No comments about Abraham Lincoln: Great American Historians on Our Sixteenth President.

2 comments about Homes and Libraries of the Presidents - Third Edition ( & Libraries of the Presidents).

1. I didn't read the entire book, and most people I would guess also wouldn't read it cover to cover. This book is more like a travel guide to the burial sites, libraries, and birth homes of the presidents. I was interested in the book to see if there were any presidential sites near me (there are only 2), so the usefulness of this book was limited by the fact that I cannot visit 99% of the places discussed. For each of the presidents the author gives a brief snapshot of the person. There is about 1-2 pages devoted to each of the `lesser known' presidents and about 5-10 pages for the likes of Washington, Lincoln, etc. You are also given travel information - city/street maps to locate the places (which aren't very helpful), and museum hours, admissions, etc. The best part of the book were the color photos of the presidents' homes and the US map that shows the distribution of the presidential monuments. I'm not really sure I even get the purpose of this book - it doesn't offer any information that is new or interesting. I wouldn't recommend this book because all of the information it contains can be found with far better accuracy and depth on the Internet; via the museum or library websites you would get much more background information about the President you need information on with up-to-date info on hours, admissions, etc. *This review is for the 1995 edition*



2. Presidents don't just drop off the face of the earth when their term ends! "Homes and Libraries of the Presidents" takes a look at the homes, libraries, and other endeavors of the presidents. In a newly revised third addition, Homes and Libraries of the Presidents" contains new information that is promoted as less than a week old when the book went to press. A must for anyone looking for the most up to date information possible on the post-administration lives of the presidents, "Homes and Libraries of the Presidents" is highly recommended for community library reference shelves.

5 comments about RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon.

1. Nixon became president the month I was born and had left the scene before I became politically aware. Nobody spoke of him during the 70's, or of Johnson for that matter - they belonged to a past era which nobody much wanted to revisit, and so I knew very little about either of them as a kid or teen.
   
   By resigning Nixon had admitted at least some guilt in the vast number of things he was accused of and his abdication was a political cataclysm. Through my childhood years he lived out his old age as a pariah off in San Clemente, California, the personification of the period of enormous turbulence during the height of the Vietnam war. He was the living embodiment of the dark heart and excess of the GOP, and everyone, especially in Democratic Massachusetts, considered him a cancer on the body politic and was happy he was gone.
   
   But his resignation was sincere and he was mostly contrite. In retirement he was a sad old giant in exile and after a while the Press which had hounded him out of office allowed him some dignity as an elder statesman and left him alone.
   
   He's nothing like the caricature I expected. I have to say - I really like him. He's very thoughtful, well spoken, modest, with good intentions towards the country and had a warm, respectful dialogue with the major statesmen and characters of the day.
   
   It's a beautifully written book. It was easy to see how he had become a leader. He had the air of solid, calm composure and reasonableness which I admire. As for doublespeak tendencies, the clues are missing for someone who didn't live through that time period.
   
   The contrast with Bush could not be more clear. Maybe the candor came from Nixon's retirement, but I can't imagine Bush being this straight and honest with his audience. POTUS 43 isn't smart or eloquent enough to write this kind of book, and he's too secretive to make that leap of trust with the little people to allow them into his mind.
   
   Of course Nixon was at least as bad as Bush - he was famous for having a blind-spot as big as a barn, which one can see in his writing. Despite the resignation, he wasn't entirely remorseful - he saw himself as the victim of many media conspiracies and other antagonists, both real and imagined. But Nixon has the breadth of worldview and honesty with himself, and by extension the reader, to allow us into his world.
   
   His dark tendencies had other origins. In an era when 30 soldiers were being killed in Vietnam every single day - over ten times the volume of Iraq - and the world convulsing in protest and chaos around them, Nixon's lieutenants and were just brutalized by their environment and lost their sense of direction and fought back with every realpolotik' weapon and dirty trick they could imagine.
   
   Nixon himself is much too close to the action to see how complicit he was - and as the leader he was de-facto fully culpable. But he did take responsibility resign over it - so if it is noble to forgive, then he deserves some rest.
   
