by James D. Best This is a historical novel based on the true events surrounding the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.  It's based mainly on the notes of James Madison and the letters and personal writings of Roger Sherman.  Sherman was one of the few in attendance at the convention who had signed the Declaration of Independence and was considered Madison's chief rival and leader of the smaller states in attendance. The story unfolds from both Madison and Sherman's perspectives, though the switching back and forth is handled masterfully - no crappy storytelling like Stephen King's It, with it's continual character switching.  Nearly everything is historically accurate and the few exceptions are well-noted by Mr. Best. The novel puts the Constitutional Convention into real terms and creates people out of the historical figures we have grown accustomed to seeing with a happy-haze of distance.  Madison is shown as the hard-nosed idealist who must learn the real rules of how the political game is played.  Sherman is shown as the pragmatic and strong-willed man he was - and as a genius at manipulation and dealings.  Hamilton is shown as mainly a lackey of General Washington, who is himself shown as a quietly practical, but mainly ...