1830s: Andrew Jackson

First of the American Presidents Series from Times Books I read for this project. (James Monroe's biography is also from this series.) We own several of these books, and they are quick reads, and oftentimes good, so I will include several more going forward. Generally speaking, these books are brief, a little more than 100 pages each, focusing mostly on highlights or an overview of the President's time in office. But the best part is that each is written by a different historian or general author who ends up being a fan of that particular president. They almost all try to make a case that their president is the (usually) least appreciated and (always) one of the most important presidents in history. Even the Benjamin Harrison biographer makes such a claim!

Anyway, the Andrew Jackson entry in this series by Sean Wilentz is a particularly good book. His is one of the best of the series. He does not over-adore Jackson, but instead provides good context and complexity for Jackson, especially from a contemporary perspective.

(Read January 2008)