Andrew Jackson [Paperback]

Robert V. Remini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 29, 1999

By "the foremost Jacksonian scholar of our time" (New York Times), the critically acclaimed and most concise biography of Andrew Jackson that takes a comprehensive look at the political, personal, and military life of the seventh president of the United States.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This brief biography focuses more on the political career of Andrew Jackson than on his military heroism at the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. It nevertheless provides an overview of the martial events that made Jackson's rise to the presidency possible. Robert Remini is widely touted as one of the great historians of the Jacksonian era, and Andrew Jackson is his most accessible book on the period's most intriguing figure.

Review

"In this concise and well-written biography Robert V. Remini has a more ambitious objective than merely recounting the life of a famous man.He portrays the President not as a symbol of the age nor a personification of proletarian striving, but as a shrewd and able politician, a pioneer in using the office of the presidency for both national and narrowly partisan purposes.His account is persuasive and well documented." -- -- Political Science Quarterly

"Remini, an old hand at unraveling the politics of this era, writes with assurance and cuts through hoary legends.A stimulating reassessment." -- -- Choice

"The best biography of Andrew Jackson available." -- Library Journal

"Persuasive and well documented." -- Political Science Quarterly

"Remini, an old hand at unraveling the politics of this era, writes with assurance and cuts through hoary legends.A stimulating reassessment." -- Choice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (January 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060801328
• ISBN-13: 978-0060801328
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( J ) > Jackson, Andrew
  • #39 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > United States > Civil War > Military Leaders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Glowing Portrait, September 8, 2000

By 

T. C. Ross (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Andrew Jackson (Paperback)

From the beginning, it is obvious that Remini is fascinated by Jackson. Every description of Jackson fawns over his political acumen, his skills, his bravery, etc. And, as mentioned in another review, as soon as Jackson wins the Battle of New Orleans, "the Hero" becomes a synonym for "Jackson" for the rest of the book. Setting aside how brightly the portrait of Jackson glows, Remini's biography is an excellent introduction to the man and the age he ushered in. From the tales (some of which are duly noted as apocryphal) of his youth to his battles with Congress and foreign powers and, of course, the showdown with South Carolina over tariffs during the Nullification Crisis, Remini manages to hit an ideal balance between surface details and analysis for a popular biography. And while Remini does act the apologist at times, he does little to sugarcoat some of Jackson's more unsavory ideas and traits. All in all, a solid, quick introduction to life of Jackson.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Snatching Democracy from the Jaws of Oligarchy, May 10, 2005

By 

M. D. Logan (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Andrew Jackson (Paperback)

Few American presidents could be said to have left such a distinctive mark on the office and the nation as Andrew Jackson. Even as Jackson's legend fades into the mists of the past, we owe it to ourselves to reach back and draw it up into the light of honor accorded such giants as Washington, Lincoln and FDR, because Jackson was a figure of equal stature. One way to accomplish this is to read Robert V. Remini's concise history entitled simply Andrew Jackson, a quick, yet surprisingly thorough chronicling of Jackson's many achievements as president, politician, general and pivotal figure in the establishment and settlement of the state of Tennessee.

What makes Jackson so interesting is the way his checkered past shaped the trajectory of his Presidency. Decades before Lincoln, he was the first president to be born into rustic circumstances and rise above them to achieve greatness, but unlike Lincoln, his story is not that of a paragon of virtue overcoming adversity with folksy charm and wit. Jackson was a bully, an adulterer, a blowhard and a holder of grudges, character flaws that he eventually reshaped to his advantage, and to that of the nation's.

Humiliated and wounded as a boy during the Revolution, Jackson carried a lethal grudge against the British that eventually got its airing during the War of 1812 when he commanded US forces in the Battle of New Orleans and won a lopsided victory that sent a stinging message to the rest of the world about the folly of underestimating America's determination to defend its sovereignty.

It made him a hero and launched his political career, an enterprise that might have been merely interesting were it not for Jackson's staunch determination to take the smug creatures of privilege in Washington by the scruff of their collective neck and teach them a stern lesson about whose country it really was. By 1828 the nation was already in danger of being sold out to the highest bidder and Jackson rose to power on the promise of snatching Democracy from the jaws of Oligarchy. Remini's speculates that, in some measure, this came from Jackson's early experience after having been ripped off in a land deal by moneyed interests.

In any case, Jackson was as good as his word, going after the all powerful National Bank with a vengeance, staring down the threat of secession on the part of South Carolina over a question of tariffs, and defeating formidable political foes with equal helpings of restraint and ferocity. Jackson helped found the state of Tennessee, was instrumental in the establishment of the Democratic Party, virtually invented modern campaigning, was the first president to wield the veto with brio, and elevated the office of the Presidency to its present formidable role. But Jackson's most lasting contribution was his faith in and reliance on the people, even after he'd been elected, a true Democrat of a type almost entirely missing today and one not likely to be resurrected any time soon.

Remini is a comprehensive Jackson scholar, one whose works on the Hero of New Orleans number eleven. This book is more or less an abridged version of his longer work and represents a cherry picking of facts and reflections. Regrettably, the book favors facts over reflections which is unfortunate, because one would like to know more about Remini's interpretations of events. But if you want to pick up a basic understanding of Andrew Jackson and his importance to American history this book is a wonderful start.

Jackson's parting words on leaving office were, "Remember, my fellow citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing." What politician would ever say that today?

That Jackson is increasingly forgotten when discussing the great Presidents of our history says something, too, about our ability to retain the blessing for future generations.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Jackson Bio - Concise but interesting, May 31, 2000

By 

Silambs - See all my reviews

This review is from: Andrew Jackson (Paperback)

"Andrew Jackson" is a brief (just over 200 pages) but entertaining look at the 7th President of the US. Robert Remini looks at what made Jackson a great President and greater politician focusing on selected issues, such as his fight with the Bank of the United States.

The one drawback is Remini being such a partisan in favor of Jackson. Granted, the brevity of this book precludes from going into depth on many issues, but anything that puts a dim light on "the Hero", as Remini calls him, is mentioned in a sentence and left by the wayside.

For a quick read, this book is worthwhile, but for a more in-depth treatment of Jackson, read the "Age of Jackson" by Schlesinger or Remini's own excellent 3 volume Jackson bio.