A great Wellman adventure story.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Old Hickory Said We Could Take'um By Surprise If...."*,
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This review is from: Magnificent Destiny; A Novel About the Great Secret Adventure of Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston (Hardcover)
A Good Book.
Quite a good book, actually. There is a lot of American(and Texas)history here, all told within the framwork of the special relationship/friendship of Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston. This book will give the reader a new appreciaton for this part of our country's history, how fragile it was in the early days, how it could dhave gone one way or the other had it not been for a few good men and the turn of a few, a very few events. It is interesting, even intriguing, to see American icons such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and others demonized as ambitious self-serving villains and less than honorable men because of their opposition to Andrew Jackson. (Proving that mean, dirty, partisan politics weren't invented by Newt Gringrich and Nancy Pelosi!!) It is especially interesting, even refreshing, to see how heroes were treated when this book was written (in 1962) as compared to how men and women of reknown and heroism are treated in books today. This was an adoring age. Consider these quotes from the book: On Sam Houston.."even as a common soldier he knew he was listening to bravery, and greatheartedness, and wisdom. A theory of leadership and strategy subtile and keen had been expounded to him. The pain and loneliness of command were revealed to him. and the iron courage to carry it through to the end. He was a devout believer..." And this, from "Old Hickory,"himself: "NIcholas Biddle--I never really disliked him--A good man, perhaps, by his own lights; even when he conscientiously believed, a benefactor of the people, but blinded by lust for power...I sometimes smile at his characterization of me:'Andrew Jackson is about as amenable to reason as a bolt of lightning.' He was like unto John Marshall, now gone, with his unyielding heresy of Federalism. Now that I am old and the heat of battle is past, I'm ready to concede that both these men were sincere, however wrong in their beliefs..." Wellman, who clearly admires both Jackson and Houston, and even appreciates those opposed them--other than Santa Anna of course--saved his best lines for the end of the book, the very end: "These men lived in a time when the whole theory of the government of the United States was in a state of flux, but whether we now regard them as as right or wrong, they were giants in those days..." Good book. Read it. You will learn and you will enjoy...And you will hate to see the book end. It's that good. **From the Johnny Horton classic, "The Battle of New Orleans."
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