Rating: 
Summary: ummmm I guess this is reviewable
Review: great way to understand the original intent of the framers of the constitution... but its pretty effing boring.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For All Americans
Review: I can hardly offer enough praise for this work. While most Americans have probably read the constituion at least once in their life, it is a shame that so many people are daunted by the task of reading what may be one of the best political pamphlets of all time. To truly understand the constituion and what its writers thought concerning its application it is necessary to understand the political climate of the day and some of the problems facing those who saw the necessity of doing away with the failed system of government under the Articles of Confederation. Hamilton, Madison, and to a lesser extent Jay, all offer the reader with a first-hand look behind the writing of the constituion and help to explain such misunderstood principles of our government such as the differnces between a nationalist and a federalist system of government, the necessity of seperation of powers and ckecks and balances, and the electoral college. While some of their perceptions of how the young republic would mature and some of the problems it would face are either laughably naive or downright wrong, considering how much the world has changed since the writing of these papers it is amazing how well they understood the political situtions inherent in all governments; both in their own day and in ours. The Federalist Papers are a fitting amalgamation of over 2000 years of political thought but they are also an interesting case study in a pragmatic view of human nature which was shared by almost all of the writers of the constituion, that man is inherently flawed and thus a government must be designed so as to protect itself from the fruits of these flaws. While astute and inciteful it is important however to view this work as a political pamphlet (it was origionally written for newspaper publication) and not purely as a work of political philosophy and thus it is full of verbose rhetorical flourishes that sometimes make the authors intent confusing. Still a must read for those who wish to understand anything about political philosophy or human nature.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For All Americans
Review: I can hardly offer enough praise for this work. While most Americans have probably read the constituion at least once in their life, it is a shame that so many people are daunted by the task of reading what may be one of the best political pamphlets of all time. To truly understand the constituion and what its writers thought concerning its application it is necessary to understand the political climate of the day and some of the problems facing those who saw the necessity of doing away with the failed system of government under the Articles of Confederation. Hamilton, Madison, and to a lesser extent Jay, all offer the reader with a first-hand look behind the writing of the constituion and help to explain such misunderstood principles of our government such as the differnces between a nationalist and a federalist system of government, the necessity of seperation of powers and ckecks and balances, and the electoral college. While some of their perceptions of how the young republic would mature and some of the problems it would face are either laughably naive or downright wrong, considering how much the world has changed since the writing of these papers it is amazing how well they understood the political situtions inherent in all governments; both in their own day and in ours. The Federalist Papers are a fitting amalgamation of over 2000 years of political thought but they are also an interesting case study in a pragmatic view of human nature which was shared by almost all of the writers of the constituion, that man is inherently flawed and thus a government must be designed so as to protect itself from the fruits of these flaws. While astute and inciteful it is important however to view this work as a political pamphlet (it was origionally written for newspaper publication) and not purely as a work of political philosophy and thus it is full of verbose rhetorical flourishes that sometimes make the authors intent confusing. Still a must read for those who wish to understand anything about political philosophy or human nature.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Edition
Review: I found this book to be one of the best books I ever read. Instead of giving a lay understanding of some of the arguments, I would like to note what I found exceptional about this book: the footnotes. The footnotes of this book gave detailed accounts of historical references made that shed much light on where the arguments were coming from. There is so much to be had from this book that I know I will read it at least five more times. Should be required reading by all Americans.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Edition
Review: I found this book to be one of the best books I ever read. Instead of giving a lay understanding of some of the arguments, I would like to note what I found exceptional about this book: the footnotes. The footnotes of this book gave detailed accounts of historical references made that shed much light on where the arguments were coming from. There is so much to be had from this book that I know I will read it at least five more times. Should be required reading by all Americans.
Rating: 
Summary: It's the POLLS Stupid!
Review: I have no idea why anyone would waste time and money on a book about the Constitution. The Constitution doesn't amount to a hill of beans! If you can move the polls, that's all that counts. Save your money on this one folks and learn how to spin!