   My folks on the other hand strongly disliked Nixon because they thought the GOP machine had sabotaged all the moderate Democratic primary candidates, leaving only Muskie and worse, McGovern, who were far too weak and radical. So he had effectively dismantled the American democratic process - even aside from the Watergate bugging and coverup. Nixon's Southern Strategy of making the GOP a safe place for whites upset by the Civil Rights movement, is still the dominant fault-line in American politics.
   
   Now, after the cancer has been lanced and we have survived him, Nixon's transgressions feel like water long past under the bridge. I'm only sad and sorry that he passed away. He was a wise, complex man and this book shows that his shadow is still very large.



2. I read it twenty-five years ago and just read it again. Fast paced until he gets bogged down in justifying his actions in Watergate. Nixon was an excellent writer, but his self-justification requires you to read other bios of the 37th President. From Jerry Vorhis to Alger Hiss to John Dean, a great take on postwar American history by someone who was there.



3. what this man did was wrong in terms of his involvement and his support of bullying in the whitehouse. This man was seen as one of the most liberal presidents and founded the Environmental Protection agengy as well as food stamps and strove to implement far reaching welfare reforms. He did many things we equivocate with democratic setbacks, and we have to wonder how much the nation suffered. He tried to protect himself under the presidency: Was he attacked? The FBI tried to sheild us from this man, and we have to wonder where the balance lies. Surely this man did great things perhaps as no president has done after him for social reform. Much to ponder. In later years, he confessed to wrongdoing and advised several presidents without want of attention or credit.I tend to like Mr. Nixon, but tend also to grieve his past actions against the war demonstrators in terms of actions he could not implement as he did not have the support of the FBI. The problem was the wire tapping of journalists, and the breaking into a psychiatrists office to try to get info on one of the journalists who oppose Nixon. Yes,much to think about. Am I bothered by racial remarks he's made on tape when he tried to institute the largest welfare program since FDR saved us from the depression? Save for perhaps Kennedy..No. I think his actions counterbalance the remarks he's made. The wiretapping and the break in are his shame, more so the wiretapping as I'm not sure about the extent of the involvement he had in that. I enjoy Mr. Nixon's attempt to guide the nation via advice of succeeding presidents and look forward to reading thE progressive social policy that's in his seven books.



4. It was risky business for Nixon to write an autobiography for at least a couple of reasons. First, his many detractors would clearly be quick to jump on any discrepancies in the work. Second, as more and more classified information is released by the government, Nixon stood to become a well-documented liar, assuming that there were a few stretchers herein -- and Nixon would have known that such information would be forthcoming someday. Still, he had the brass to write it, and it's a darn fine book.
   
   This autobiography is somewhat unusual in that, not only did Nixon write the book, he also wrote IN to the book, even though he, himself, may not have realized this. In other words, we can tell a LOT about Nixon just by reading between the lines of this one. We can detect when he felt adversarial about someone (the media, for example), and we get a clear feel for some of his well-known (and often well-deserved) paranoia.
   
   Some will bluntly say that Nixon was a crook. Perhaps this is correct but he was an incredibly intelligent and complex man and many positive initiatives were achieved during his long tenure as U.S. President. Of course, he covers all these events in the book and we get a feeling of having the inside scoop for having read about them in this work. So, really, this volume is an excellent "history book" for the era that it covers (essentially, the period from Nixon's birth up through the Watergate affair).
   
   Probably the most profound facet of "R.N." that I picked up on was that Nixon was a huge patriot. He fostered incredibly strong beliefs in manifesting his visions for a great America -- of course, his facilitation of some of those ideas is what got him into trouble.
   
   Nixon remained necessarily vague in certain details of the Watergate scandal and a few cracks in his story have already emerged as a direct result of Privacy Act releases. No doubt, a few more will be forthcoming. But honestly, many of these "events" are simply a matter of perspective, Nixon's paradign versus that of his enemies. In these cases, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
   
   I most enjoyed reading about Nixon and his family as he grew up which is a large portion of the book. Nixon was a hard worker and, frankly, I admire his achievement of becoming President, since he was one of the few who made this life-leap, absent a silver spoon.
   
