Offers a fresh perspective on a founding-era politician and president frequently overshadowed by his friends and rivals. . . . Poston’s well-written and thoughtful overview of Monroe’s muscular efforts to promote republicanism . . . elevates the achievements of this underappreciated founding figure.”¬—Journal of American History
“[Poston] writes with clarity and insight. . . . [He] shows how Monroe grew from a political neophyte to become a philosophical giant who, as president, widened his arc of influence to lead the hemisphere toward freedom and democracy.”—Presidential Studies Quarterly
“An engaging analysis of Monroe’s values and ambitions.”—Virginia Magazine of History and Biography