Andrew Jackson: Symbol for an Age

This is a very fine book, a classic of its genre, the American Studies "myth and symbol" school. It argues that Jackson the man was less important than what he symbolized: he embodied a set of national fantasies or ideas about will, power, and individualism. The opening chapter is brilliant. It discusses Jackson victory at new orleans and the song, "the Hunters of kentcky," written to commemorate it. The song was heard everywhere--saloons, theaters, public gatherings of al sorts. The song attributed Jacksons victory to buckskin clad backwoods sharpshooters. Ward makes a compelling case that buckskin and markmanship had little or nothing to do with it: it was all about superior position, cannons, and foolish british tactics. But Americans wanted to understand themselves as untutored backwoods sharpshooters, and they going to remember themselves that way, facts be damned. Ward has a historian's sharp eye for fraud, coupled to a sensitive understanding of the power of myth. It's a lot like the work of his contemporary, Richard Hofstadter: smart, observant, amused, mildly snarky.