The Rise of Andrew Jackson, David S Heidler
The Rise of Andrew Jackson, David S Heidler
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The Rise of Andrew Jackson
Myth, Manipulation, and the Making of Modern Politics

Author: David S Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler

Narrator: Molly Parker Myers

Unabridged: 13 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 10/23/2018

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included

Synopsis

The story of Andrew Jackson's improbable ascent to the White House, centered on the handlers and propagandists who made it possible

Andrew Jackson was volatile and prone to violence, and well into his forties his sole claim on the public's affections derived from his victory in a thirty-minute battle at New Orleans in early 1815. Yet those in his immediate circle believed he was a great man who should be president of the United States.

Jackson's election in 1828 is usually viewed as a result of the expansion of democracy. Historians David and Jeanne Heidler argue that he actually owed his victory to his closest supporters, who wrote hagiographies of him, founded newspapers to savage his enemies, and built a political network that was always on message. In transforming a difficult man into a paragon of republican virtue, the Jacksonites exploded the old order and created a mode of electioneering that has been mimicked ever since.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bill on April 09, 2021

You might call this book "The Making of the President 1828." An inattentive reader who doesn't look beyond the title might think this is a biography of Andrew Jackson and his ascent to the presidency, but it's really a story of the people who put him there. The Heidlers have produced an insightful, d......more

Goodreads review by Randall on February 12, 2019

Although Jefferson setup up the Creeks for loss of native land, Jackson boldly tells the Creeks he’s taking twenty-two million acres. More than one third of that was land that belonged to the Creeks who fought WITH Jackson. The lesson was clear, no native could ever trust Jackson. “He boasted to Ove......more

Goodreads review by Brian on June 18, 2019

With our endless election cycles and 24-7 television coverage of politics, its easy for us to complain that politics and politicians are worse than ever before and that the end of America is nigh. This book reminds us that political maneuvering and strategical planning has existed from nearly the be......more

Goodreads review by Mallen on January 28, 2020

This book focuses entirely on the process of how Jackson became president. Enough of the important backstory to understand the aspects of the story that were woven into the myth - and to understand how fragile the myth was to inconvenient detail of the truth. But mostly the two campaigns - the ultim......more

Goodreads review by Beth on August 23, 2018

I managed 75% of this before giving up but I read enough to be able to give my view on it. The way it was structured was done very well and I liked how they chronicled Jackson's life. I've read another autobiography on Andrew Jackson and this one was not as interesting that. The writing of this is d......more

Quotes

"A revealing...account of what the authors see as the first 'modern' presidential campaign."—Washington Times

"The Heidlers tell an engrossing story that covers a remarkably complex history in relatively few pages. It is a true page-turner."—New York Journal of Books

"An admirable study of the varied political forces that ensured Jackson's presidential triumph and secured his place in early United States history. Readers will find in The Rise of Andrew Jackson all the political intrigue and drama an election brings."—Claremont Review of Books

"This lively and insightful read teaches the reader nearly as much about today's politics as it does about those of the 1820s."—Publishers Weekly,starred review

"This insightful history book is the definitive account of an amazing political era in American history and an amazing president.... With their unmatched scholarly credentials, the Heidlers show how President Andrew Jackson shaped the modern American politics that resonates even today. Both scholars and laypeople will benefit from this meticulously researched book that fills a big hole in the scholarship on American history."—Washington Book Review

"A superb chronicle of one of America's first 'modern' political organizations and national campaigns."—Booklist, starred review

"The Heidlers are careful interpreters of contemporary politics, deftly limning the issues surrounding Southern sectionalism and parsing the differences that underlay the electoral battles between John Quincy Adams and Jackson and their claims to be true heirs to the revolutionary tradition of the Founders... A thoughtful survey."—Kirkus Reviews

"The election of Andrew Jackson in 1828 was a victory for the hero of New Orleans but also for an emerging form of popular politics. David and Jeanne Heidler tell the story of both with verve and insight. At a moment when Jacksonian analogies are rife, their book couldn't be more timely."—H.W. Brands, New York Times bestselling author of The General vs. The President

"Many thoughtful citizens feared that Andrew Jackson's election in 1828 spelled the death of the Republic, and this book shows why. Written with verve and conviction, it shows how Jackson's handlers first mastered the trick of packaging a volatile character with a checkered history into an irresistible presidential candidate. In The Rise of Andrew Jackson, David and Jeanne Heidler have given us both an eye-popping story and a sober lesson for our time."—Daniel Feller, University of Tennessee, editor of The Papers of Andrew Jackson

"Vividly written, The Rise of Andrew Jackson unpacks Old Hickory's climb to the White House only to find savvy spinmeisters and shrewd political operatives managing him all the way, often straining to control his legendary temper. In providing this misunderstood part of Jackson's story, the Heidlers paint a fascinating portrait of the bare-knuckles politics of the 1820s, one that resonates today."—David O. Stewart, author of The Summer of 1787

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