Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Martin Van Buren : The Romantic Age of American Politics (Signature Series) by John Niven, Katherine Speirs ISBN: 0-945707-25-8 Publisher: American Political Biography Press Pub. Date: June, 2000 Format: Hardcover List Price(USD): $37.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (2 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: The Life of the Little Magician
Comment: It is hard to tell how a man will do as President based on his experience. Some figures with virtually no political experience became good Presidents, such as Washington and Lincoln; others were failures such as Grant or Hoover. On the other hand, political experience is no guarantee of success: John Quincy Adams and James Buchanan had decent resumes going into office and had miserable presidencies. Martin Van Buren, one of the most politically talented of all Presidents, was not an utter failure, but he didn't shine in office either.
In Niven's biography, we follow Van Buren from his impoverished roots through his rise in New York state government. Although not perfect, Van Buren had enough political astuteness and the right sort of temperment to help create and lead a party machine and elevate New York's prominence on a national level. Becoming a trusted advisor to Andrew Jackson and a member of his cabinet eventually led to his Vice Presidency and then the Presidency. With a major financial crash occurring right as he got into office, Van Buren was struggling right off the bat, and wound up serving only a single term; nonetheless, in an era of one-term presidents (from 1837 to 1861, no president was re-elected), Van Buren was hardly thrown into ignonimy after his defeat; instead, he remained a powerful member of the Democratic party for the next two decades.
Niven's biography is generally favorable although he doesn't hide Van Buren's flaws. We learn of a man who was not a great ideologue but was one of the most masterful politicians of his era, holding his own with the often more prominent figures such as Jackson, Calhoun, Clay and Webster. He also wound up being a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement, even running on the Free-Soil ticket at one point.
At times, however, this biography is a bit ponderous and often focuses so much on the political part of Van Buren's life that the personal part is pushed aside. Thus, although this may be the best Van Buren biography available (it may also be the only one), I cannot give it a full five stars. Nonetheless, this is overall a very good book and worth reading if you are interested in this period of history.
Rating: 4
Summary: Martin Van Buren
Comment: This is a very readable and interesting book that deals with the long and highly political life of Martin Van Buren. He comes off very well as a hard-working, fair and moral politician who practically establishes the democratic party as a well-oiled machine for both New York state and the United States. I have now read multiple books about the first eight presidents and he can hold his own with almost all of them so far. Highly recommended.
 |
Title: Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Time by Freeman Cleaves ISBN: 0945707010 Publisher: American Political Biography Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 1990 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
 |
Title: John Tyler: Champion of the Old South by Oliver P. Chitwood ISBN: 0945707029 Publisher: American Political Biography Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 1990 List Price(USD): $32.50 |
 |
Title: John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, a Private Life by Paul C. Nagel ISBN: 0674479408 Publisher: Harvard University Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 1999 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
 |
Title: President James Buchanan: A Biography by Philip S. Klein ISBN: 0945707118 Publisher: American Political Biography Press Pub. Date: 01 May, 1995 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
 |
Title: Millard Fillmore: Biography of a President by Robert J. Raybach ISBN: 0945707045 Publisher: American Political Biography Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 1992 List Price(USD): $32.50 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
