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Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times

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John H. Mayer

25 Hours 58 Minutes

Random House (Audio)

September 2005

Audio Book Summary

The extraordinary story of Andrew Jackson—the colorful, dynamic, and forceful president who ushered in the Age of Democracy and set a still young America on its path to greatness—told by the bestselling author of The First American.

The most famous American of his time, Andrew Jackson is a seminal figure in American history. The first “common man” to rise to the presidency, Jackson embodied the spirit and the vision of the emerging American nation; the term “Jacksonian democracy” is embedded in our national lexicon.

With the sweep, passion, and attention to detail that made The First American a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a national bestseller, historian H.W. Brands shapes a historical narrative that’s as fast-paced and compelling as the best fiction. He follows Andrew Jackson from his days as rebellious youth, risking execution to free the Carolinas of the British during the Revolutionary War, to his years as a young lawyer and congressman from the newly settled frontier state of Tennessee. As general of the Tennessee militia, he put down a massive Indian uprising in the South, securing the safety of American settlers, and his famous rout of the British at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812 made him a national hero.

But it is Jackson’s contributions as president, however, that won him a place in the pantheon of America’s greatest leaders. A man of the people, without formal education or the family lineage of the Founding Fathers, he sought as president to make the country a genuine democracy, governed by and for the people. Jackson, although respectful of states’ rights, devoted himself to the preservation of the Union, whose future in that age was still very much in question. When South Carolina, his home state, threatened to secede over the issue of slavery, Jackson promised to march down with 100,000 federal soldiers should it dare.

In the bestselling tradition of Founding Brothers and His Excellency by Joseph Ellis and of John Adams by David McCullough, Andrew Jackson is the first single-volume, full-length biography of Jackson in decades. This magisterial portrait of one of our greatest leaders promises to reshape our understanding of both the man and his era and is sure to be greeted with enthusiasm and acclaim.

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Reviews

  • Dave Picinich

    Jackson is such an important figure in American History, I had to listen to this book. Heading into the listen I wasn't sure whether to vilify him or praise him. So I had to judge for myself. The book gives a thorough description of Jacksons life including his triumphs & defeats. Which by the way he had very few defeats. It was fascinating to learn how integral he was to American Democracy & an incredibly fierce patriot for the Union. Also interesting was his being the first "people's president" and what that meant to America then & now. The author I thought could of perhaps gone into more detail regarding the "Trail of Tears" debacle but overall the narration was excellent as was the story. H.W Brands deserves 5 stars for this thorough description of Jackson's incredible American story.

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  • Christopher Zott

    Now I understand the meaning of the term "Jacksonian Democracy". With warts and all, H W Brands portrays the "people's president. The struggle which was Andrew Jackson's life mirrors the struggle of our American democracy. A fascinating time in our country's history is brought to life through several characters that President Jackson trusted, wrote to, and became enemies with. From the enigmatic Sam Houston to the bank cronie Nicholas Biddle, this book documents it all. Extremely thorough and authoritative. The narrator was believable as the voice of Andrew Jackson, and consistent whenever it was called upon. Definitely worth the effort.

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