies into friends, and united a divided people as no president had done since Washington. The most beloved president after Washington” and insert a long paragraph of more cheering for Monroe.
    • Now I do believe that Monroe did do all the good things that were mentioned, but the quick relay of ALL his achievements makes my eyes roll and makes me question the objectivity of the author (but really, what objectivity. He writes like a fanboy.)
• So let’s talk about the opening prologue scene, really just the first paragraph. It was pretty dramatic and I thought I was reading fiction with how it was written (and humorous fiction at that). It depicts a meeting between Pres. Monroe, Navy Secretary Samuel Southard and younger politician, William H. Crawford. Crawford calls the president “you infernal scoundrel”, shakes his cane at the president who reaches for some fireplace tongs and then the Navy Secretary “leaped from his seat and intercepted Crawford, pushing him away from the president’s desk and out the door.” Supposedly it was “a terrifying scene: the president—the presidency itself—under attack for the first time in history”. All very shocking and terrifying (tongue-in-cheek) but when the author reaches that particular scene later on in the book, it is described almost perfectly opposite of the prologue’s version. It still has “the infernal scoundrel”, the tongs, the cane, the door, BUT the president and Mr. Crawford have a very calm conversation compared to the earlier version and Mr. Crawford “then asked to shake hands with him in parting and he did so”. And as the later version was provided by Navy Secretary Southard, I shake my head at the dramatization that was the prologue’s version. True, the 2nd version isn’t as dramatic, but it is how it actually occurred, with “the presidency” not in danger.

Honorable Mentions

• James and Elizabeth Monroe’s spending habits remind me of Thomas Jefferson’s, especially when they are in living in France. If they had some of the financial sense of John and Abigail Adams, they probably would have been better off. In any case, James Monroe soon became “one of the most celebrated figures in the French capital—indeed, the most celebrated American since Franklin.”
• The creation of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ is mentioned here, so I got a cool little bit of musical history. I also didn’t know that “Congress did not designate ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ as the national anthem until 1931′.
• Shout-out to the guest (Mrs. Tuley) for describing all three Monroe women as “very handsome”, and not only that but describing them as such each in their own turn. I shall now never doubt that they were very handsome women.
• Shout-out to Eliza Hay, James Monroe’s firstborn, who had a complete personality change later on in life and after her husband died, went back to France, “converted to Roman Catholicism and entered a convent”. She very much reminded me of the fictional character Eliza Reed from Jane Eyre who had a similar personality to Eliza Hay and also entered a convent later in life. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
  • Even though Jane Eyre was published 7 years after Eliza Hay’s death, I strongly doubt that there is any real correlation between the real and fictional Elizas. I just find the similarities amusing.

Side Questions

• So apparently during James Monroe’s presidency, there was an “Era of Good Feelings”. Seriously? That’s what it was called? Who decided to call it that? I actually had to look up whether or not that was even actually a thing (which it is) but still. That name is a bit much for me.

Would I read this book again?

• Perhaps. It wasn’t a bad book and I did enjoy reading most of it.
  

If you’ve read The Last Founding Father, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!