mamalemma's review against another edition
4.0
I have read a number of presidential histories from varying periods of American history, and it never ceases to amaze me how relevant and important they are to today's political landscape. The Jacksonian era was a turbulent time of strife surrounding states' rights and the influence of money in politics -- something we continue to argue about today. Andrew Jackson was a powerhouse of a president, whose record is littered with things vital to our nation (keeping the union together, painting the president as a servant of the people), as well as some arrogant and cruel things (Trail of Tears. Enough said.) Meacham's biography shows him as the complex man he was, surrounded by an interesting cast of characters -- yes, characters! -- whose personal lives impacted American history. What other biography has a whole last chapter dedicated to a "what happened to ...?" section for the people surrounding the president? (As a side note, the scandalous Mrs. Eaton's entry made me gasp!) The book overall was kind of a slog, and not as interesting as other presidential biographies, but I'm so glad I stuck with it -- I learned a ton!
livruther's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
A biography of Andrew Jackson has the opportunity to explore power, racism, masculinity, war, and other prominent themes from Jackson's life. This missed out on all of that. I felt like I learned absolutely nothing. It was way too long for the amount of information I gained from it. Meacham's outlook on Jackson's racism, the fact that he was an enslaver, and his initiation of a literal genocide is disappointing. He concedes that Jackson's actions were wrong, but his admonishment feels more like a slap on the wrist than an actual critique of Jackson's inhumane practices. He also, in my opinion, glosses over many of Jackson's violent tendencies. He mentions that Jackson killed someone in a duel, but barely talks about it. To me, the fact that the President of the United States killed someone, as well as his gruesome actions during his military career, feel like noteworthy points. Meacham has a fairly positive attitude toward Jackson, which I just totally cannot fathom. He is one of the most deplorable figures in all of history, in my opinion. This book was not overrun with flaws, however. The writing was fine, and it was actually interesting to learn about Jackson's family and his interactions with his contemporaries, especially the women in his life, although the way Meacham talked about Margaret Bayard Smith reeked of misogyny. I don't know much about Margaret Bayard Smith, but I am sure that she got enough gender discrimination in life, so if Meacham has actual criticisms of her, I would have rather seen him detail her flaws instead of painting her as a useless female stereotype. Whatever. This book was just a waste of time for me personally.
michael_kelleher's review against another edition
4.0
This was a well handled history of the presidency of Andrew Jackson. There is a lot to find distasteful in his policies (most especially his determination to remove the indigenous tribes from land that white people wanted). He is a terribly interesting man. So much of the political scene of his time was familiar. One thing that I did not have much of an appreciation for before reading this was his determination to maintain the Union during the nullification crisis. He cared so much about making sure to represent the people of this nation, but was also willing to chip away at our freedom of speech if it was politically expedient to him (limiting speech of abolitionists). Overall, a very interesting book.
marcy_kelleher's review against another edition
4.0
This was a well handled history of the presidency of Andrew Jackson. There is a lot to find distasteful in his policies (most especially his determination to remove the indigenous tribes from land that white people wanted). He is a terribly interesting man. So much of the political scene of his time was familiar. One thing that I did not have much of an appreciation for before reading this was his determination to maintain the Union during the nullification crisis. He cared so much about making sure to represent the people of this nation, but was also willing to chip away at our freedom of speech if it was politically expedient to him (limiting speech of abolitionists). Overall, a very interesting book.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
3.0
Meacham is no McCullough, but this was an interesting, enjoyable read. At first I was quite frustrated that the book breezed through Jackson's pre-Presidential years, but once I looked again at the subtitle (Andrew Jackson in the White House), I was placated. Meacham tries to highlight enough of Jackson's flaws and inconsistencies to create a balanced portrait, but it's highly evident that the author is sympathetic to his subject, which really, is not a crime. That Meacham is a reporter and not a history of American Studies scholar is evident. This book reports on the facts of Jackson's presidencies rather than providing a more in depth character analysis. Jackson was a key figure in shaping the office of President and for that deserves to be studied and acknowledged; everyone could benefit by knowing a little more about our seventh president. A fascinating person at a fascinating time in American history.
someonesmom's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting look at Jackson's years in the White House. It might not be a popular take on a controversial president-but this book looked at him as a person in total. Jackson really wanted to be a man of the people and he was elected to do the people's bidding.
However noble this objective was, there were pitfalls-his views on the enslaved and also how he dealt with the Indians (especially the Trail of Tears, a whole book could just be written about that).
Interesting to see the hallmarks of politics have been there all along: partisan divides, states' rights, the worming in of the evangelical church into the political sphere, and of course how non-white people were viewed/treated in this country.
However noble this objective was, there were pitfalls-his views on the enslaved and also how he dealt with the Indians (especially the Trail of Tears, a whole book could just be written about that).
Interesting to see the hallmarks of politics have been there all along: partisan divides, states' rights, the worming in of the evangelical church into the political sphere, and of course how non-white people were viewed/treated in this country.
jamestsismanakis's review against another edition
3.0
Good Book. Got slow in the middle end of book.
murph_the_serf's review against another edition
2.0
The book spends too much time focusing on the players around Jackson ... but maybe that's a good thing after all since Jackson is kind of an asshole. If Jackson was likable enough I might try reading another bio to see if it might just be the author but at this point I'm happy to just put this on the shelf and move on to Van Buren.