Marquis James (1891–1955)

This in-depth biography of Andrew Jackson was originally published as two works. Andrew Jackson: The Border Captain was published in 1933, and Andrew Jackson: Portrait of a President. When the two were published together as The Life of Andrew Jackson later in '37, together they earned James a Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1938.

The work is very detailed and very interesting, offering everything from a picture of life in the pre-Revolution frontier country of the Carolinas and Tennessee to show more the events of the Revolution itself in those territories (Jackson, still in his middle teens, served as a courier in the Revolutionary forces), to Jackson's ascension to military command (primarily against Indians in Tennessee and Florida) to a fascinating account of Jackson's generalship in the Battle of New Orleans and then on to his political career and, obviously, his presidency. I learned a lot about the issues of the day, and Jackson in James' hands certainly comes off as a figure of strength and integrity. That's the good part.

Unfortunately, to a modern-day reader, Jackson's attitude about and treatment of Indians is essentially brushed over. In particular, his support before and during his presidency for the Indian Removal Act that violated previous treaties and led ultimately directly to the infamous, horrifying and tragic Trail of Tears is pretty much shrugged off. The Trail of Tears is not mentioned specifically, nor even the huge mortality rate of the people forced to walk from Florida to present-day Oklahoma. Also, James, himself a Missourian born in 1891, actually presents a short but jaw-dropping defense of slavery! Jackson was a life-long slaveholder, though James goes out of his way to present his subject as benign and compassionate to his slaves. That's all fine, but by 1938 to still be defending the institution as beneficial to its victims sort of boggles the mind. Nevertheless, it is instructive to know that in 1938 such an opinion (and, again, this is an opinion presented by James himself, not offered as the opinion of the historical figures he's portraying) would not keep an author from such a prestigious prize as the Pulitzer. That's one of the reasons I enjoy reading histories sometimes that are decades old if not more (this one was published, by now, 80 years ago!). I don't like the fact that a distinguished biographer would be presenting those opinions, but it's instruction and important to know it. show less

Texans love Texas and all things Texan. After moving to Texas 30 years ago, I was overwhelmed by the culture and baffled by the pride of so many of its natives. I reluctantly began reading this biography of Sam Houston, expecting to put it back down after reading a couple of chapters. What a surprise to find this volume absorbing both as a biography of a fascinating individualist and as a history of the United States, Texas, and Tennessee during the Jacksonian era. This is a must-read for show more anyone who is seeking a realistic feel for this era of history and who likes understanding how historic icons emerge. Sam Houston is someone I would love to have as a friend. show less

I'm quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, and how much I learned from it. Clearly a commissioned vanity history, the book nonetheless taught me a lot about the history of modern banking in general, of California in the first half of the 20th Century, and of Bank of America in particular.

One of the most interesting things to notice is how far the policies of the modern corporation of the same name differ from those of the founding institution. This is particularly to be noted in show more how the development of branch banking was noted as a way to avoid serving solely the interests of "big business" (like the Chase bank of NY, who strongly opposed branch banks), and to spread better service and access to capital to the "little guy." show less

3152. The Raven / A Biography of Sam Houston, by Marquis James (read Jan 24, 1999) This book won the 1930 Pullitzer Prize for biography. To my surprise, I found it an astoundingly interesting book, holding my interest all the way thru. Sam Houston had a fantastic, novel-like life, and this book tells it very well Superlative and a joy to read.