The Iron-Willed Commander

I’ve always loved history, but I didn’t know a lot about Andrew Jackson til recently, and this book fixed that. I was very surprised how engaging it was. I didn’t want to put it down once I got into it. Towards the end the pace slackened, but still a great book. Author Paul Vickery does a great job giving an overview of Andrew Jackson’s life, including important and sometimes humorous details.

Andrew Jackson’s life began with hardship, being orphaned and without any siblings by age 15, not at all looking like Presidential material. He didn’t come from the wealthy, politically influential class, but Jackson’s dogged determination and blessing from God took him to the path to success and great influence. The name Andrew Jackson became a household name long before his presidency, and he was hailed a national hero from his victory in New Orleans.

Being part of The Generals series, most of the book centers around his time as leader of the Tennessee army keeping peace with the native Indians, or most notably fighting the British in New Orleans during the War of 1812. I was hoping for more details regarding his presidency, since much care was taken in describing battle scenes and such. But I have to remember that this is a book written about his being a General, not the President.

Although Jackson surely had character flaws, as the two, duel-inflicted bullets that he lived with prove, he was a strong leader. He maintained strict discipline among his soldiers, and also shared the glory of victory. His affectionate side is seen through his letters to his wife, Rachel, and his faith in God was true to the end, even with some bumps in the road, as is common to man.

I came away pleased with this book, and hope to read more from The General series.


I received a free copy of this book from Booksneeze.com in exchange for this honest review.