The Avenger Takes His Place: Andrew Johnson and the 45 Days That Changed the Nation [Hardcover]

Howard Means (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006

From the moment of Lincoln’s death on April 15, 1865, until Andrew Johnson, his replacement, formally announced postwar plans on May 29, the fate of the country hung in the balance. War had left the Republic strained almost beyond endurance. Johnson’s ascendancy to the presi­dency seemed the killing stroke even to the victorious North. A former slave owner from the border state of Tennessee, Johnson had been drunk at his inauguration as vice presi­dent; he was hated equally by the South and the North. Some Northerners were even convinced he had been part of the conspiracy behind Lincoln’s assassination. Later, he escaped impeachment by a single vote. 

 

As Howard Means reveals in this revisionist, powerfully persuasive, and absorbingly dramatic account of Johnson’s first six weeks in office, the new president faced almost insurmountable odds. Yet, as Means shows, Johnson not only met but overcame them, preserving the Union for which so many had sacrificed their lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former Washingtonian magazine editor (and Louis Freeh's coauthor) Means recreates the first weeks of the presidency of a man who had never expected to find himself in that role. Initially, Andrew Johnson had nothing but harsh words for Southern planters and other erstwhile Confederates. But on May 29, 1865, he offered amnesty to any Confederate supporters who would take an oath of loyalty to the Constitution. Though Radical Republicans in Congress were furious that Johnson had unilaterally made this decision, the New York Times praised the president. Means suggests that Johnson took this bold step because he thought it was faithful to "Lincolnian doctrine." But Means is not out to make a hero of Johnson—quite the opposite. He believes Reconstruction was a failure. Intended "to forge a new postwar South," it "instead perpetuated the old one." Johnson's amnesty, for instance, paved the way for the establishment of discriminatory Black Codes in the South. Though Means doesn't add much to our understanding of Johnson, he has done history buffs a service by offering an impassioned, easy-to-read introduction to the 17th president. (Those who want to go deeper should read Eric L. Mc-Kitrick's majestic Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction). (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Andrew Johnson has certainly been one of the most reviled men to ascend to the presidency. He was a rigid, pugnacious man incapable of exercising the give-and-take so necessary for a politician. He was also a vile racist determined to block efforts by Republicans to advance the social and political rights of emanipated slaves. Yet, as this revisionist and provocative examination reveals, Johnson provided vital service to the nation in the harrowing weeks after Lincoln's assassination. Some of the qualities that doomed Johnson as a politician aided him in the opening days of his presidency. Johnson stood firm against both politicians and mobs that demanded "vengeance" for the murder of Lincoln. When Tecumseh Sherman far exceeded his authority by negotiating overly generous surrender terms with Confederate general Joseph Johnston, the president justifiably repudiated the surrender terms. Means does not present Johnson as a particularly admirable or even likable man, but his attempt to provide some balance to the usual, overwhelmingly negative picture is a worthwhile effort. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151012121
• ISBN-13: 978-0151012121
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,064,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a former schoolteacher (Deerfield Academy, St. Albans School) who segued into journalism (The Chronicle of Higher Education, Washingtonian Magazine as senior writer, the Orlando Sentinel and King Features Syndicate, and back to the Washingtonian as senior editor) and from there into books as editor, collaborator, and author. My interests are broad, but increasingly, they seem to be focusing on a constellation of interrelated subjects: American eccentricity and self-reliance, the Civil War as the primal act of American history (an event we are still not over), religious fundamentalism and utopianism, and Manifest Destiny as the great engine of our national story. In my new biography, JOHNNY APPLESEED, all those forces except the Civil War (and that, too, if we project forward) come together in, I hope, fascinating ways. Born and raised in Lancaster, PA, I live now in Millwood, VA, in the northern Shenandoah Valley.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great biography of a little written about President, January 7, 2007

By 

Lehigh History Student (Bethlehem, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Avenger Takes His Place: Andrew Johnson and the 45 Days That Changed the Nation (Hardcover)

The role of Andrew Johnson at the end of the Civil war has not been considered by many authors. This book undertakes two tasks. The first is to show the conspiracy behind Booths assignation (and the surrounding plot) and how that conspiracy shaped Andrew Johnson's policies. The second task is to show how the ideas of reconstruction came under development. The writing style is very clear and well done. For those looking for a short and straight to the point book on what happened immediately following the civil war this cannot be beat. Johnson's role as the avenger and the split in the cabinet are some of the most interesting politics in the history of the United States. Mary Todd Lincoln's treatment of Johnson is particularly interesting considering she considered him a part of the assignation. Highly recommend for those who want to learn more about Andrew Johnson.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent study of an era in our history, January 26, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Avenger Takes His Place: Andrew Johnson and the 45 Days That Changed the Nation (Hardcover)

When President Lincoln was assassinated, leaving Andrew Johnson in charge of a nation in chaos, most people on both sides of the war wondered what was in store for all of them.

It had only been a short time since Andrew Johnson made a public spectacle of himself at his inauguration. Now it was on the shoulders of this man to bring justice to those responsible for Lincoln's death, finish a war, and knit a country back together. But what was he to do with the "traitors" whom he'd already viciously attacked, and what rights would be granted the former slaves?

The Avenger Takes His Place is a study of what made the man who would be our seventeenth president, as well as the tumultuous six weeks that would determine the future of our United States. It is an engrossing study of communication, or lack thereof, anxiety, distrust, and the atrocity of war.

Author Means provides insight from personal journals and public records on both sides and provides current day comparisons in order to paint the situation abundantly clear to readers. In a time where Johnson's predecessor is nearly sainted, while Johnson himself is remembered poorly, I greatly enjoyed learning more about the man who remade our nation.

A fascinating look into the process that led to the reconstruction of the United States following the Civil War.

Armchair Interviews says: Another interesting peek at history.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent book about Johnson and 1865, July 6, 2008

By 

CJ (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Avenger Takes His Place: Andrew Johnson and the 45 Days That Changed the Nation (Hardcover)

This is a nice survey about Johnson and the situation he found himself in April 1865. This is partially a Johnson bio -the start of the book, though interesting, focuses on Johnson pre-presidency, leaving less time for the 45 days of the start of his administration (or, rather, finishing Lincoln's plans). So, if you are looking for super in-depth coverage or brand new research material, this is not your cup of tea. But, it's a well written book, and some of the the old newspaper clippings dealing with Lincoln and Johnson are fun to read.