   I read MANY books (3 a week for years) and "R.N." is one of the top 20 books I've ever read and it's in the top 5 of my non-fiction list. Don't be put off by politics in this instance -- this tome of an autobiography is a real page-turner and well-done.



5. I must first warn the reader that this book is 1000 page plus. Second, the 1000 plus pages are a great read. I won't write a very long review- 1) because I read this book over 2 years ago, and 2) I'll just go right to the main reasons why this book is great, 3) previous reviewers have good insight into the book for people who are considering reading this book and I've found their reviews well written.
   
   This book, unlike a few of the other presidential memoirs, begin with Nixon's birth to the end of his presidency. It spans his entire life before the Presidency, and his entire political career, not just his life in the White House. (Nixon begins the first chapter by saying "I was born in the house that my father built" or something to that effect). While Nixon wrote his first autobiography, Six Crisis, after losing his first bid for the White House to John F Kennedy- he repeats much of his explanations on the 6 crisis in this book as well.
   
   It is pretty fun following Nixon's career from Congress to the Vice Presidency to his bid for the White House, losing it, losing the California Gubnatorial (spelling?) race, his thoughts on the 1964 election and his life in the wilderness and then finally to the Presidency. I don't know if a ghost writer was used, but the book is very fluent and flows really well. It is not a tough read and reading it makes time pass well.
   
   Nixon doesnt spend too much time in great detail on unimportant aspects or policies, unlike some other presidential memoirs. His writing on the foreign policies that he took is great: the China trip is the highlight of this book. His discussions on the Vietnam War and the actions he took is extremely interesting. I am sure historians had great fun reading this book.
   
   Nixon goes on to describe very well why he started taping his own conversations on the phone and in the Oval Room. He begins by explaning how Lyndon Johnson showed him all the recording devices he kept.
   
   The book takes a downturn when Nixon begins to describe how he was completely innocent during and after the Watergate break-in. He goes onto extremely minute details to describe how he had absolutely no idea about the break-in and how he was in the dark for a long time after the fiasco. While Bill Clinton takes the blame full on to himself for the Monica Lewinsky scandal and admits guilt in his book, MY LIFE, Nixon uses various tactics and scenarios to indicate how he knew nothing. The descriptions go on and on, confusing the reader as to what the hell is happenning. But even when he goes on to begin describing the incident(s), it becomes obviously clear that he knew and was involved in the cover-up and the illegal actions that he took. He quickly skips over the part where the 23 minute (was it 23?I cant remember) is deleted and blames it on his secretary. Reading this book proved to me that Nixon was guilty.
   
   After I read the book, I was very fascinated by President Nixon. I watched Oliver Stone's movie 4 times in over 5 years. Nixon was definitely a complex character. He indeed was a man who could easily have been a great man. I do feel sorry for him; and am happy that by the time he passed away, he regained much of his stature - although as Nixon himself admitted, he will always be remembered for Watergate. As I mentioned above, after reading this book, I've become very interested in all things Nixon, like his movie, his other books, articles about him, his relationship to other Presidents, other world leaders and Henry Kissinger- and also on what they thought about him (Gerald Ford - "Sometimes I don't know why I pardoned the bastard"). For the political geek- this book is definitely a must read.

5 comments about Abe: A Novel of the Young Lincoln.

1. I will be quite honest, this is a bad book. The research Slotkin did about many of the often ignored events in Lincoln's formative years and the inclusion of some obscure celebrities of the 1830's is impressive, but attempts to connect the two are ridiculous. There is simply no reason to make up a fictional story about Lincoln's upbringing to make it interesting, unusual, and important to his political beliefs. It is thrown together haphazardly and Slotkin's attempts to occasionally use the vernacular (without rhyme or reason all of the characters and even the narrator go in and out of their unique dialects)do not help the story flow or add anything to the novel. Basically it seems that Slotkin is trying to take elements from Huck Finn, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and The Bible, stir them up and add a little sexual scandal to sell a book. It does not work and really makes for a disappointing read. I think historical novels about famous leaders are great, but there should be a thesis the author goes on to prove in it and the later part of that equation is sorely lacking here--Slotkin wants to show that Lincoln's trip down the Mississippi influenced Lincoln's future politics, but he never really demonstrates it even though he was free to make up any dialogue and events he liked in order to do it. Slotkin tried to do many things with this book, and I appreciate the effort, but it just does not work and going against the general feeling of most reviewers on Amazon, I cannot recommend this to anyone unless it all you have available to read.



