One of the first things Donald Trump did after his inauguration was to direct that a portrait of Jackson be hung in the Oval Office. “An amazing figure in American history,” the president declared, “very unique in so many ways.”It is easy to see why Trump likes Jackson (or why Bannon or somebody told Trump he was supposed to like Jackson). Not only was he was an unapologetic defender of American slavery and the principal advocate for “Indian Removal” (the disastrous system which eventually led t...

Andrew Jackson And American DemocracyThe 2008 Presidential race is in full swing, and interest in the contest runs high. In order to keep my own bearings, I wanted to try to take a short but broader view of our Presidents and our nation's history. One way to do this is by reading some of the volumes in the recent "American Presidents" series edited by the late Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Each volume in this series offers, in short compass, the life and accomplishments of an American president togeth...

This is the second of the American Presidents series which I've read (the first was George McGovern writing about Abraham Lincoln). By design, these books are short and general, which can be good for a reader that is interested in learning the outlines of a presidency, but also means that they were limited in the depth in which they can explore their subjects.Wilentz is a well-known liberal and I was interested to hear his views on Jackson, a president that has seen his level of admiration drop

Sean Wilentz has penned an admirable brief biography of Andrew Jackson. This thin volume is part of The American Presidents series of books. They are brief and accessible to a larger readership. Do you want a detailed picture of Jackson? This isn't for you (try Brands' biography for example). Do you want a quick and accessible introduction? Then this book would be useful.One of the factors making this a good book is its realistic view of Jackson. He had great accomplishments; he also was flawed....

The American Presidents series turns in another interesting, well-written installment!In this book, written by Sean Wilentz, all the relevent areas of Andrew Jackson (U.S. President #7) as both man and political figure are touched on, including:-His somewhat unsteady value system that championed the rights of the "little man" yet saw little problem looking the other way (like all Presidents before him) when it came to confronting the practice of slavery.-His epic battles against the National Ban...

He's on most lists of our best presidents as well as our $20 bill. Democrats hail him as a founder. After reading this book, and attempting a few others, it's still hard to understand why Jackson has been accorded such respect.I started both the Brand and Remini bios. Through them I came to understand his childhood and how the American Revolution shaped his character and views. The psychological toll of losing his nuclear family at a young age had to be enormous. His mother's heroic search and r...

With the proliferation of exhaustive/exhausting, lengthy biographies, this less-imposing length yet still intelligent biography was well worth the effort. I appreciated that the strictures on size didn't seem to inhibit the even-handed approach to various issues during Jackson's time (slavery and southern nullification, political perspectives, etc.)When length is limited it is not possible to delve deeply into recreating the personality and go into detail on various important episodes in the sub...

Only two stars, but not the author's fault. This is one of a series on the American Presidents, and each rather slim book is the same approximate length. There were so many significant events in Jackson's life and presidency that there was simply not enough room to cover them all in the depth they deserve. Still, it is hard to understand why this book is 29 pages shorter than the book on Warren G. Harding, from the same series.

Definitely one of the most well-done biographies of this series. Wilentz provides a fair and balanced look at our seventh president, one of the more divisive figures of American history. I recommend this biography to anyone looking for a quick look at Jackson's life and presidency.

This is a short little book in the presidential series. I was attracted to it (and others in the series because the authors are great historians). It is a well written little volume. If I have any criticism it is that Wilenz, in my opinion, goes a bit easy on Jackson. It is still worth reading.

Reading a book about Andrew Jackson in 2020 is a bit surreal because it is impossible to avoid drawing countless comparisons to today's political climate, and specifically to our current President, Donald Trump. That said, despite their many similarities, Jackson and Trump are not duplicates. While they likely would have found areas of common ground, there are many reasons to think that Jackson would not have liked our current President. Jackson was born with basically nothing and rose far abov

Andrew Jackson is the seventh book in The American Presidents series – a biographical series chronicling the Presidents of the United States. Sean Wilentz wrote this particular installment and edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.Andrew Jackson was an American soldier and political leader who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829–1837. Before being elected to the presidency, Jackson gained fame as a General in the United States Army and served in both Houses of Congress.

A concise look at this piece of American History viewing the multi-faceted challenges facing the nation. Most specifically frustrating on a personal level, not with regard to the writing but the actual history, were the challenges against aristocratic power and human rights which were somehow placed at odds, not by the author but by America at the time. In my view the correct courses would be a denial of the aristocratic desires, Jackson's view, and the empowerment of individuals without harm to...

An OK introductory read. The opening pages reveal the authors liberal point of view but it did not seem to intrude in the text beyond the first few pages. In 166 pages the author is able to hit the high points and most of the essentials to understand Jacksonian Democracy. I was also reading Remini's condensed "The life of Andrew Jackson" (360 pp). Remini's 3 volume (1500+ pp) sits on my shelf for another time. Wilentz closes his book with a chapter "Jackson's legacy." A wonderful summary of Jac...

