The Life of Andrew Jackson (Perennial Classics) [Paperback]

Like most, I have low expectations of a book that is a one volume version of mulitple volumes (Remini cut 1600+ pages into under 400). They tend to simply give a recap of the events of the subjects life without much explaination or connection between events. Happily, Remini's book does not fit that stereotype. In the introduction, Remini says that he keeps in mind that this will most likely be read casually by people mildly familiar with Jackson. He therefore specifically points to events in Jackson's life and tell the reader, "this is important because later Jackson will remember this and..." He does this from the earliest days of Jackson's life; admitting that Jackson was a bully of sorts, Remini also says that he might not be so abrasive if he had the influence of his father (who died before Jackson was born) or if he didn't have to rely on charity from his uncles and aunts to survive.

Through this technique, Remini gives the reader a fuller view of Jackson and how the many circumstances of his life come together to produce a unique man. Along with the man's characteristics mentioned in the first chapter, Jackson is also extremely patriotic, devoted to the Christian religion, slightly paranoid, in constant pain from bullets lodged in his body and a refusal to let himself rest, a workaholic, and an excellent strategist.

While I do agree with some that Remini could have elaborated more with regards to certain issues (the question "Was Jackson right to attack the bank? What were the long lasting effects? Were there other options?" etc.), it was not especially necessary, considering his goal was to introduce people to Jackson's life, not so much his life and times or legacy.

In sum, this is an admirable one volume treatment of one of America's most complex United States presidents and war heroes. If you're looking for a one-volume biography of Jackson, I don't imagine you would find many better.

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.

Remini's literary, impressionistic style works most of the time, but for the complex political issues that come up when Jackson is president a bit more analysis would be useful. For instance, Remini describes in detail Jackson's hatred of the Bank of the United States, but never goes into any detailed discussion about whether this hatred was justified or the putative wrong-doings of the Bank. In that sense, the book is incomplete.

Some reviewers have worried that Remini overlooks the horrible fate of the Native Americans under Jackson's rule, such as the forced relocation of Native Americans to reservations west of the Mississippi. I must differ with these reviewers. For instance, in summarizing Jackson's treatment of the Native Americans, Remini says:

The removal of the American Indians was one of the most significant and tragic acts of the Jackson administration. It was accomplished in total violation not only of American principles of justice and law but of Jackson's own strict code of conduct (this is from p. 219).

Finally, to Remini's credit as an editor, the fact that this is a distilled version of his own three-volume work on Jackson never comes through. I would recommend 'The Life of Andrew Jackson' to anyone who wants an introduction to Andrew Jackson's personal and political lives, and doesn't mind missing out on some of finer political complexities of Jackson's time.