Season 4

Dolley Madison

Here are links to the books I read to prepare season 4. I had to read a James Madison-specific book because there weren't as many Dolley-specific books as I would have liked.

James Madison: A Biography by Ralph Ketcham

This is a long book—just over 700 pages. But it dives deep into Madison's life, and I relied on it heavily for the details of Madison's presidency and the War of 1812. It was published in the 1970s, but it's still considered the definitive single-volume Madison biography. There is a six-volume Madison biography, but nobody has time for that.

Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison by Richard Côté

This was my source for nearly all the information about Dolley's life before she met James Madison. It was an enjoyable read, and probably the best source out there for Dolley's life.

James & Dolley Madison: America's First Power Couple by Bruce Chadwick

I also used a Bruce Chadwick book for Season 1 (The General and Mrs. Washington), and I have the same quibble with this one that I had with that one: namely, he doesn't arrange his books chronologically, but rather, by theme. This makes it really hard to go back and find something, and also results in him repeating himself quite a bit. But he is a good storyteller, so I'll give him that.