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I've got a couple: Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H.W. Brands is a brisk, in-depth account of one of America's more complex Presidents. I didn't really know anything about Jackson going in, but I found the book extremely engaging and well-written. Brands makes a great narrative out of the life of Jackson, who was born to a widowed mom, grew up poor, and distinguished himself as a military leader to the point where he was elected President. He delves into the motivation and events behind Jackson's intense sense of egalitarianism, his hatred of political machinery and the divorce of government from the involvement of the everyday man. He also doesn't shy away from the bad stuff about Jackson- his outspoken slave ownership, his violent personality and his policies toward the Native Americans, culminating in the Trail of Tears.  Lincoln's Melancholy, by Joshua Wolf Shenk. An insightful, sometimes poignant look into the life of Lincoln and the undiagnosed chronic depression he battled his whole life. The writer starts with a look into the nature of clinical depression as defined by modern medicine, and compares that to what Lincoln called his "melancholy". He reveals that some aspects of Lincoln's life- particularly his well-known love of jokes and the faith he developed while in office- were coping mechanisms Lincoln developed to deal with his depression. It's a pretty quick read, but I found it fascinating both as a look at Lincoln and a cases study of depression. As far as I could tell it seemed pretty objective, too; there were a couple places where it felt like the author was reaching for some significance that maybe wasn't there, but overall it was very good. Can anybody recommend a good history of the French Revolution? I've always been intrigued by it but there doesn't seem to be too much accessible reading on the subject.
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Feb 5, 2012 04:50
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| # ¿ May 8, 2024 02:07 |
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