The full title is The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy by Jay Cost.

American freedom from Great Britain was won by many. There were many visions of what this country should be. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were key figures in deciding how the ideals of the revolutionaries could be preserved in a lasting government.

Both were key figures in moving the American colonies from the loose and unworkable Articles of Confederation to the much stronger federal system of the United States Constitution. They agreed on the need for a stronger Federal government.

They were allies and close friends who had worked together on shaping and defending the Constitution. After the stronger government was in place, they strongly disagreed on some of the specifics of how that government should be run to both be strong enough to survive and preserve the principles of our hard won independence. This led to a breakdown in their friendship with each suspecting the motives of the other.

This is an interesting and important story told well by Jay Cost. I found The Price of Greatness an interesting book and very enlightening. Some of the topics were very relevant to some issues being discussed today (for example protective tariffs).