Rating: 
Summary: Great material, horrid typeface
Review: I will not even comment on the material itself, other than to say that it is superb. However, the print quality is so poor as to merit only two stars. It is much worse than "newsprint," on roughly 20 pages of my copy, over a quarter of the page is virtually unreadable, the text is so light. The only reason this book merited two stars was its superb notes, illuminating some of the more perplexing aspects of the book. However, I would not recommend this particular copy unless found at a bookstore (sorry, Amazon) where the quality of the print can be evaluated.
Rating:
Summary: I am amazed at the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers
Review: If you are going to read "The Federalist Papers," you must also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers" in order to get the complete picture. Both books cross-reference each other and both are instrumental in understanding how our government was designed and how it was intended to work. In addition to the Papers, this edition also contains the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and an excellent introduction by Charles Kesler. In a time when each colony had its own "constitution," the Federalists believed in creating one strong centralized government (with one Constitution) that could effectively represent the people. The authors and supporters of the Constitution knew that they could not afford to lose the vote in the state ratifying conventions. In an effort to win over his home state (New York), Alexander Hamilton, with the assistance of James Madison and John Jay, began a collection of 85 essays and published them under the pseudonym of "Publius" (named after one of the founders and heroes of the Roman republic, Publius Valerius Publicola). The Papers, published in 1787 and 1788, analyze and defend the proposed Constitution of the United States. The Federalists succeeded in winning the colonists' support. But, even though the anti-federalists lost, their ideas were also brilliant and made an important contribution to the history of our government, which is why you should also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers." This book is a must-read for all Americans. After reading this book, you will have a renewed appreciation and admiration for the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers.
Rating:
Summary: I'm amazed at the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers
Review: If you are going to read "The Federalist Papers," you must also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers" in order to get the complete picture. Both books cross-reference each other, and both are instrumental in understanding how our government was designed and how it was intended to work. In addition to the Papers, this edition also contains the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and an excellent introduction by Charles Kesler. In a time when each colony had its own "constitution," the Federalists believed in creating one strong centralized government (with one Constitution) that could effectively represent the people. The authors and supporters of the Constitution knew that they could not afford to lose the vote in the state ratifying conventions. In an effort to win over his home state (New York), Alexander Hamilton, with the assistance of James Madison and John Jay, began a collection of 85 essays and published them under the pseudonym of "Publius" (named after one of the founders and heroes of the Roman republic, Publius Valerius Publicola). The Papers, published in 1787 and 1788, analyze and defend the proposed Constitution of the United States. Obviously, the Federalists succeeded in winning the colonists' support. But even though the anti-federalists lost, their ideas were also brilliant and made an important contribution to the history of our government, which is why you should also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers." This book is a must-read for all Americans. After reading this book, you will have a renewed appreciation and admiration for the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers.
Rating:
Summary: I am amazed at the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers
Review: If you are going to read "The Federalist Papers," you must also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers" in order to get the complete picture. Both books cross-reference each other and both are instrumental in understanding how our government was designed and how it was intended to work. In addition to the Papers, this edition also contains the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and an excellent introduction by Charles Kesler. In a time when each colony had its own "constitution," the Federalists believed in creating one strong centralized government (with one Constitution) that could effectively represent the people. The authors and supporters of the Constitution knew that they could not afford to lose the vote in the state ratifying conventions. In an effort to win over his home state (New York), Alexander Hamilton, with the assistance of James Madison and John Jay, began a collection of 85 essays and published them under the pseudonym of "Publius" (named after one of the founders and heroes of the Roman republic, Publius Valerius Publicola). The Papers, published in 1787 and 1788, analyze and defend the proposed Constitution of the United States. The Federalists succeeded in winning the colonists' support. But, even though the anti-federalists lost, their ideas were also brilliant and made an important contribution to the history of our government, which is why you should also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers." This book is a must-read for all Americans. After reading this book, you will have a renewed appreciation and admiration for the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers.
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