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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.
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Summary: The Federalists Papers explain how America works.
Review: In college, when told to read the Federalists papers one would immediately head for the abridged version, as the prose was dense, and laced with classical references unknown by most readers. This changed, when I entered graduate school, and I discovered the richest of the argument found in the Federalists papers. Even two hundred years later, the arguments presented by Hamiliton, Madison, and Jay stand as testimony to the vision of our founding fathers. As our nation enters into the new century we are gripped by ongoing investigation of the President. We hear charges and countercharges of partisan politics. Yet, if we want to know why the nature of partisan politics then we need look no further than Madison's Federalist #10. If we want to understand the impeachment process, why the founders provided for the process, and how they envisioned it working, one needs only read Hamilton's Federalists #65. When I hear commentator's proclaim the federal court's have overstepped their bounds, I wish to shout at them they should read Hamilton's Federalist #78 before they speak. The Federalists were designed to be read individually and then reflected on. They were written to present arguments for the ratification of the Constitution by the New York Convention. They presented arguments and insights which each citizen of our nation should and must know in order to participate effectively in our democratic process. The issues of today--the answers to our constitutional questions, and the myrid other problems can best be solved if one first understands the essences of our constitution. I highly recommend the Federalists papers to all. Take your time, and consider wisely the wisdom of the sages and how true their words ring today.
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Summary: a still accurate and relevent prophecy
Review: It's frightening how accurate this book is. All throughout the 85 papers that make up The Federalist, Hamilton, Madison and Jay state their points complete with warnings of what might happen should things go in a different direction. Certainly they were standing up for their opinions and beliefs and of course they understood (and supported) the fact that not everyone would agree with their proposals, but something that we have today that they couldn't experience is hindsight. The fears of a civil war for the reasons articulated came true almost to the number, the reasons why and how and what the ultimate end-result would probably be. The warnings against abusive state and federal governments have, time and again, been bled out with remarkably accurate assumption. The troubles of even so far a distant future as today were thought about and discussed and every effort was made to counter such obstacles with the sheer ugency of ideas. It is tragic that this book has become something of a forgotten classic for the people of today, shrugging their shoulders and presuming that the founding fathers have nothing new to teach us. Read on, young America. Understand your nation.
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Summary: America at the starting gate
Review: It's hard for us in the 21st century to get our minds around the concept of building, organizing, defending, and financing a new nation. Imagine the incredible questions that must have come into the minds of the founders of America once independence had been won! Fortunately, the new nation had a small handful of men who had the vision, pragmatism, intellect and communicative abilities: Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, specifically. With an assist from John Jay, these men mapped out the Federalist plan for the United States in pamphlets and newspaper items which, once collected, became THE FEDERALIST PAPERS.
After Charles Kesler's insightful introduction, the reader plunges into these great essays--85 of them. What emerges is an obviously biased but logical argument for a strong central government, a national army (rather than provincial, state-run militiae), and an economy based on commerce, manufactures, and banking. Each essay is a self-contained entity, but the common themes make the collection a seamless (most of the time) and unified whole.
Ironically, Madison and Hamilton would become enemies. And over time the anti-Federalists and Democratic-Republicans would endure but the influences of Jay, Hamilton, and Madison had left their marks on the new nation. Any American with an interest in how their country went from independence on paper to independence and success in practice must read THE FEDERALIST PAPERS.
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Summary: Should be required reading.
Review: Justice Antonin Scalia asked our class at Marquette Law School last week who has read the Federalist Papers cover to cover. A mere 5 people raised their hands out of several hundred. He then said that we should be ashamed of ourselves. I felt bad and I've read about 2/3. Because of Scalia's comments, I finished the other 1/3 this week and they reminded me that you'll learn more about American government, as it was intended to be from this book of papers than in any lecture hall in the world.
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Summary: American? Read these.
Review: Nearly every American has an opinion on how things should be run. However, we need to be familiar with the Founding Fathers' opinions in framing the Constitution, and they were no less conflicting now than then. This book, however, helps to introduce a person to some of the opinions of the Fathers. Coupled with the Anti-Federalist Papers, one can educate himself on the original intentions and interpretations (If they didn't have one interpretation, we cannot). It will also help us see the redemptive elements of out Constitution and political theory that lead to great things such as women's sufferage and the abolition of slavery. Simply put, this is a must read for an American. If you value your political comments, educate yourself or be quiet.
