Martin Van Buren : The Romantic Age of American Politics (Signature Series) [Hardcover]

John Niven (Author), Katherine Speirs (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0945707258 | ISBN-13: 978-0945707257 | Publication Date: June 2000

Based upon extensive use of the Van Buren papers and other basic primary sources of the period, this is a readable, authoitative biography of the 8th President of the United States and a close political ally of Andrew Jackson, and later upholder of the Jacksonian tradition.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Little Magician has at last found a biographer worthy of his stature and significance in American history. This is a masterful study of a much underestimated statesman. It is meticulously researched and beautifully crafted."--Robert V. Remini, University of Illinois

"The rich tapestry woven by John Niven...adds fresh dimensions to the political history of the United States for the half-century ending with the Civil War."--Harold M. Hyman, Rice University

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 715 pages
• Publisher: American Political Biography Press (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0945707258
• ISBN-13: 978-0945707257
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #620,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Life of the Little Magician, May 30, 2003

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mrliteral - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Martin Van Buren : The Romantic Age of American Politics (Signature Series) (Hardcover)

It is hard to tell how a man will do as President based on his experience. Some figures with virtually no political experience became good Presidents, such as Washington and Lincoln; others were failures such as Grant or Hoover. On the other hand, political experience is no guarantee of success: John Quincy Adams and James Buchanan had decent resumes going into office and had miserable presidencies. Martin Van Buren, one of the most politically talented of all Presidents, was not an utter failure, but he didn't shine in office either.

In Niven's biography, we follow Van Buren from his impoverished roots through his rise in New York state government. Although not perfect, Van Buren had enough political astuteness and the right sort of temperment to help create and lead a party machine and elevate New York's prominence on a national level. Becoming a trusted advisor to Andrew Jackson and a member of his cabinet eventually led to his Vice Presidency and then the Presidency. With a major financial crash occurring right as he got into office, Van Buren was struggling right off the bat, and wound up serving only a single term; nonetheless, in an era of one-term presidents (from 1837 to 1861, no president was re-elected), Van Buren was hardly thrown into ignonimy after his defeat; instead, he remained a powerful member of the Democratic party for the next two decades.

Niven's biography is generally favorable although he doesn't hide Van Buren's flaws. We learn of a man who was not a great ideologue but was one of the most masterful politicians of his era, holding his own with the often more prominent figures such as Jackson, Calhoun, Clay and Webster. He also wound up being a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement, even running on the Free-Soil ticket at one point.

At times, however, this biography is a bit ponderous and often focuses so much on the political part of Van Buren's life that the personal part is pushed aside. Thus, although this may be the best Van Buren biography available (it may also be the only one), I cannot give it a full five stars. Nonetheless, this is overall a very good book and worth reading if you are interested in this period of history.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written and comprehensive biography, September 3, 2007

By 

G. Zilly - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Martin Van Buren : The Romantic Age of American Politics (Signature Series) (Hardcover)

I am currently reading a biography of every President in order. I realize with Martin Van Buren I am entering a long period of obscure Presidents, but very much looking forward to learning more about the chief executives between Jackson and Lincoln. Based on Amazon reviews, I decided that John Niven's biography was the best and most comprehensive choice.

Thankfully, I have not been disappointed. John Niven has written a readable and extremely well researched biography of our eigth President. I was most impressed with the depth of detail Niven has included and the voluminous research it undoubtedly required. Niven has clearly succeeded in covering the public life of Martin Van Buren comprehensibly and succinctly from his early days in New York politics to his final years as an active participant in the political turmoil leading to the Civil War.

The thoroughness this volume achieves regarding the political side of Van Buren's life comes at a price, however. At times this book is a dull read and seems to provide more detail, especially in the first third of the book dealing with New York machine politics, than most readers are likely to want or need. The book also does not delve very deeply into the personal side of Van Buren's life, although given that Van Buren's entire life revolved around politics (certainly far more than any previous President) this leaves fewer gaps than one might expect.

In summation, this is an excellent biography of Van Buren, though Niven obviously intended it to be a scholarly treatment meant primarily for academic level study. This biography is easy to read and well organized, though not the type of book you that you will likely want to read twice.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Martin Van Buren, March 16, 2002

By 

Judi Haworth - See all my reviews

This review is from: Martin Van Buren: The Romantic Age of American Politics (Hardcover)

This is a very readable and interesting book that deals with the long and highly political life of Martin Van Buren. He comes off very well as a hard-working, fair and moral politician who practically establishes the democratic party as a well-oiled machine for both New York state and the United States. I have now read multiple books about the first eight presidents and he can hold his own with almost all of them so far. Highly recommended.