Product Description

From a childhood steeped in poverty, violence, and patriotic pride, Andrew Jackson rose to the heights of celebrity and power. The first popularly elected president, he won admiration by fighting corruption, championing the common man, shaping the power of the executive office, and preserving the fragile union of the young United States.

Yet Jackson's ruthless pursuit of what he believed to be "progress" left indelible stains on the nation's conscience: broken treaties and the Trail of Tears are among Old Hickory's darker legacies.

Vivid detail and unflinching analysis characterize Albert Marrin's fascinating rendering of the adventurous life, painful complexity, and continuing controversy that define the Age of Jackson.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #546373 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 7 Up–More than a biography, this fine study of our seventh president is also a history and analysis of the times in which he lived. Born in a log cabin to a strong-willed, Scotch-Irish widow, Jackson lacked formal education but was intelligent and could size up people and events, a useful trait for his work as a soldier, lawyer, judge, legislator, and president. Defeated by John Quincy Adams in the 1824 election even though he had won the popular vote, Jackson was elected president four years later, following a dirty campaign that smeared both him and his wife. He was a strong-willed leader whose opinions would be most unpopular today. Marrin discusses the changes to society brought about by the Industrial Revolution, the railroads, and the rise of the market economy. Written in an engaging style and with a wealth of detail, the book is enhanced by numerous black-and-white illustrations, including reproductions of political cartoons, portraits, and documents. The lists of sources and of additional reading are extensive.–Jane G. Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. Jackson's life lends itself perfectly to Marrin's famously hyperbolic narrative style. The product of a rough-hewn, eye-for-an-eye backwoods culture, Jackson, who killed a man in a duel (the only president to have done so), won office as much through force of personality as by his brilliant military achievements. He delayed the Civil War's start by decades while effectively putting spurs to the young country's economic growth, and he brought "more suffering to Native Americans than any single white person in American history, an evil which must forever stain his memory." Along with biographical background, the author paints a vivid picture of Jacksonian society, including searing indictments of the general treatment of women, slaves, and Native peoples and passages on spitting and hygiene, which should not be read while eating. Illustrated with period paintings and cartoons, this thoroughly researched study presents multifaceted views of both a uniquely vigorous era, and the larger-than-life figure that embodied it. Extensive endnotes and a reading list are appended. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Albert Marrin is the author of over two dozen award-winning nonfiction books for young people and is the recipient of many honors, including the Children's Book Guild and Washington Post Non-Fiction Award for an "outstanding lifetime contribution [that] has enriched the field of children's literature."

Customer Reviews

Marrin does it again!
Albert Marrin should have stayed in junior high as a teacher. That way maybe we would have a lot more history lovers in America! Since he chose another career path, I am very happy that he continues to write for young people (now more kids can learn to love history!).
As usual, Marrin does an excellent job not only of presenting an memorable character, but explaining the events surrounding his life. I would not recommend this book for younger than at least 7th or 8th grade, but I would recommend it even for adults who want a readable, clear explanation of Old Hickory and his times! Thanks again Mr. Marrin!

Vivid, unbiased history
While I have heard great things about Albert Marrin's books, this is the one and only so far that I have read. But yes, it is true: Albert Marrin is a fantastic author and historian who presents the good and bad of this controversial president come alive for young adult readers--or anyone else that would read this.

First off, it's a great-looking book, which is pretty much why I wanted it in the first place. Marrin organized everything very well, showing the different phases of Old Hickorie's life and then his policies. There are plenty of labeled drawings to add a little bit extra to the present discussion.

I especially liked how Marrin approached the subject of Andrew Jackson. While this president was certainly beloved by many people, it's quite possible that he would have been completely despised today save by those our society already completely despises. Simply put, he was a racist, one who put whites above everyone else, namely blacks and Native Americans. He was against the abolitionists and this was the guy who inniated the infamous Cherokee "Trail of Tears."

And yet Jackson was pretty much a product of his time and that is all anyone can do about it, whether we liked his views or not. Despite this abhorencies, Jackson did plenty of good, plenty of shaping of the new nation.

Even though it is clear that Marrin hated many aspects of Andrew Jackson he did appreciate many others. Jackson was a champion of the common people and believed that it was their liberty he was elected to preserve. That shows, for good and bad, all throughout this book.

It's well-written and well-researched, and Marrin is careful not to take sides.