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Hans Louis Trefousse
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Andrew Johnson: A Biography Paperback – December 17, 1997

by Hans L. Trefousse (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 103
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A definitive life of the flawed man who succeeded to the American presidency after Lincoln's assassination.

Politically shrewd but fatally unable to adapt to new political realities, Andrew Johnson presided, disastrously, over the tumultuous first years of Reconstruction. In this provocative account, Hans Trefousse gives us "a brilliant, compassionate portrait of a dynamic era of social change and national healing, and of the tragic failure of an American leader" (Library Journal).
Previous page
  1. Print length
    464 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    December 17, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.3 x 8.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393317420
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393317428
  8. Lexile measure
    1410L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A readable new biography of the 17th president that fills in many of the hidden corners of his life story. . . . The story of the man and the times that led to his impeachment is told with great authority."
― Herbert Mitgang, New York Times

About the Author

Hans L. Trefousse is professor of history at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His other books include The Radical Republicans, a pathbreaking history of Reconstruction.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reissue edition (December 17, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393317420
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393317428
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1410L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.3 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 103

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Hans Louis Trefousse

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
103 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Abil R Shihadah
5.0 out of 5 stars 4 and three quarters stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
A sometimes brutally honest, and yet, fair assessment of Andrew Johnson’s life and presidency, Author Hans Trefousse lays it all out for the reader to either love or hate the ‘Tailor-Statesman’ and 17th President of the United States.

History has consistently ranked Johnson’s presidency at the very bottom and it’s very easy to be critical of him because of his overt white supremacist views (and Trefousse makes note of that a least a dozen times throughout the book) and the fact that historians blame him for standing in the way of reconstruction. But we don’t know that his policies were so bad. I mean it’s easy to say that they were bad, now. But maybe by letting the rebels off the hook for the Civil War, he may have prevented a second war in later years. We don’t know that for sure. It’s possible. And a second war would’ve destroyed the Union completely. His main goal was preserving the Union. And that’s what he did. Having said this, he could have done more for the recently freed slaves. His views on race in America were completely out of step with contemporary lawmakers in both houses and, quite frankly, weren’t unlike that of the founding fathers. He just felt that blacks weren’t fit to hold first class citizenship (which is wrong). I do feel, however, that it’s unfair to blame one man for a further 100 years of black oppression. State, local governments and society are more to blame for that.

As far as the impeachment goes, what chief executive doesn’t want his own people to hold important positions in his inner circle?

I think what gets lost in the mix is Johnson’s rather impressive rise to power. His ambition took him from basically being illiterate and fatherless, not to mention the fact that he was a dirt-poor runway tailors apprentice (from which he and his brother ran away from due to unfair treatment) to getting married, starting a life, becoming civically active and eventually ascending to the Presidency. That’s impressive. I grew up working at a small family business and, trust me, it’s not all strawberries and orangutans as today’s lawmakers on capital hill would have you believe. It’s not easy leaving a situation where you’re being taken advantage of. It takes guts leaving abusive circumstances early on and striking out on your own and I give Johnson credit for having courage and fortitude in his endeavors. Failure is a very real possibility and it turns you into a fighter. A lot of people admire that quality. Shoot for the moon, fight for it and never quit. That was Andy Johnson. And he always fought for the people at the bottom (mechanics). Just not black people—which, again, was wrong.

I gave the book four and three-quarters stars because, like some other readers, I thought the print and font quality used could’ve been better. Otherwise, it’s a good read. I purchased this book because it received the best reviews (online) of all of President Johnson’s biographies and it did not disappoint. Perfect length and packs a punch.
5 people found this helpful
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Sean Claycamp
4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed enough to tell his story
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2007
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I read this book in my ongoing project to read a biography of each President. The best part of this book in my opinion was the length. A lot of biographers lengthen their book to a point where it becomes too detailed and hard to read. That was not the case here.

Johnson was not a great president, nor was he a great person. And, other than the Civil War and Reconstruction he didn't have a key stake in American History. Why go overboard? And the author didn't.

