"A revelatory, timely, and masterful biography of President Andrew Jackson that offers a new perspective on this charismatic figure in the context of American populism--identifying the reasons for his unprecedented appeal as it shows us the man and politician in his full complexity."--Amazon

A number of bestselling and award-winning biographies have been written about the seventh president of the US, but none have placed Andrew Jackson within the context of populism. Now, historian David S. Brown traces Jackson₂s unusual life and legacy and sheds new light on his place in our nation₂s history, focusing on his role as a populist leader. A self-defined champion of ₃farmers, mechanics, and laborers, ₄ Jackson railed against the established ruling order, fostering a brand of democracy that struck a chord with the common man and helped catapult him into the presidency, he was the first westerner, first orphan, and first prisoner of war to occupy the office. Drawing on a wide range of research material, Brown takes a fresh look at Jackson₂s public career, including the momentous Battle of New Orleans and the far-reaching Bank War; it reveals his marriage to an already married woman, a deadly duel with a Nashville dandy, and analyzes his magnetic hold on much of the country at the time.