Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times
by H.W. Brands
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Book Reviews of Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times
Book Review: A good general biography of the People's President
Summary: 4 Stars
I looked forward to the release of this book with great anticipation and began reading it as soon as I finished the other book I was then reading. After reading Brands' wonderful biography of Benjamin Franklin that was a deserving finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, I hoped for more of the same from this treatment of Andrew Jackson. I was slightly disappointed.
The earlier sections and chapters of the book were wonderful giving great detail about Jackson's ancestry and early life of hardship including the loss of everyone close to him. Brands does a wonderful job telling the story of how Jackson improved himself by studying law, the rough journey west to Tennessee and the difficulties of life on the frontier in the late 18th and early 19th century. The sections on Jackson's military career also stand out as some of the best parts of this book. I feel, however, that the book died off during the section on Jackson's Presidency. His presidency was pivotal in American history and helped define a new age of American politics and deserved greater attention than it seemed to receive in this book. Some of the key events (particularly the nullification crisis and even the bank war) seemed to be glossed over because either the author or editor wanted to keep the number of pages down. The final section on Jackson's post-Presidential years also seemed to be trimmed down for the purpose of keeping the book under 600 pages of text. I would personally prefer the added pages because it provides a fuller portrait of such a pivotal figure and his importance to American history.
Overall, this was a good book with many excellent sections, but for those who read "The First American" and are hoping for more of the same as I was will be slightly disappointed that it doesn't live up to Brands' previous work.
Book Review: Excellent single volume bio of Jackson
Summary: 5 Stars
Andrew Jackson is a difficult subject, who lived during a difficult time and dealt with difficult issues in a difficult manner. I don't mean to be glib here but if one looks at the issues facing America from the Revolution to the Civil War, Andrew Jackson was seemingly directly or indirectly involved. This author does an excellent job in helping us understand those times, those issues, this man and his decisions. Does Remini's three volume bio of Jackson give us more information on such issues as the elections of 1824, 1828, 1832 & '36? Jackson's battles with Biddle? and the Whigs? the members of the Kitchen Cabinet? Attorney General/Chief Justice Tawney? Yes. On the other hand I got a much clearer understanding of Jackson, the human, from this book - his becoming an orphan, his marriage and its issues, dueling, leading men in war, slavery, the American Indians, his health issues - than I have from the others I have read. And no - a lot of it is not pretty - but it's coherent and understandable, in this author's presentation. I find Brand's writing in this book, and his past books, engaging and exciting - yeah, exciting - for a non-fiction book. The fault in this book is the thin coverage of Andrew Jackson - politician - and especially AJ - President. Unclear if the threat of a second volume was an issue here or not. If past history is any indicator, this author has a knack in leading/defining "trends" in biographies/history,so more info on Pres. Jackson could be good news.
As an aside - check the bibliography - secondary sources - for some "pithy" reviews/recommendations on books covering this era.
Book Review: Underrated President and Leader
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this book in my continuing pursuit of reading a biography of every President. I would rate this as a good to very good biography of Jackson, describing him as an underrated President and leader.
The thing that always amazes me about these biographies is where the information comes from. I wonder if folks knew Jackson was going to be something special at a young age so they saved letters, documents, etc., pertaining to him or did people back then just save everything. I don't save personal letters - not that I get any in this deay of e-mail - but I don't save cards or letters or anything of that note. Must be just a different time and people were more likely to save those kinds of things.
That aside, I find it truly amazing how Brands puts together these letters, hard-to-find papers and articles into what was a very coherent and entertaining story.
The book was very good from start to finish. It dragged a little bit during the Bank scandal during his Presidency, but that might have been the nature of the scandal not being all that entertaining and not the writing itself.
I was also very interested in the relationship between Jackson and JQ Adams and Jackson and Sam Houston. Makes me want to find out more about Houston in particular.
Very good book that I would recommend. Certainly on part with Brands' bio of Teddy Roosevelt... not as long but defnitely as complete.
Book Review: Superbly crafted biography of our 7th President
Summary: 5 Stars
I am currently reading a biography of every President in order. Brands book on Andrew Jackson has my vote for best one volume Presidential biography I have read thus far.
Brands writing style is fluid and easy to read and the research is solid, all very important components to a biography, but these alone are not what makes this biography so great. Brands real strength lies in the way he balances and crafts his presentation. The narrative of the book is generally chronological but Brands adeptly overlaps chronology where it is helpful to the quality of the narrative and the understanding of the reader. Brands also weaves in background information masterfully, always providing enough as is required to adequately inform the reader's understanding of the main subject but never drifting too far off topic to lose the reader's interest or focus. Brands has also provided just the right balance in terms of the details and themes of Jackson's life he chooses to focus upon, providing a full portrait of Jackson and his life without losing the reader's interest on unimportant details.
In my opinion, Brands biography manages to strike the perfect balance between the reading enjoyment of narrative biography and the more in depth study of a scholarly work. I only wish every President had such a wonderful biography.
Book Review: The First President From The West
Summary: 5 Stars
Andrew Jackson led a colorful and complex life in his 78 years. He was a military genius, plantation owner, Indian fighter, a racist toward non-whites, controversial loser of the 1824 and easy winner of the 1828 & 1832 Presidential elections, orphan, scarred by the British and married to a married woman, his true love. Mr. Brands tells his story of a man of contradictions in 600+ pages.
Mr. Brands writes a dense, just the facts approach in his biography of this populist President from the West who campaigned against the elitist Northeast. The true climax of his Presidency was his delaying the onset of the Civil War with his staring down his own Vice-President and the South with a genuine military show of force during the secession crisis.
Mr. Brands has written the best one volume biography of the seventh President, surpasssing Robert Remini's own 400+ page condensation ("The Life of Andrew Jackson"--1988) of his classic trilogy on Andrew Jackson. However, given that Jackson was at the center of American history for over 60 years, the reader is referred to Mr. Remini's three volume definitive biography of 1,600 pages (1977, 1981, 1984) for a fuller, richer picture of this fascinating President. In deciding which to read, it depends on how much time and how much interest the reader has in Andrew Jackson.