I've read many very wonderful presidential biographies. Truman was fantastic and was 900 pages because it shouldn've been. The 3-part bio on Nixon was 1800 pages and should've been because a lot went on during Nixon's life in politics.

This bio, much like the Andrew Jackson bio I read, was between 300 and 400 pages.... detailed enough to tell the story but not detailed to the point where I got lost or just flat lost interest.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read about Andrew Johnson but if you are looking to make a life out of studying the man it is probably not the book for you because it is not overly detailed.

It was exactly what I was looking for though, well-written, well-researched and gave me a good overview of a President that I have always wanted to know more about. He definitely was not of high moral character and definitely played to his southern base with his actions surrounding reconstruction. That said, I did find it interesting that he was demonized at times by both his colleagues and the press.

Sounds like aside from his thinking in regards to blacks and slavery he was a good and honest man that tried to do what was right most of the time. That was something the author did a very good job detailing and I appreciated it.
31 people found this helpful
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Clem
5.0 out of 5 stars Good account of the man and what he did - or rather DIDN'T do
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2018
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A well written book about the man whom most consider one of the worst U.S. Presidents in history. It’s quite shocking, yet not surprising, that sandwiched between the abominations of Andrew Johnson and 15th president, James Buchannan, was the man who most consider the best president ever - Abraham Lincoln. Not surprising because it clearly illustrates what a calamitous time it was for the United States. After the conclusion of the Civil War, Lincoln begins his second term, and is shortly assassinated by a Confederate sympathizer. Enter Vice-President Andrew Johnson. Sadly, he manages to erase the progress made by his predecessor, and then barely survives a conviction after impeachment amongst other difficulties.

This book is broken into two halves. The first half details everything up to when Johnson becomes President, and the second half after the fact. I found this book to be very engaging, yet mostly devoid of feeling or emotion. It seems to stress only the facts, yet Hans Trefousse knows when enough is enough, and I never felt overwhelmed with useless details. This is not a mud-slinging effort, but the author seems to echo the consensus of most historians in that he doesn’t portray Andrew Johnson in a favorable light. He poses the question, on more than one occasion, how much quicker reforms around reconstruction and equal rights among the races could have happened had it not been for Johnson’s apathetic attitude concerning the recently freed negro race.

That’s not to say things could have ever expected to be perfect. One shouldn’t suffer from the delusion that recently freed slaves in the South could ever expect to be immediately loved and respected by their former masters after two centuries of subjugation, but Johnson certainly never seemed to want to make any progress. As a native Tennessean, he grew up around slavery, and the only thing that made him Lincoln’s running mate in 1864, was that he was a devout Unionist – even throughout the Civil War. One really must speculate exactly why. It’s never quite clear, and one is forced to believe that Johnson did so with the (correct) realization that such a stand would further his political career later in life.

Such attitudes are what led him to be the first president to ever be impeached, although there were other unrelated offenses that compounded the event. On the surface, Johnson really didn’t seem to care, and he was only spared conviction by the senate by one vote. The immediate future seemed to be rather kind to him, as he was elected to the senate a mere four years after his failed bid to be re-nominated for a second term as president.

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be about the perfect length (about 375 pages). I felt as though I never really admired the man while I was reading the book, yet felt the author painted the best possible picture of him. It’s truly sad that Abraham Lincoln’s life had to be taken away from him when the country still desperately needed his leadership. One wonders just how much better things may have turned out a century and a half later, when race relations still have a long way to go in one of the most prosperous nations that the world has ever known.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Bomber
5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal Andrew Johnson Biography
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2022
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Really well written book that measured the subject up for the era he was from and didn't fall into the trap of comparing historical figures and events against the present, If you are looking for a book that covers the life and career of President Johnson then you will get bang for your buck with this book.

This book also covers every role in Government Andrew Johnson held with lots of detail and insight. Also lots of details of the Johnson family and its history, worthwhile book to read if you are a history buff.
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Martin Frampton
5.0 out of 5 stars interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2021
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Extremely enjoyable and informative
first class. enjoyed it tremendously
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