This book replaces a long section of American history left blank by all the school books I had. I had already read a bio of Jackson years ago, but this book is not about Jackson. It is about that blank period between the War of 1812 and the Civil War. It is primarily a political history of that era which was defined to a large extent by the rise of Andrew Jackson and the Democratic party. It is a hard read, about 10% of which is contained in the footnotes. Sheds a lot of light on how America got from an innocent, largely aristocratic republic to a popular (if not completely enfranchised) democracy ultimately driven into the Civil War. ( )

Witness the progression of Democracy in the formative years of the United States. The era of the Founders is just about over. Some remnants still live and the attitude of the affluent minority tries to influence a government that is truly of the people. Jackson's struggle against Biddle is here in fine detail. The early secession movement of John C. Calhoun is established in Southern political beliefs. The growth westward... All these struggles are explored in wonderful detail, but not so detailed that the reader becomes bored. A terrific history book for the era. ( )

Read this in high school and really loved it. ( )

Compelling History of the Evolution of Conservative versus Working Class politics in the first half of the 19th century. Applies to our era as well. ( )

Excellent first-rate work on the age of Jackson which is a classic. Jackson was a genuine reformer who defended the interests of the people against the bankers who sought to take advantage of them.

Meacham's book should be compared to one of the standard references to Jackson, i.e., Schlesinger's important work, The Age of Jackson. There is no question that Meacham has written a very readable and lively account of Jackson, the person, and highlights Andrew's life throughout. Less sure-footed though in Meacham is where Schlesinger excels, Jackson as the exemplar of his age. The Bank War is not as prominent a feature in Meacham as it is in Schlesinger, and more emphasis is placed by Meacham in the political incorrectness of Jackson. The contrast and value between the two will rest therefore on where the reader's sympathies lie most, in the culture wars or in the importance of Jackson for demonstrating how the little man, the small farmer, and the rural non-elite may prosper in Jacksonian America. Of the two, I would tip a hat towards Schlesinger though Meacham is well worth reading.