Saturday, June 25, 2011

Weekend Book Review: Life of Andrew Jackson

Life of Andrew Jackson (Life Of... (Attic Books)) is the second book in the Attic Books Series that I have read. And, as with the first one I read, I was not disappointed.




The contents of this republished book were originally published in 1850, within a short 13 years of Jackson's death. The book starts out by discussing Jackson's difficult childhood including the loss of his father, his brothers, and eventually his mother.

Despite of Jackson's very limited educational exposure, he still rose to become a great and respected military general and eventually the seventh president of our great country.

Jackson did support slavery and the forced removal of Native Americans and there is, subsequently, controversy surrounding him and his character. However, when you read this book and see how honorably he treated his troops, you cannot deny that Jackson was a man of integrity and valor.

From his earliest days to his days as a military general to his days as president, this book presents the adversities and challenges that Jackson overcame to fulfill his destiny as a great American figure.

I have enjoyed this book. It is a long book (395 pages, small-type), and it is written in its original 1850 English. Therefore, this book is not light and easy reading. I'm a fast reader, but I found myself having to reread passages ocassionally. It's not a book that you can let your mind drift off from and then expect to get right back on track. It's a book that I found was best read in quiet and when interruptions were minimal.

I find this book to be a wonderful look into Jackson's life. Although a more difficult book to read, it is full of so much interesting information and makes a wonderful addition to our history bookshelf. Its handsome hardback cover and thick pages with frayed edges add to the charm of the book as well.

I have really enjoyed the two books I've read from Attic Books, and I look forward to reading more.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.*

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