James Madison: A Life Reconsidered

Lynne Cheney, read by Eliza Foss. Penguin Audio, , unabridged, 15 CDs, 18.5 hrs., $39.95 ISBN 978-1-61176-278-5

Former Second Lady Cheney’s meticulously researched biography peels away the myths and legends surrounding Madison, one of America’s Founding Fathers, to reveal a brilliant, driven, complex, and flawed human being. The book follows Madison from his youth, through the Revolutionary War, to the courtship of his darling wife Dolly, to the presidency, and beyond. Foss presents this rigorous history with smooth eloquence. Her pleasant voice and straightforward delivery complements Cheney’s authoritative yet conversational prose. Foss’s steady pacing enhances Cheney’s analysis, never allowing the audiobook edition to fall into monotony despite its large scope. A Viking hardcover. (May)

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