2. ABE starts well. Slotkin's portrayal of his early life rings true. The relationship Abe had with his parents and their place in the community sounds very realistic. At this point, I felt Slotkin had a real grasp of what Lincoln might have been like and I was really enjoying this speculative look at the young Abe Lincoln. The trip down the river changed that for me. Slotkin uses Lincoln's flatboat journey down the Mississippi as the basis of Lincoln's eventual political beliefs, but it just doesn't ring true. The journey is one event after another, with social and sexual overtones that intefere with the natural flow of the novel. Eventually, it doesn't even seem that the novel is about Abe Lincoln anymore, but some nameless boy's "journey into manhood along the Mississippi". The best historical fiction gives the reader insight into the characters; this book seems to be trying to make too strong a point, as if it were an actual historical document instead of a picaresque fiction. Like an earlier reviewer, I found this to be less than it could have been.



3. Having trouble getting your teen son to read? Put this book in his room and let his mind wonder about what the world was like before he was born. Does your daughter think that doing the dishes at night is a real drag? Let her think about life in the times of slavery! Historical fiction at its best! Thanks, Richard, I believe I will read the rest of the books you have written!



4. At the end of this book the author provides remarks that help clarify the context in which the novel was written. First he tells us that this was a work of many decades of reading and research. That many of the chapters of Abe's young life were extracted from what was actually known. There was some co-mingling of people to compress dates and that Abe might not have actually met some of them face to face, but might have been within the vicinity of them during his travels.
   
   What then of this story, of the earliest years of the greatest American? One is struck by the terrible poverty that he was born into and lived through till full adulthood. We simply don't have an appreciation these days of how hard life was back in the early 1800's in the backwoods of America. We learn that Abe had a loving but illiterate mother and a grim, tense and hard father who was barely able to read. The Lincoln's were not a lazy family, just hard pressed by bad times and lack of good fortune. We learn little about his sister and more about how attached he was as a young man to his mother. After her death his father remarried and to a woman with her own children. The gift she had was a unique insight into what people need, which in most cases was space, understanding and time to process. Instead of talking down to the young, heart broken and tender Abe, she gave him time for him to come round to her; indeed, in time he learned to love and trust her very deeply. It was a mutual and powerful bond that far surpassed the remote and bitter father who always lurked over the young Abe as he grew both intellectually, physically and in confidence and life experience.
   
   The entire book is written in a clever amalgam comprised half in modern English and half in the language people would have used back then. What jars the reader today is the constant use of the devlish word "nigger". We tend to forget that in those days it was what all African American's were called and indeed what they called each other. Growing up among parents who found slavery distasteful and seeing first hand evidence of how horrible the treatment of slaves was, Lincoln started forming a strong philosophical rejection of slavery, which in turn manifested for the first time when he was elected to the state legislature and never left him.
   
   One cannot read a book like this, with it's intense details of how evil the treatment of slaves was and not find one grinding your teeth. There are hard sections to read and like Uncle Tom's Cabin and "March", which come to mind (like many such books) slavery makes the blood hot. The end of the book sees the canny and razor sharp mind of Lincoln as he turns the tables on those older white folks in his new adopted town who thought that they could pull a fast one on the tall guy, hoping to make a fool of him, test his measure and see if he had any spine in him. In a foreshadowing of his role as President, he found a way of restating his imposed debating position, destroying his opposition and supporting his own personal feeling, without having to give an inch in compromise. The opponents in the debate are left breathless, enraged and shocked at how this young buck had managed to seize control of the moment: a trait that was completely repeated when he entered his first term as president.
   
   This is a fantastic story that feels every bit as true and possible. If you admire Abraham Lincoln, this is a must read that will entertain and disturb. The shadow of the mythic Lincoln is given its proper foundation; a well deserved place in Americana, as the greatest President and perhaps the greatest American ever.



