The Life of Andrew Jackson

Robert Remini is a scholar who really knows how to tell a story. And Jackson is a fascinating subject. Remini never gets bogged down in military or political minutia. He keeps the focus on Jackson, what Jackson wanted, what challenges he faced. He notes what was different then, but does not harp on it. The chapters are short, and each is a gem. (Having already written the long version, it might have been easier to be disciplined and concise in the abridgement.) I'm happy I read it. I learned a lot and spent several evenings enjoying this book. (I was going to give it 4 stars, because I don't think I will read it again. But if I do, it will be the long version, so I guess Rimini deserves a "high 5.")

Remini's text provides the reader with an excellent synopsis of the life and times of Old Hickory while condensing three volumes into one. While the author at times defends the General loyally, Remini attempts to provide details of both Andrew Jackson's many triumphs and pitfalls. for someone trying to become acquainted with this president or Jacksonian American, this is an excellent text. It provides narrative details of the facts and the context surrounding President Jackson, but it is also highly readable. All in all, I would recomend the text highly.

Andrew Jackson looked like a bit of a lemon (as far as the American voter was concerned) when he went into the White House. When he came out, he looked much better. How did he do it?This is a careful condensation of Remini's 3-volume work on Jackson that incorporates the result of more recent scholarship and research. Remini describes our 7th President's struggle to overcome his reputation as a violent and vengeful man who was almost a social outcast in Western Tennessee. Remini analyses Jackson's shortcomings, which include some very human mistakes, and his inability to bring Texas into the Union. Emphasizing that Jackson "served the American people extremely well" by preserving the integrity of the Union, saving the government from misrule, and liquidating the public debt, Remini shows why Jackson was more popular when he left the White House than he was when he went in. Don't look for an in-depth political treatise here but you will find sufficient material to give you a well-rounded, sympathetic look at a complicated man in an equally complicated time.It's not meant to be comprehensive -- you'll find that in the larger work -- this is meant to be what it is. It's a fascinating, readable and entertaining story of how that political turn-about happened, written by one of America's foremost biographers.

Robert Remini is the expert on Andrew Jackson and the Age of Jackson. This book, which is a culmination of many of his works on Jackson, is a masterpiece of biography. Highly readable, Remini shows why Jackson was one of the best Presidents we ever had. Remini does a good job on not just what Jackson did, but the man himself. Jackson's personality and how and why he was the way he was is a major focus of Remini. I especially enjoyed reading about Jackson's duels and his actions during the South Carolina Nulification. It is not political correct to like Jackson, but you can not deny he was one of our best and most important Presidents. This is a great biography of a great man.