From a small expanse of land on the North American continent came four of the nation's first five presidents --- a geographic dynasty whose members led a revolution, created a nation and ultimately changed the world. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe were born, grew to manhood, and made their homes within a 60-mile circle east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Friends and rivals, they led in securing independence, hammering out the United States Constitution and building a working republic. Acting together, they doubled the territory of the United States. From their disputes came American political parties and the weaponizing of newspapers, the media of the day.

Lynne Cheney's biography of James Madison explores the astonishing story of a man of vaunted modesty who audaciously changed the world. Outwardly reserved, Madison was the intellectual driving force behind the Constitution and crucial to its ratification. His visionary political philosophy and rationale for the union of states --- so eloquently presented in The Federalist papers --- helped shape the country Americans live in today.