Publisher Description
An incisive account of the tumultuous relationship between Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and of the origins of our wealthy yet highly unequal nation
In the history of American politics there are few stories as enigmatic as that of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison’s bitterly personal falling out. Together they helped bring the Constitution into being, yet soon after the new republic was born they broke over the meaning of its founding document. Hamilton emphasized economic growth, Madison the importance of republican principles.
Jay Cost is the first to argue that both men were right — and that their quarrel reveals a fundamental paradox at the heart of the American experiment. He shows that each man in his own way came to accept corruption as a necessary cost of growth. The Price of Greatness reveals the trade-off that made the United States the richest nation in human history, and that continues to fracture our politics to this day.
Download and start listening now!
Jay Cost has
managed to do the unthinkable. He’s written an insightful account of the
principles and practices of two great founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton and
James Madison, without savaging one or the other. This terrific book is
destined to reshape our thinking about the key events of the early republic
including the tragic break between Hamilton and Madison…. A must-read for those
interested in a deeper understanding of two giants whose principles animate
America’s conflicted soul.—
Stephen F. Knott, author of Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of MythÂ
