Comments on: Reading Biographies: American Lion – Book Spotlight

By: devourerofbooks

devourerofbooks — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:03:29 +0000

I tend to question it when this sort of thing doesn’t have footnotes too, but Meacham’s extensive notes at the end made me feel better.

By: Meghan

Meghan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:15:10 +0000

I guess I’m one of the weirdos who actually reads my biographies. =) Actually, I do tend to read far less non-fiction than fiction, but if I have a book about a fascinating person on my shelf it gets read sooner rather than later. It’s been much worse this year; except for memoirs, I’ve read practically no non-fiction of my own free will since starting my MA. As a side benefit, now that I’ve made my way through possibly hundreds of books of dry history, popular history and biographies are a walk in the park. I tend to question them more, especially ones without footnotes like this one, but overall I really enjoy learning and figure if I’m all that bothered about differing perspectives I can always go read another one by someone else!

I’m reviewing this one tomorrow. I thought it was a great biography and did just what it set out to do, which was get more in touch with Jackson’s personality and those around him, rather than be a strictly historical account of his presidency. I liked it and found it an amazingly fast read for a biography.
.-= Meghan´s last blog ..Review: Naamah’s Kiss, Jacqueline Carey =-.

By: Kari @ Five Borough Book Review

Kari @ Five Borough Book Review — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:06:48 +0000

I had a biography phase in high school in which I read about pretty much every interesting classic movie star. It’s sometimes hard to find the “good” biography on a certain person, because there are usually so many. Lots of them are dry and just plain boring, but there’s usually one good one for every person.

I need to read American Lion. I’ve taken many a field trip to the Hermitage (and many voluntary trips as well), so I pretty much grew up with Andrew Jackson.
.-= Kari @ Five Borough Book Review´s last blog ..Review: A Colorful Past =-.

By: Beth F

Beth F — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:39:30 +0000

My absolutely favorite way to read biographies is to read and listen at the same time. Audio keeps me engaged and the print allows me to see the photos and maps and other visuals. .-= Beth F´s last blog ..Challenge: Random Reading =-.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:11:50 +0000

I love biographies but some of them are so poorly written that they are able to make the most interesting person dull. I do hear great things about American Lion and it's definitely on the tbr list. .-= Lisa´s last blog ..Booking Through Thursday =-.

By: Cass

Cass — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:52:38 +0000

Oh, talk about guilt trip. I just returned this one to the library after having it for almost three weeks and getting through only about 20 pages. I really should just buy it because I love presidential history, and Jackson was such a character.

I think part of my problem getting into this book was being spoiled by Doris Kearns Goodwin’s A Team of Rivals. That one was just so so so good…other biographies have been just a little disappointing.
.-= Cass´s last blog ..Harry Potter Reading Challenge! =-.

By: devourerofbooks

devourerofbooks — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:53:11 +0000

Definitely. Memoirs are a lot easier for me to pick up off my own shelves, but biography draws me more at the bookstore, particularly because I don’t go in for political/celebrity memoir, other than “Dreams From My Father,” which still fits my normal criteria since Barack wrote it before he was a famous politician.

By: Janssen

Janssen — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:49:41 +0000

I love biographies too, but memoirs are easier for me to actually sit down and finish. .-= Janssen´s last blog ..Thursday =-.

By: Tam

Tam — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:52:12 +0000

I, like you, am a collector of biographies and histories. I have a lot sitting on my shelf that I haven’t read yet, but maybe I will make a blog challenge for myself to do so.
Glad you are enjoying this book, can’t wait to hear your final thoughts.
.-= Tam´s last blog ..3 for 3 in the Reading Challenges Department Today: Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge =-.

By: Lindsaygail

Lindsaygail — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:50:42 +0000

I also tend to grab biographies in book stores. They make them look so tempting! I have the same problem about getting around to reading them though. Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker by Stacy A. Cordery has been sitting on my bedside table for months. I tend to do better with biographies of writers. I guess I'm more emotionally invested in them. .-= Lindsaygail´s last blog ..Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures =-.