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 Survey of Jacksonian Republicanism
Summary: 4 Stars
The author has done an excellent job of detailing the life and times of probably the most influential President of the early period of U.S. history. The reader will get a good appreciation of the conflicts confronting the burgeoning nation. The author occasionally gets bogged down in details which are only vaguely related to Jackson himself, and did not spend enough time on the Cherokee problem and subsequent relocation in my mind. I was hoping to learn more about Jackson's motivation for dealing with the native Americans, as he did, as well as the exact details leading up to the trail of tears. I suspect we judge Jackson by modern standards and do not fully appreciate the dilemma he faced with western settlement and conflict between land owners and those who claimed rights by reason of generations of use. I would like to know more! Otherwise, the book is well worth the reading and makes one wish for a modern President with the courage to take matters into his own hands and stand for the rights of the people.Book Review: Surprisingly bad
Summary: 2 Stars
Considering both the author and the subject matter, this was surprisingly bad.
Jackson's election was the first election of a president by "the people" (the people bing white, male, and in some states, just property owners). How did this happen and what did it mean for the country - you won't find out here.
And Jackson as president had a significant impact on how the federal government of the United States operated, from federalism (handling South Carolina's attempt to succeed), to the National Bank, to the proposed expansion of the conuntry.
So how were each of these handled and what did it mean? Again, you won't find out much here. Yes Jackson made a toast to the preservation of the Union and yes that was important. But according to this book that was it.
The book reads easily and is good up through the battle of New Orleans. But it doesn't tell you much about Jackson's impact on our government and country. Yet that is why he is so important.
Book Review: Amazing life!
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading this book one is forced to ask how did Andrew Jackson survive to be President. This is a page turner that I could not put down from the moment I started reading. It covers all aspects of the president's life and does an excellent job with the War of 1812. Jackson was present at many of the defining moments in post revolutionary history and was critical to bringing the people into politics. As the populist candidate you can see the reforms he brings about in some areas and the disasters he opens up in others. This is the best out of three biographies I have read on Jackson and I cannot imagine another one surpassing it. The attention to detail in covering all aspects of old Hickory's life is simply amazing and makes this a very useful book for those who know nothing about this time period. For those who have studied it this book will be an excellent summation and a great addition to any library.Book Review: A study in impossibilities, not contrasts
Summary: 5 Stars
As my rating suggests, I enjoyed this book very much. Nevertheless, this isn't one of those books to be read as an entertainment, like one of David McCullouch's. Rather, it's for those who have a deeper interest in American history. If you are new to the subject, I would strongly urge you to get Arthur Schlesinger Jr's "The Age of Jackson", the best history book I have ever read. Between the two, you can see how the America of the Founders become the America that we know.
Many historians, and reviewers, hate the "Great Man" theory of history. They refuse to believe that the US (or the world) was largely shaped by a few white men. They may be right: Jackson might not be the pivot upon which so many central events turned, but he was certainly there to give the wheel of contingency one hell of a shove. I have never read of anyone who so amazed and appalled me at exactly the same time.
Book Review: The first genuine "President of the People"
Summary: 5 Stars
Contrary to some of the previous reviewers, I found this an excellent biography of Andrew Jackson. And I am not really that great a fan of Jackson and his policies. He is a man worth knowing about, however, because he has had a long and wide influence on the development of American "democratic" ideas. I doubt that a man like Jackson could be elected in this country at this time. Anyone who has read this biography will understand what I mean by that statement.
This is a fine study of a man who had his own ideas about political policy and stuck to his guns through thick and thin. Fortunately, Brands also brings us the "human" Jackson, the man who loved his wife and family with a passion and who thought real friendship was something to be cherished and loyalty was a prime virtue.
This is a must read for anyone who enjoys presidential biographies and American history.