This book is a short yet pithy examination of the meteoric political career of Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States of America. Mr. Holt writes in a clear, free-flowing style that makes this an enjoyable and quick read.

Franklin Pierce jumped into politics at a young age, quickly rose through the ranks, and became president at the age of 48. He was an athletic, energetic person who enjoyed the thrill of public life. He was also a people pleaser and wanted to be on the winning side of things. Although popular early in his political career, his presidency ended it with a fizzle. Wanting to please everyone, he made poor patronage choices, making more enemies than friends in the process. This New Hampshire son also developed a sympathy for the concerns of the south, which ended up alienating him from his northern base. He desperately wanted to keep his own party unified as well as his country, but ended up being more of a divisive force as his desire for approval led to poor leadership decisions.