Book Review: “Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans,” by Brian Kilmeade

Andrew Jackson was a President that I grew up disliking and would often rank in my list of worst ten presidents.  As a Republican, I don’t like that he was the founder of the modern Democratic Party.  There was also that small little detail of him killing a man on the White House lawn (which turns out if folk lure, or is it?).  Though, I’ve come to really appreciate him both as a man and as a President.

As a President, Jackson was more like our current day Republicans than a modern democrat. He believed deeply in our constitution and freedom.  He was the last President to lead a debt free America.  He led the initiative for all (white) men to vote, whereas previously only land owners could vote.  He fought against big banks and was against government controlled bank.

As a General and a man, I never knew too much about him outside of the duels he was in.  Jackson once was challenged to a duel by a man that had killed over 30 people in duels.  Obviously, Jackson won.  Though as a General, I did not know much about him and so I turned to this book by Brian Kilmeade.

Full disclosure, I did not “read” this book.  I listened to this book while racing in a 100 mile ultra marathon.  Typically, I will listen to a book or podcast for an hour and then switch to some upbeat music, but once I started to listen to this book, I listened the whole way through.  It took me about 30 miles to listen to (6 hours).

The book is VERY well written.  It takes you through the Miracle of New Orleans, which literally saved our nation as we know it.  Though, it does more than that.  This book takes you through the life of Andrew Jackson.  You learn his background.  You learn about his character. You get a great insight into the man, which makes then learning all the decisions he made in battle all that more meaningful.  We all know know how the battle and war turned out, but I still found myself gripped to the story and details and cheering on General Jackson and the young USA nation as they battled the mighty British Empire.

This is the first book I’ve read by Brian Kilmeade, and as soon as I post this blog post, I am going to search for more books.   Yes, the subject matter, Andrew Jackson, is interesting no matter how you write about him.  But Kilmeade brings Jackson to life. He puts you in the battle. He gives us an experience of learning about a true American hero.  I highly recommend this book.

You can get the book here on Amazon: Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny