It won the 2009 pulitzer prize for biography, with the prize jury describing it as an unflinching portrait of a not always admirable democrat but a pivotal president, written with an agile prose that brings the jackson saga to life. As president, jackson allowed his postmaster general to let southerners seize antislavery publications, in direct violation of the first amendment. Brands is a very good book about one of the great icons of american history. American lion is enormously entertaining, especially in the deft descriptions of jacksons personality and. Its the smallest of quotes on a page which many readers might very well skip, but for the reader about to undertake american lion. This engaging new book about andrew jackson, our first upfromnowhere president, takes its place on a crowded shelf in the library of national. Andrew jackson in the white house by jon meacham andrew jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency.
Jon meacham a thoughtprovoking study of andrew jackson chronicles the life and career of a selfmade man who went on to become a military hero and seventh president of the united states, critically analyzing. Apr 29, 2009 the darker the night the bolder the lion. Illtreated by british officers and imprisoned near charleston, jackson was. Within their grasp the reader will have the masterful account of perhaps the last president since george washington to not only retool the highest office in his image of the people, but leave a legacy of vastly expanded executive power and governmental access to those it served. Andrew jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. The definitive biography of a largerthanlife president who defied norms, divided a nation, and changed washington forever andrew jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. I give credit to jon meacham for writing this terrific book and i highly recommend it for its comprehensive assessments and colorful content.
Andrew jackson in the white house andrew jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Andrew jackson is one of those presidents who stands out in our history but for many people, were not exactly sure why. He challenged at least men to duels during his lifetime, killing one of them, and he attacked his. Not only do we get a clearer picture of the contributions of our seventh president but meacham goes very much inside jackson, the man, and its a fascinating portrait. A thoughtprovoking study of andrew jackson chronicles the life and career of a selfmade man who went on to become a military hero and seventh president of the united states, critically analyzing jacksons seminal role during a turbulent era in history, the political crises and personal upheaval that surrounded him, and. John meachhams book american lion covers the years when andrew jackson was the president of the united states. Andrew jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create. In some ways it tries to mimic the traditional biography with a few chapters into his background. Jon meacham, in his excellent new book american lion, tells us why. For support in this endeavor, melville appeals to the great democratic god.
In the wake of the contested election of 2000 and amid growing complaints of the dirtiness of politics, we might do well to look back to jackson s dirty and hotly contested race for the. Andrew jackson in the white house, franklin and winston, destiny and power. Andrew jackson in the white house, was a new york times bestseller. The book, which was awarded the 2009 pulitzer prize for biography, recounts the. The battle for our better angels, he is a distinguished visiting professor at vanderbilt.
Andrew jackson, the seventh president of the united states, is perhaps more relevant today than most of the other presidents of the early nineteenth century. American lion 2008 tells the story of andrew jackson, americas seventh president. Awarded the pulitzer prize for biography in 2009, the book was cited as an unlikely portrait of a not always admirable democrat, but a pivotal president, written with an agile prose that brings the jackson saga to life. The american odyssey of george herbert walker bush, and the soul of america. In the book, meacham argued that because jackson was orphaned, and never had any biological children himself, he spent much of his life forming substitute families that he would protect like a father. Examining the fiery legacy of andrew jackson in american lion, jon meacham delivers a portrait of the wargrizzled seventh president, a fierce populist who reshaped the executive branch. Born in humble circumstances and orphaned by the age of 14, jackson rose to the. A history of racism is woven into the us presidency. The author of the new york times bestsellers thomas jefferson. These blinks describe jackson s rise from poverty to the white house, and how he transformed the presidency from a relatively symbolic position into a powerful vehicle for representing the interests of the people. Andrew jackson in the white house is author jon meachams fourth book. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, andrew jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of.
Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, andrew jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the. The best biographies of andrew jackson my journey through. The author, jon meacham, has done a superb job of culling through old letters and texts to tell the story using the words of people who lived during that time period. Andrew jackson in the white house is all about the major events in america during the years 1767 to 1845 as seen through the filter of andrew jackson s life. Nov 11, 2008 jon meacham is a pulitzer prizewinning biographer. Jackson a tennessean paints what he describes as not a history of the age of jackson but a portrait of the man and of his complex relationships with the intimate circle that surrounded him as he transformed the presidency.
It puts jackson s life in the wider context of the history of the united states and charts the unlikely rise of this most extraordinary character from an orphan without any formal education, to a. Andrew jackson in the white house is a 2008 biography of the seventh president of the united states, andrew jackson, written by jon meacham. The book recounts the presidential tenure of andrew jackson. Meacham has also written about franklin roosevelt and winston churchill, and more recently authored a bestselling biography of thomas jefferson. Newsweek editor meacham makes a solid case that the warhero president was largely responsible for expanding the power of the executive branch the fiercely independent jackson was a tough customer, to be sure, and never one to back down from a fight. Published in 2008, this biography of president jackson was awarded the pulitzer prize in 2009. Tina brown jon meachams splendid new book on andrew jackson shrewdly places presidential politics in the context of jacksons family life and vice versa. Andrew jackson in the white house is a 2008 biography of andrew jackson, the seventh president of the united states, written by jon meacham.