5. Brilliant! As a Lincolnphile I have read the good, the bad and the ugly about Lincoln, and Sandburg aside, this is the first book that, for me, ever brought Lincoln to life! Do not miss this opportunity to treat yourself to a literary masterpiece. Slotkin puts you inside Lincoln's skin, and carries you along with the raging passions, and incisive intellect of a great man in the making. More please. More.

No comments about 274 Things You Should Know About Churchill.

1 comments about An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln.

1. In An Honest Calling attorney Mark E. Steiner makes good use of his professional training and years spent in helping to compile Lincoln's legal papers.
   
   Study of Lincoln's law career has long been hampered by the scattered nature of Lincoln's court documents throughout Illinois and the Midwest. Now they are gathered together, and Steiner has made a fine presentation of what they reveal about Lincoln's "day job," which may have consumed as much of his time as politics did. Steiner deals with Lincoln's law practice in general and with some individual cases revealing Lincoln's handling of particular issues (including slavery and railroad corporations). Civil and criminal practices are covered.
   
   This is an excellent introduction to Lincoln's law practice, and will also interest persons seeking information about the influence of attorneys on the Western frontier.

1 comments about Morning in America: How Ronald Reagan Invented the 1980's (Politics and Society in Twentieth Century America).

1. Ronald Reagan campaigned and then was elected on a promise to restore American virility. In the closing years of the cold war, we wanted to believe that America was a super power and that we ourselves were super.
   
   Who better suited for that type of positioning than a former Hollywood actor? I think the "1950's Doc Brown" from the 1985 blockbuster 'Back to the Future' spoke for many people when he just expressed shock that an actor ended up as President of the United States. Yet, it made perfect sense in the early years of the cable revolution when the 'best' public official was one who did manipulate the media for their message.
   
   The author examines how this manipulation provided a needed boost to America. We were still recovering from Vietnam and had difficulty realizing that we were perhaps not the center of the world. Reagan's campaign was genius because it essentially said 'don't' and encouraged swing voters to believe that everything would be solved if they elected Reagan.
   
   Reagan made critical inroads with 'blue-collar' democrats. These voters had supported the party on economic issues but had been increasingly at odds with the Democrats on social issues. Specifically because of his own Hollywood background, Reagan knew these voters could be won if he stressed 'morals' and 'tradition' regardless of how he (a twice divorced man who had signed off on the liberalization of abortion laws as California Governor) actually felt about those same issues. Appearance IS everything in politics.
   
   The author also makes clear that the Reagan years are not admirable. Troy explains how the feel good images of success and luxury were sharply contrasting with the reality being experienced by many people. The rapidly rising cost of living, spending cuts, and the AIDS epidemic prevented many other people from enjoying the prosperity.

1 comments about Wall Street and FDR.

1. Courageous Author Sutton here lays bare one of the essential truths of American history: FDR was brought to power by corporate fascists. And these same Wall Street social engineers also brought the world the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of Hitler, as Sutton proves in the companion volumes to this essential work.
   
   Between the covers of this very important work, Sutton reveals many fascinating details. Among the most interesting are these:
   
   In the early 1930's, General Smedley Butler revealed a fascist plan to take over the government of the United States. The plan was derailed, mainly through the courage of the highly decorated war hero General.
   
   FDR was greatly under the control of Wall Street power players, such as Bernard Baruch. In this volume, Sutton records one of Baruch's most revealing phrases, the "elation and fervor of war". Notice how similar is Baruch's affection for the horror of war to that our current neoconservative mad men.
   
   The book is excellent. It is much better written than "Wall Street and the Bolshevik Revolution". And the information contained herein is of the utmost importance to he who would understand this most pivotal of US Chief Executives.

4 comments about FDR and Lucy: Lovers and Friends.

1. I was expecting a thorough examination of the love affair between FDR and Lucy Mercer. The affair has been common knowledge for forty years and it's always touched upon in Roosevelt biographies and documentaries. But this book is a rather crushing disappointment, padded with much unnecessary and repetitive information. Most of the book consists of boring material relating directly to Lucy's life as Mrs. Rutherford in the 20's and 30's. Personally, I was expecting more details on FDR's affair with her throughout WWI, Eleanor's discovery of her love letters in Franklin's suitcase, and then the hysterical control-monster, Sarah Delano Roosevelt, demanding Franklin dump Lucy or risk losing his inheritance. Now that is the stuff of legend!
   
