Like many of us who took high school history, I got some education about the revolutionary war and then another heavy dose of the Civil War, with hardly a mention of happened in between. Of the Presidents, I learned about Washington & Jefferson, knew the names of some of the other early Presidents without much mention of their significance. The Presidents between Monroe and Lincoln were a blur of names. There was more importance attached to the Louisiana Purchase by Jefferson than on how the country doubled in size under Polk.

The reality is that that the period between 1814 and 1848 was very important and set the stage for much of the way the country is today. This book, is long, but fun to read. It is striking how many of the political, economic, social, and cultural patterns we see around us now have their roots in that period.

Howe did excellent research, writes very well, and keeps the story moving.

An excellent read.