American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House
Random House
January 2008
483
Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Andrew Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy.
I knew very little about Andrew Jackson going into this book, and it moved him up in my list of great American Presidents a great deal and explains why he was important enough to be on the $20 bill. He was truly a president that changed how the presidency was perceived only 40 some years after it’s inception. He established the executive branch as a strong authority and one to be contended with by Congress. He had a lot of tragedy in his life, and could be a very cold and demanding person at times, but he did seem to have the average American at heart in what he did. I felt very sorry for his adopted nephew Andrew Donaldson and his family, and their story really highlighted the fact that Washington politics have been silly and petty for the entire life of our nation.