This book was a bit dry in the middle. I really could not get into the administration changes or the scuffles over a second national bank. However, this book gave me insight on one of America's most controversial presidents. I didn't realize that Jackson was a founder of the democratic party, and while it has changed drastically from what it is today, it is worth noting that Jackson was a "people's president". He despised aristocracy and this may have influenced his aversion to a national bank.

Good overview of the Jackson presidency Overall I enjoyed this book, and felt it was balanced in the assessment of Jackson. On the one hand it acknowledged some of the terrible things that happened under his presidency, yet also pointed out ways his presidency redefined democracy in America in very positive ways. Jackson is a complicated figure, and had a very important presidency. Because of this it's important students of history study books like this to better understand him.

Andrew Jackson was quite a character for a man on his time. Rank definitely for the common man in opposing the monied people and the aristocractic attitudes of those with wealth and breaking up of the Second Bank that thought they are above the government. They could use someone of that calibur today in fighting for the common people and breaking up monopolies and big businesses and those with wealth who are walking over the lowly born and treating them as slaves in their enterprise.

Great read! Wilentz can be a little bombastic at times, but steps back and gives a great view of the big picture. Does a good job of showing Jackson's commitment to government by the common man. Doesn't fail prey to the trivial. On a par with longer biographies by Brands and Meacham. On to Remini's 3 volume work...

I enjoyed this book. At first I had my doubts. However, it gave me an insight to the President, who’s home I’ve visited many times in my life, that I hadn’t had previously. He was a critical thinker who looked at the bigger picture...knowing that was not always the popular route. Leaders don’t always take the easy road, followers do.

A very short, concise of Jackson. Wilentz shines a favorable light on the 7th President. By contemporary standards, Jackson was a demagogue. But Wilentz makes a convincing case that such a portrayal is an oversimplification. Jackson made landmark contributions to how we conceive of the Constitution today. For that reason, he is worth learning about.

4.5. This is the 2nd Presidents series book I've read. Jackson is such a difficult figure in US history and I enjoyed the authors telling.

I love this series, but this wasn't one of my favorite books in the series. Like him or loathe him, Jackson was a colourful character, and this book does not capture the essence of Jackson at a perso at all. It concentrates mostly on Jackson's political and military exploits, and not his personal life. Rachel, his beloved wife, is barely mentioned. This is a well-researched, condensed version of Jackson, the President, but it turned out to be a very dry read of Jackson's political and military e...

I wanted to like Wilentz's book on Jackson more, but in the end my dubiousness about Jackson's character could not be overcome by Wilentz's explanations and assertions. The short form certainly hampered him - it is tough to try and contain a character like Jackson in such a small book. Wilentz was further hindered because he attempted to balance an understanding of Jackson's environment with detail about Jackson's life. The end result feels a little like a cardboard character - the fierce, loyal...

This is a good, concise read of Andrew Jackson's accomplishments, disappointments, and failures. Specific points of interest to me were his governance of slavery, Trail of Tears,democratic system reform, and economic policies. He owned slaves and did not seem morally conflicted. He also enabled the continuing practice of slavery by suppressing free press and abolitionists, all in the name of keeping the Union together. His democratic system reforms entailed voting for some federal positions and

In 2005, the Historian Sean Wilentz wrote a political biography of Andrew Jackson in The American Presidents Series. Wilentz is a historian of Early American Social and Political History at Princeton University. Similar to other books in The American Presidents series, Wilentz’s biography of Jackson is short, effective, and well-researched. Wilentz’s book has a Prologue. The book covers Jackson’s early life in twelve pages, Jackson’s political rise, and the legacy of Jackson’s politics. The book...

Reading the introduction, one can get a sense of what direction the book will be heading: a very orthodox, unoriginal look at Andrew Jackson. This is mainstream history, with all of it's unexamined assumptions and erroneous conclusions. The concept of nullification is laughed at; and presidents are rated not by their fidelity to the Constitution, or their respect for individual rights--but for more nebulous things like "a vision," "initiative," etc.Fortunately, Andrew Jackson is an interesting c...

I found this to be a more than adequate introduction into Jackson's two-term Presidency. For an executive summary, the Epilogue provides most of the relevant information. Now I have a stronger sense of how complex the issues were then. For the somber man on the US $20, I am trying to understand how he got wealthy by buying and selling slaves, killed a man in a duel, and would have been the first President assassinated if the pistol had not have misfired. (Twice. And then Jackson pulverized the a...

A very interesting book for a first look to an amazing and complex figure of American history. Wilentz brings us through the Jackson years with great detail in such a succinct book.You can feel the break between the era of the first 6 presidents, issued from Virginia and Massachussetts and see the rise of a new political order through Jackson. The details on the fight with the Second US Bank, and the beggining of the rise of slavery is deeply interesting.

Another winner in The American Presidents series. Wilentz gives us a good sketch of Jackson's life, since Jackson represents the first president who does not come from an establishment family or group. His book reminds us how history's views of Jackson's accomplishments have changed over time. Good read.

I'm half way through this book about Jackson. It's very detailed about his presidency, the Indian problem, the Second Bank especially and Nicholas Biddle and the Biddle Panic. I'm on chapter 7, Slavery and Democracy.