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Product Reviews:
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House |
Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: Jackson made the modern presidency
Comments: Jon Meacham's new biography of President Jackson is an interesting focus of Jackson in the White House. It is more about the internal politics of 1830's Washington, then about the larger US and world affairs of the time. Meacham appears at how Jackson approached those larger issues and how he fought through the opposition politics to win nearly e battle he set out to win. If you are a student of Jackson, maybe much of this is well known. For those who haven't studied Jackson, it is an eye opening work that demonstrates how Jackson turned the center of power from the legislative branch to the executive branch and made the president the central role in our government. Meacham also lets us look at the other big names of the day including Clay, Calhoun, Webster and Taney.
Meacham takes us through how Jackson's genius both forced the issue of Southern States nullification of federal law and pushed the country to the brink of civil war in order to establish both the unviolability of the constitution and the duty and right of the president to protect the union. Meacham then takes us through the national bank issues again showing how Jackson forced the bank to play it's hand and then disembowled the bank and essentially closed it.
Meacham does a great job of making separate stories out of what were often simultaneous issues, as well as the ongoing infighting within Jackson's own cabinet and family. It does get a bit slow and muddled at times, however these are worth fighting through to get to the central stories of the biography. This is less a complaint about Meacham's style, than just the fact of how difficult it is to write about the multitude of events that occur within the White House.
If, like I, you do not know much about Jackson' s presidency, this is an excellent place to start with the latest information and research in the field. If you are looking for a biography of Jackson that Comes with his life and career outside of the White House, this is NOT the book you want. Those portions of Jackson's life are only glossed over as they pertain to Jackson's later actions in the White House.
-Mike |
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: Old Hickory's White House years
Comments: This is an well-written book that tells, in detail, the White House years of Andrew Jackson. Granted, his entire life is covered, however before and after his presidency is more cursory since the emphasis, as shown in the title, is his8years as president. And what8years they were!! The problems with Soth Carolina, an arguement with France, and a constant battle with Congress over which institution has more control of the destiny of the country. It's no exaggeration to say that Andrew Jackson maked, to a large extent, the powers of the president vis a vis Congress. Before him presidents tended to defer to Congress when running the country, however Jackson firmly believed that, since he was elected by the people he should be the1to decide what was to be done, even if Congress did not always agree with im. He had a firm belief in the correctness of his actions and would brook no opposition, not even from those members of his own family nearest and dearest to him. As a man of his times, he had a moral blindness when it came to sla, owning many himself and not freeing them after his death, as did several of his predecessors. He was the 1st non-aristocrat elected president and thus had a close connection to the common man. This is a book that should be read closely by those interested in knowing how the power of the modern presidency came to be developed. |
Rating: 3 (out of 5)
Summary: Overrated and Ultimately Boring
Comments: The reviews of this book overrated it by a long shot. almost all of it dissects the personal conflicts between his close confidents and is of limitted interest. The interesting conflicts, such as that of the bank, his fights with Congress, his Indian resettlement policy,and his views on sla are basically superficial. His evaluations of Jackson are generalizations and are repeated ad naseum. Even with his essential approval of Jackson, it would help if in the perspective of history he had examined some of the problems caused by the tradition of the strong president in more tnan just passing. It was hard to push on to the end. |
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: Comp[ared to other historical books
Comments: Well written-however not as interestingly as McCullough's writings. My1critisism is too many words were spent on the women in his life. |
Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: Meacham's American Lion
Comments: Book is well worth reading. Illuminates Jackson,s role as a strong executive leader. Saw himself as an advocate of the common people as long as they were not black or red.Those with a bent for history will especially like it. Burt Shachter. |