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Summary: Great Stuff -- Not so stuffy as all that
Review: On some level I think rating one of the acknowledged masterpieces of American Letters a bit silly. I did think it might be useful, though, for the curious to know that The Federalist Papers are not all dull political analysis devoid of rhetorical flash and filigree. My favorite example to the contrary comes from The Federalist No. 11, by Hamilton: "The world may politically, as well as geographically, be divided into four parts, each having a distinct set of interests. Unhappily for the other three, Europe by her arms and by her negociations, by force and by fraud, has, in different degrees, extended her dominion over them all. Africa, Asia, and America have successively felt her domination. The superiority, she has long maintained, has tempted her to plume herself as the Mistress of the World, and to consider the rest of mankind as created for her benefit. Men admired as profound philosophers have, in direct terms, attributed to her inhabitants a physical superiority; and have gravely asserted that all animals, and with them the human species, degenerate in America -- that even dogs cease to bark after having breathed a while in our atmosphere. Facts have too long supported these arrogant pretensions of the European. It belongs to us to vindicate the honor of the human race, and to teach that assuming brother moderation. Union will enable us to do it. Disunion will add another victim to his triumphs. Let America disdain to be the instruments of European greatness! Let the thirteen States, bound together in a strict and indissoluble union, concur in erecting one great American system, superior to the controul of all trans-atlantic force or influence, and able to dictate the terms of the connection between the old and new world!" How about that for rhetoric?! for prophecy?! It also might be useful to note that The Federalist Papers are not, as some might assume, a text describing the founder's intentions. Neither Madison, nor Jay, nor Hamilton -- especially Hamilton -- were perfectly content with the Constitution drafted in Philadelphia in 1789. These papers were their justification for the compromise. It is fascinating reading nonetheless.
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Summary: Required Reading for All American's
Review: Read this and understand the true thoughts and meaning behind the Constitution and its Amendments, its interesting to read how the founding fathers interpreted what they wrote in a very different way then the courts and federal gestapo interprete them today. Especially of interest is the paper oon the true meaning of the term "for the general welfare" which has been used to allow all sorts of power grabs from the nuts in Washington, and which has been interpreted completly contrary to what the founding fathers intended. Be a true patriot, read this book.
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Summary: A good timely read
Review: Reading the Federalist Papers at a time of impeachment hearings, trails, and sound bites can give you the insight into how the Founding Fathers attempted to "sell" or "spin" the need for a Federal government to the contemporaries. Reading it will also allow you to see through all of the pundits and politicians who profess to be following the founders intent and quote Madison and Hamilton but have never realy bothered to actually read their words.
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Summary: The most informative work on the American dream ever written
Review: The American Republic. What an unequalled and brilliant diamond in a world covered in coal. It is so sad after reading this book (The Federalist Papers) that I finally find the reality I have been seeking. The pieces have fallen into place after a lifetime of reading other works and wondering why I and others were so frustrated at the course America was taking. The fourty year rain of the Liberal left in Congress seemed a departure from the American Dream but it would not solidify in a true understanding of the problem. That is no longer the case. I now see that many of our leaders are shredding this magnificent creation into fodder for their own ambitions, corruption, political, personal and deviant pleasures. We have betrayed Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison and Jay by letting party loyalty blind us to the truth. Unfortuantely the battle has become one of good and evil, right and wrong and bipartisanship is nothing more than a covert effort to gain compromise in only one direction, to the extreme, fanatical left. The left has so corrupted the original intent of our Constitution that it is by their pathetic interpretation nearly unrecognizable today. After reading numerous books, I.E. the Bible, the Book of Virtues, Slouching Towards Gomorrah, Out of Order, We Hold These Truths and numerous others. In addition to being a life long student of the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and the Constitution itself. I found it unavoidable in todays atmosphere to go any further with the vast number of books addressing the current crises facing our country and this president without first reading the Federalist Papers. A task I had to date, failed to do. But I knew that if High Crimes and Misdemeanors or the Death or Outrage were to mean anything to me, I needed this valuable knowledge of our founders intent. I now see that it is the only real definitive authority on what was intended by the Founders. This book is a must for any American from either side of the isle who really and truely looks for the truth and who desires to honestly make an informed and patriotic decision about the terrible disgrace brought upon our nation by the crew on the bridge of this ship of state called America. We need a new crew and we need one immediately. America is adrift on a sea of deviance, corruption, lies and betayal. "We the People" have been gut shot by an administration that cares for nothing but power. The Federalist Papers to the true student of our history will allow no other conclusion and if one hopes to think him or herself worthy of standing in the shadow of those great minds of our nations birth they must accept the truth. How little and insignificant we have made ourselves in their wake.
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