   Instead we get a dreary narrative with no new information. The book picks up a bit when Lucy re-enters Roosevelt's life in the 30's and spends considerable time with his in the closing years of his life. Most of their meetings took place in Warm Springs, Georgia, and also in the White House. FDR's daughter, Anna, was the one who invited Lucy to the Executive Mansion while Eleanor was away on one of many tours during the war. It's mindful to recall a remark from Alive Roosevelt Longworth in this context: "Franklin deserves a good time. He was married to Eleanor!"
   
   If you know little about the mechanics of the Lucy-Franklin alliance, this is a well-written and entertaining book. But if you know more about the pair, it wouldn't be particularly revealing. The characterization of Eleanor is especially weak. While I'm not advocating adultery, let's face facts: Eleanor was frigid, disinterested in sex and in the 30's took up close "friendships" with people like Lorena Hickock (who makes Yogi Berra look gorgeous in comparison). I really can't blame a man as charming and handsome as Franklin Roosevelt pursuing sex outside of marriage. His choice may not have been the "moral" one (whatever that means), but it was the only logical thing to do under the circumstances.
   
   To sum up, if you're an FDR newbie, this would be nice. If you're not, forget it.



2. Resa Willis tells the story of a time in American history as skillfully, objectively, personally, accurately and compassionately as humanely possible in 152 pages. How refreshing!
   
   You are privileged to hear about all the FDR doings and Eleanor Roosevelt doings along with all the important players.
   
   And, you come to learn how a great man so deeply loved by so many women could be fundamentally lonely.
   
   Some would call it Eleanor's sweet revenge.



3. When I first started graduate school in history, I used to speculate as to how there could be another biography of Lincoln or Washington, or who ever without some newly discovered source of information. I came to learn that historians reevalute existing sources in light of new events and/or place their own unique perspecitve on the materials.
   
   In the case of Resa Willis' FDR AND LUCY, Willis did none of the above. When a new book comes out on a subject in which one has interest, there is always hope that there is some new sources or new perspective. While doing a fine job of research and writing, Willis adds nothing new to a story that came to light in the 1960's after the death of Eleanor.
   
   Willis quotes children and friends of FDR and Lucy Mercer but as another reviewer said - there's nothing new. The story is stretched a bit with the inclusion of lots of basic facts about American history. There is a decent amount of information about the geneology of some of the characters, but other than showing the Mercer and FDR lived in a relatively close circle of friends and relatives, its old hat. She offers some speculation. Did FDR have an hand in arranging the marriage of Lucy and her husband Wintrop Rutherfurd. But she offers no anwers. She talks about FDR's circle of women friends but the author draws no conclusions about these relationships or how they reflected on FDR's personality.
   
   One of the amazing things about the relationship between FDR and Lucy is that the servants never talked. In the 21st century, all of the servants and secret service agents would have published tell all books. As an African American, whose family lived in Aiken, I always found it amazing that no one in the African American community, who clearly would have served as servants, ever mentioned a visit from the President. I've looked for the railroad siding that was suppose to have been built to accomodate the President but have never figure out where it was.
   
   Willis takes no sides in relating her story. She relates the story of two people who had an affair and the came to be great friends. She provides an insight in to life at the White House during the War years but there is little character development.
   
   If you know nothing about FDR and Lucy Mercer, read the book. If you know the least little bit from previous readings, don't bother.



4. Unlike many other traditional biographies, "FDR and Lucy" is a fast read that gives its readers a true overview of FDR's long-term relationship with Mrs. Lucy Rutherfurd. "FDR and Lucy" is a very focused account of someone who was clearly close to Franklin's heart and does not lead the reader astray with too much coverage of the historical events happening at the time.

5 comments about Andrew Jackson: Symbol for an Age (Galaxy Books).

