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Andrew Jackson (Abridged): His Life and Times Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,129 listener ratings
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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.
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"This is very different from my normal reads, but I do try to work in a little history now and then. The best thing about this book (in addition to the history lessons) is the humor. The author writes in a very easy, conversational style without insulting your intellegence. You will laugh out loud and feel every bit the patriot while doing so."
— Sara (4 out of 5 stars)
Andrew Jackson Listener Reviews
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" I found this a bit slow going and not as enjoyable as the FDR bio. Learned more about that particular era of American history though. Did not find Jackson the man very likable. "
— Rita, 2/16/2014 -
" An aquaintance said this would be fun and it was more of a slog than that. But I did get a feel for Old Hicory and his era. Figured out how the indian wars impacted our nation's history and much more about Texas and Sam Huston than I'd have guessed I'd learn about in a book about Jackson. He sure loved his wife. He was so simple and straightforward (honor, the union, Rachel) and yet complex becuase he killed everyone in an indian village and then adopted almost as a son (or was it actually more like a cute slave boy? not sure) one of the orphaned children. "
— Ahf, 2/7/2014 -
" This was a great book on the man and the times around him. "
— Denise, 1/19/2014 -
" Andrew Jackson is definitely in my top 5 Presidents list. I really like this book because Brands is so fair to Jackson and includes so much of the history of the times in which he lived. Anyone who is a critic of Jackson needs to read this and get to know him better!!! "
— Kathy, 1/15/2014 -
" Jackson was a truly uniquie figure in history. Absolute in his defense of the Union. He was flawed, but at the same timewas representative of the best of his times. H.W. Brands produced a great read. "
— Ken, 11/16/2013 -
" A very fine biography of our seventh president. Well written and balanced. "
— Greg, 10/2/2013 -
" Fantastic biography of our seventh President and all that he went through. The book comes alive to me even more so after doing a history research project on another book about him and visting his home the Hermitage in Nashville, TN "
— Bob, 9/27/2013 -
" #7 in the Presidential biography project. This biography did a great job of combining the historical backdrop with the personality of the subject. Jackson, so far, has been the most fascinating president and really helped usher in the party system and the rule of the people. "
— Alan, 8/16/2013 -
" Insights on America - and how we became who we are- that most people have not explored. A very informative , and sometimes provocative read "
— Barry, 7/11/2013 -
" Best one volume biography of Jackson. HW Brands who has written many books on popular historical figures tells the story of Andrew Jackson as it is. A stern supporter of the People, takes no shit from anyone who gets in his face and was a pretty decent military general (i.e. Battle of New Orleans). "
— Dave, 6/12/2013 -
" This is a pretty fun bio on oun nation's 6th President. The book dives deep into Jackson's pre-presidential life. It was a fun one for sure. The only problem I had with the book is that the author seems to go off topic a lot, which is annoying. "
— Brad, 2/15/2013 -
" In the end I didn't like Jackson much "
— Bob, 10/19/2012 -
" Style just ok; content short on Jackson & ok on the times "
— Steve, 4/3/2012 -
" if you love biographies and American history, you'll really enjoy this. "
— Bob, 1/23/2012 -
" A great history book--I learned a lot about Andrew Jackson as a person, but much more about our country and how we got to this place through the actions of the past. Highly recommended! "
— Patricia, 1/10/2012 -
" This is a decent biography, but it doesn't do much to illuminate Jackson's contradictions. In a lot of ways, he was a complete asshole, and he is almost certainly the only president of the United States who was an actual murderer. "
— Robert, 1/5/2012 -
" Very good biography of a president I never regarded very highly and now think even less of "
— David, 8/5/2011 -
" Excellent bio. Very well written for a history. Easy to read. "
— Charles, 4/11/2011 -
" "The Union, it must be preserved." "
— John, 1/25/2011 -
" Didn't care for the man, but enjoyed the book... "
— Brent, 12/15/2010 -
" I didn't think I would like Andrew Jackson. But this book did an excellent job of explaining his reasons for doing what he did in relation to the time period he lived in. Came away from readying it with a new appreciation of the man. "
— Janet, 10/11/2010 -
" #7 in the Presidential biography project. This biography did a great job of combining the historical backdrop with the personality of the subject. Jackson, so far, has been the most fascinating president and really helped usher in the party system and the rule of the people. "
— Alan, 9/16/2010 -
" A very fine biography of our seventh president. Well written and balanced. "
— Greg, 6/11/2010 -
" I love history. This book was about Jackson's life before his presidency as well as during his term. I found it interesting and enlightening. "
— Glo, 5/4/2010 -
" Enjoyable biography of our 7th president. Struck a good balance between the issues of the days and Jackson's personal life. "
— Billy, 4/7/2010 -
" A great history book--I learned a lot about Andrew Jackson as a person, but much more about our country and how we got to this place through the actions of the past. Highly recommended! "
— Patricia, 2/21/2010 -
" Amazingly well written and researched book. A great book about a great man! "
— Josh, 1/16/2010 -
" A look at the life of the incredibly smart (yet populist) Andrew Jackson. He had an amazingly accomplished life and stopped or prevented a lot of overly-zealous federalist from achieving their damaging goals. "
— Greg, 10/19/2009
About H. W. Brands
H. W. Brands has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including the The General vs. the President, a New York Times bestseller. Two of his biographies, The First American and Traitor to His Class, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. He holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin.
About Chuck Montgomery
Chuck Montgomery is a skilled narrator who has lent his voice to the works of a number of the world’s most celebrated authors, including H. W. Brands and Pat Conroy. His voice-over credits include Lone Star Nation, My Losing Season, and Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times.