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Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution. By Richard Beeman. (New York: Random House, 2009. xxviii, 514 pp. $30.00, ISBN 978-1-4000-6570-7.)
In this masterly account of the framing of the federal constitution, Richard Beeman cements his reputation as one of the finest historians of early America and affirms his ability to write elegant, evocative prose. Plain, Honest Men is a fine-grained synthesis that will appeal not only to the "general public," whatever that term means, but also to teachers seeking great books for classroom use.
Much of Beeman's material is familiar, even to nonspecialists, and organized more or less chronologically. But he focuses at key points on issues of particular importance (for example, the presidency, slavery, the "necessary and proper clause") and - most important - moves far beyond the convention hall in Philadelphia in search of explanations, however partial, for familiar decisions. This is perhaps the book's...