1. As one generation describes slices of history to another, the events and personalities are altered in the process. Ward shows how Jackson's persona emerged in the transfer of historical knowledge from one generation to the next.
   In earning a national reputation as a war hero in the Battle of New Orleans, Jackson credited God with the victory and saw himself as a chosen instrument in His hands.
   A city-wide religious ceremony was held in the aftermath of that victory. All New Orleans acknowledged humble thanksgiving to God for the successful defense of the city.
   Riding the crest of this military popularity Jackson was elected president and the masses who turned out for his inaugural events were unlike any other before him. His administration was a shift from the elite to a populous approach to government. Ward includes helpful anecdotes to keep the readers abreast of some of the details of the time and places covered.



2. My first impression of this book was that it was nothing more than rampant ramblings of senseless quibble. Once the reader understands that this is a psychoanalytical, socio-political, cultural and philosophical study of Andrew Jackson the man, versus the times he endured, it is truly an insightful work.
   Touted as a man of iron-will, determination and unbound democratic principles, Jackson was a man for the ages which he represented.
   Praised for his efforts in the Florida Indian battles and the Battle of New Orleans against the British (and denounced by some for his disregard for orders), he nonetheless came out on top of the situation for the people and his country.
   He exhibited qualities of the self-made man and this is what swayed his popularity. Jackson started from humble beginnings, and with his resolve and perceptiveness, became not only President of the United States for two terms, but was also looked up to as a hero with no self-limitations.



3. Reading this I am reminded of people you meet that talk just to hear themselves speak this book reminded me of those people. From the start you are engulfed in babble about Andrew Jackson. Even though this is considered a scholarly book, I feel that the writer just typed and typed and used words and sentences that were difficult to understand just to make himself sound important and intelligent. After reading this book I did not have a grasp on who Andrew Jackson was, but I did however know that I did not like the author.



4. This quite readable book (if you read scholarly books) is possibly more relevant today than when it was written (in 1953). The author demonstrates how the concepts of Nature, God, and Will combined in the American imagination to provide the basis for beliefs about ourselves as a nation and our place in the world. The author doesn't explicitly draw a line from then-to-now (or even then-to-1953), but you will be able to draw that line yourself if you are an observer of American culture. If you are interested in current politics or the state of the nation today, read this book; you will understand more about how we got to where we are. It is not a biography of Andrew Jackson, but rather a carefully drawn picture of his times, using him, as the titles says, as a "symbol" for his era.



5. American democratic politics, as can be easily seen in this year's presidential nominating processes, has always been encumbered with symbols. That fact is hardly new or news. What is news is that today's seemingly modern notion of proper electoral technique has a fairly ancient pedigree. Although Parson Weems did more than his share to establish the iconic figure of George Washington, arguably the subject of this work, Andrew Jackson, really was the first president to get the full public relations `spin' treatment that we take as a matter of course in today's politics.
   
   The present volume builds the case for Jackson symbolic virtues at a time when America, after a series of nasty encounters with the British, notably the War of 1812, developed an inward look westward and away from the `degeneracy' of the seaboard. If Jackson did not fit the bill to a tee then his agents, paid or otherwise, filled in the blanks. First place in those efforts goes to highlighting his military prowess and soldierly concerns in defeating (to what real purpose no one knows since the war was over by this time) against the British at the tail end of the War of 1812 at the Battle of New Orleans.
   
   From there it was fairly simple to make him a man of the' people'. In this case the people being empathically not the residents of the eastern seaboard but the `fresh' yeomanry of the Westward trek. You know- the ones who exhibited all the plebian virtues as solid tillers of the soil, holders of folk wisdom against the effete nabobs of the cities and the true patriots of rising American agricultural capitalism. The author builds his case by using a series of fairly common references beginning his work with an analysis of a Jackson poetic tribute `The Hunters of Kentucky' and dissects that bit of work to see how it fit into the scheme of making Jackson the first "people's" president. All the other tributes and, at the end eulogies, then fall into place.
   
   If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then his Whig opponents do that by learning from his handlers by the time of the `Tippecanoe' Harrison campaign of 1840. And from there we are off to the races. Note this- as if to reinforce the argument presented by the book- can anyone today deny that that myth built so long ago still, with the exception of a dent caused by his savagery against the Native Americans, stands as the way he is thought of in the American pantheon? The Democrats continue their traditional Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinners without blushing.