Andrew Jackson

His Life and Times

By: H.W. Brands

Narrated by: John H. Mayer

Length: 25 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

The extraordinary story of Andrew Jackson—the colorful, dynamic, and forceful president who ushered in the Age of Democracy and set a still young America on its path to greatness—told by the bestselling author of The First American.

The most famous American of his time, Andrew Jackson is a seminal figure in American history. The first “common man” to rise to the presidency, Jackson embodied the spirit and the vision of the emerging American nation; the term “Jacksonian democracy” is embedded in our national lexicon.

With the sweep, passion, and attention to detail that made The First American a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a national bestseller, historian H.W. Brands shapes a historical narrative that’s as fast-paced and compelling as the best fiction. He follows Andrew Jackson from his days as rebellious youth, risking execution to free the Carolinas of the British during the Revolutionary War, to his years as a young lawyer and congressman from the newly settled frontier state of Tennessee. As general of the Tennessee militia, he put down a massive Indian uprising in the South, securing the safety of American settlers, and his famous rout of the British at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812 made him a national hero.

But it is Jackson’s contributions as president, however, that won him a place in the pantheon of America’s greatest leaders. A man of the people, without formal education or the family lineage of the Founding Fathers, he sought as president to make the country a genuine democracy, governed by and for the people. Jackson, although respectful of states’ rights, devoted himself to the preservation of the Union, whose future in that age was still very much in question. When South Carolina, his home state, threatened to secede over the issue of slavery, Jackson promised to march down with 100,000 federal soldiers should it dare.

In the bestselling tradition of Founding Brothers and His Excellency by Joseph Ellis and of John Adams by David McCullough, Andrew Jackson is the first single-volume, full-length biography of Jackson in decades. This magisterial portrait of one of our greatest leaders promises to reshape our understanding of both the man and his era and is sure to be greeted with enthusiasm and acclaim.

Look for H.W. Brands's other biographies: THE FIRST AMERICAN (Benjamin Franklin), THE MAN WHO SAVED THE UNION (Ulysses S. Grant), TRAITOR TO HIS CLASS (Franklin Roosevelt) and REAGAN.

©2005 H.W. Brands (P)2005 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Illuminating both the mettle of a fascinating leader and the crucible in which American democracy was forged....[Brands'] effort is intensely engaging....A bracing, human portrait of both a remarkable man and of American democracy as it was transformed from a 'government of the people' into a 'government by the people'." (Publishers Weekly)

"This complete and completely enveloping biography indelibly establishes Jackson's abiding sense of duty in serving democracy....A distinguished treatment certain to be the most authoritative and comprehensive account for some time." (Booklist)

What a wealth of history eloquently written in a dynamic prose.

The author provides great insight, deep background to characters, cultural explanations and point in time comparisons.

Comprehensive account of an adventurous life

Where does Andrew Jackson rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Brands has written a comprehensive memoir that reveals the character of a person who often placed his life and honor on the line in order to preserve his steadfast democratic beliefs. For any historical fanatic this biography is a winner.

What other book might you compare Andrew Jackson to and why?

I'd compare it to Ulysses S. Grant by William McFeely

Which scene was your favorite?

I found his treatment of the Native Americans interesting considering he had adopted two Native American boys.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Because there were some points where the author went into too much needless detail, I would not have been able to listen to it in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

Brand's biography is a work that spans the entire life of President Jackson. His life is filled with stories by which legends are made, and Brands takes a careful look at all of them, giving detail appropriately to those that are important.

The best part about Brands biography is the format. It is a fine blend of character-driven and plot-driven scenes where all the necessary background information is provided and all the repercussions of the events are included.

Overall, the biography offers an adventurous and at times inspiring tale of a truly democratic President written by an articulate and careful pen. If you are looking for a biography that brings you equally to both character and place, without emphasizing one over the other, this is the one.

The model populist president

What did you like about this audiobook?

Excellent story and well spoken. I was struck by the parallels between Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump as both battle not only the opposition party but also the establishment of their own party. Both also believe strongly in the rights of the states--but not at the expense of the Union.

Jackson is more admirable and important after this

Jackson exhibited all of the strengths and weakness of the American people themselves. This book puts him in a historical context that shows how important he was to this union.

Good history but somewhat shallow and disorganized

This book does a good job of chronicling Andrew Jackson’s life, but I had a hard time following the thread of Jackson’s presidency. Time jumps around too much without enough clarification of dates and chronology and cause-and-effect. Not enough analysis of political and psychological forces behind what was happening. A dissatisfying discussion of Native American issues. The last couple of chapters that sum up the book (and other interesting characters such as Clay, Calhoun, Adams, and Houston) are the best part. Lots of boring exposition about military campaigns and affairs of honor/duels. Don’t regret reading but wouldn’t recommend it, unless to a real fan of presidential histories.

compelling but a bit biased and lite on details

Brands isn't a genocide apologist, but he does go to great lengths to explain (if not justify) why Jackson decided to push through the infamous Indian Removal Act. Brand's aim is to convince us of the validity of Jackson's argument: that long-term peaceful coexistence between American farmers and Indians was impossible, and that their removal was therefore inevitable - or at least was necessary to preclude another bloody war.

But he doesn't provide any counterargument; he doesn't quote AJ's contemporaries who were against the Removal Act, nor does he interrogate the historians who have argued that there were other solutions besides forced removal.

Brands narration is usually objective, but a lot of info is omitted vis a vis the Removal Act, seemingly to avoid an ignoble depiction of his subject. The fact that the Trail of Tears - the defining event of Jackson's legacy - is given only 2 or 3 paragraphs, is inexplicable.

On the plus side, this is an eloquently written and compelling book with lots of info on wider historical events to help contextualize the period Jackson lived in - a feature I always appreciate in such biographies.

Minor pet peeve: Brands' text is sparse on minutae to a fault. He'll frequently say something like "... most states in the Northeast supported the policy" - ok, so which state(s) didn't support it? I get that stats can get boring, but his penchant for summation often left me wanting more details.

Good Book, a solid 4

I enjoyed this book as much or more than Truman, John Adams, and 1776. It was much better than Alexander Hamilton. It gave an appropriate amount of time to surrounding historical perspective. The narration was a little less than 4 but acceptable. The book maintained my interest from the very beginning to the end. One small drawback was that the author glossed over Jackson's character flaws such as a hair-trigger temper and "my way or the highway" attitude. I enjoyed the book but came away liking Jackson much less as a person and President.

A look at a great leader.

Historical context of a hard life and commitment to the American union. Lots of Americans - flaws and greatnesses.

Takes a long time to get to Jacksonian Democracy

Would you listen to Andrew Jackson again? Why?

I would listen again to catch some of the nuances of his early life that I may have missed. I think the first 5 chapters are worth a second listen.

What other book might you compare Andrew Jackson to and why?

A bit like "John Adams" but with less letters to his wife. It is a biography and like most it favors the protagonist.

Which character – as performed by John H. Mayer – was your favorite?

He did not do characters he simply read with some infleciton.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

This is a good book once you can get past some of the early chapters. Jackson's life was a long one and his presidency is only 8 years so perhaps it is appropriate that only about 10% of the book is spent on those 8 years. I feel it was well written and very well read. It is easy to see why Jackson was a "man of the people" and how that changed American politics forever. The final chapter foreshadowing American politics is very well done.

love this man

loved it so well that I listened to it 2 times in a month. Jackson was a remarkable man