The definitive biography of a largerthanlife president who defied norms, divided a nation, and changed washington forever andrew jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from. The narrative moves along at a good pace and is wellbalanced. Jon meacham is the editor of newsweek and author of american lion and the new york times bestsellers franklin and winston. The definitive biography of a largerthanlife president who defie. Jon meachams american lion is an entertaining account of andrew jackson, the seventh president of the united states. American lion is a valuable addition to andrew jacksons legacy. This sort of reminds me of the last book i read on john quincy adams postpresidency. American lion book douglas county libraries bibliocommons. The author states that he named the book american lion in order to capture the contradictions at jacksons core, because if he was on your side he would do all he could to protect you, but. Nov 18, 2008 meacham dwells a bit too much on jacksons rather ordinary views on religion, perhaps because his previous book, american gospel 2006, etc. The story of andrew jackson, the seventh president of the united states. Within their grasp the reader will have the masterful account of perhaps the. Andrew jackson and the white house, meacham wrote that jackson owned around 150 slaves and freed none of them in his will. The battle for our better angels, he is a distinguished.
Nov 05, 2015 in 2008, author jon meacham appeared at the national constitution center to discuss american lion, his andrew jackson biography that later won a pulitzer prize. From the new york timesbestselling author of franklin and winston and american gospel comes a new portrait of andrew jackson, the man who shaped the modern presidency. Meachamdispenses with the usual view of jackson as a tennessee hothead and instead sees a cannily ambitious figure determined to reshape the power of the presidency during his time in. Jon meachams splendid new book on andrew jackson shrewdly places presidential politics in the context of jacksons family life and vice versa. Sep 26, 2009 jon meacham talked about his book american lion. Andrew jackson in the white house random house, november 1, 2008. American lion also portrays jackson as taking a very paternalistic approach to the presidency itself, noting jacksons words that he looked at his citizens with the feelings of a father. Summary of the american lion by andrew jackson 1295. American lion andrew jackson in the white house book. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, andrew jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, andrew jackson was an orphan who fought his way.
Jon meacham a thoughtprovoking study of andrew jackson chronicles the life and career of a selfmade man who went on to become a military hero and seventh. In the wake of the contested election of 2000 and amid growing complaints of the dirtiness of politics, we might do well to look back to jacksons dirty and hotly contested race for the. Andrew jackson in the white house is a 2008 biography of andrew jackson, the seventh president of the united states, written by jon. The chosen book about this man is titled american lion. With narrative energy, flash and devotion to larger issues that are truly jacksonian, jon meacham reveals old hickorys complicated inner life and recreates the excitement of living in jacksons washington. Andrew jackson in the white house jon meacham, 2008 random house 512 pp. In american lion, his new biography of the seventh president, jon meacham, the editor of newsweek, dutifully wrings his hands at all the right placesat jackson the slaveholder, jackson. Before becoming president, he served seats in congress and remained well known for his position in the military where he led armies to one successful battle after another, including the battle of new orleans. A thoughtprovoking study of andrew jackson chronicles the life and career of a selfmade man who went on to become a military hero and seventh president of the united states, critically analyzing jacksons seminal role during a turbulent era in history, the political crises and personal upheaval that surrounded him, and his legacy for the modern presidency. Andrew jackson was the seventh president of the united states. Kennedy was the first irishcatholic president, andrew jackson was the first chief executive with roots in.
Andrew jackson experienced the american war of independence as a brutal civil war. Jackson s presidency can be illuminated by looking at the early events that. Andrew jackson in the white house jon meacham, author. In 2008, author jon meacham appeared at the national constitution center to discuss american lion, his andrew jackson biography that later won a pulitzer prize. I havent read it, yet, but they say what makes it stand out is it closely follows documentary evidence while being supplemented with interviews of those who knew jackson. Andrew jackson was an individual who was filled with integrity, grit, determination, and other values that encompass a good leader. Andrew jackson in the white house it is the most prescient of literary foreshadowing. Tina brownjon meachams splendid new book on andrew jackson shrewdly places presidential politics in the context of jacksons family life and vice versa. American lion the definitive biography of a largerthanlife president who defied norms, divided a nation, and changed washington forever andrew jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. American lion is a spellbinding, brilliant and irresistible journey into the heart of andrew jackson and his unforgettable circle of friends and enemies.