( 22 reviews )
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Posted: Jun 12 2009
This is pretty flowery stuff. The kind of soft peddled history that either glosses over more controversial and negative aspects of the man, or completely ignores them. The author's other newer book, "What Hath God Wrought" portrays a very different Jackson. This one is more like something one would have been taught in an American history class in the 1960s- a sanitized version.
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Posted: May 13 2009
I had such high hopes for this book after reading the reviews and knowing of Brands' reputation. Now that I'm done, I'm glad I read it, but I'm kind of disappointed in some ways. Let's just say that the subtitle of this book is very important: "His Life and Times." Brands' focus was often too much about "and Times." I wanted a definitive, one-volume biography of Jackson, one of the most interesting men in our history. What I got was a book that spent way, way too much time on issues like the history of Indians in North America, the framing of the constitution, Spanish involvement in Florida, etc. I know all of those pertain to Jackson, but they could have been summarized much more succinctly. At times I simply got bored. Then Brands zipped through Jackson's presidency like he had to hurry up and finish the book in a limited number of pages. Jackson's was one of the most influential presidencies in U.S. history, and it took up about a quarter of this book. I wish Brands had consolidated the pre-presidency period and expanded the White House years. That said, once Brands reached about 1824, the book's pace picks up dramatically, and I can certainly say that his portrayal of the human being was solid. I feel now like I have a good handle on Jackson the man. If about 40 pages had been added to the years of Jackson's presidency and subtracted from the state of the country throughout the different stages of Jackson's life, I would have loved the book.
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Posted: Apr 20 2009
H. W. Brands is far more than a historian. His depth of research and interpretations of the motivation and actions of a President largely misunderstood sets a new standard for every one of us who write about "yesterdays." His work is unique in that he has found a way to profile Jackson with meticulous detail, and still make it easy to read and enjoy.
