Polk
The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America

Really enjoyed this book, and I learned a lot about a period of time I really didn't know anything about. This book focuses mostly on Polk's presidency - he's out of the House of Representatives by page 40 and has completed his term as governor of Tennessee by page 51 - but I really like how he put i......more

As a presidential history buff, I often get asked who I thought was the greatest president, and not wanting to bring up the usual suspects (Washington, Lincoln, FDR, etc.) I would calmly say `James K. Polk.' There were two reasons for this, one, I wanted to say something that would shock them; and,......more

[URL not allowed] “Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America” is the fifth of ten books by historian and lawyer (and mountaineer!) Walter Borneman. He is more frequently the author of books on 18th and 19th century US history, but has also written on mountain cli......more

I read A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, The Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent by Robert W. Merry and Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America by Walter R. Borneman at the same time, alternating chapters. I posted a combined review here, under the Merry b......more

I am now on presidential biography #11. James K. Polk followed John Tyler and preceded Zachary Taylor, and if all three of them are just names you barely remember from U.S. history, you're not alone. Borneman begins and ends this biography of the 11th president by arguing that Polk was in fact one of......more