Martin Van Buren: A Captivating Guide to the Man Who Served as the Eighth President of the United States

by Captivating History

Explore the Captivating Life of Martin Van Buren Free History BONUS Inside! History chiefly remembers Martin Van Buren as the eighth president of the United States (1837– 1841). He was also, however, notable for achieving many firsts in American politics. He was the first American president to be born a citizen of the country, and not a British subject. He was the first Dutchman and the first man without Anglo-Saxon ancestry to serve as president. He was the first and only American president to have been raised in a language other than English. He was also the first New Yorker to ascend to the Oval Office in the White House, at a time when Manhattan was becoming the urban heart of a future America (as it is today). Historians have also recognized him as the first "professional politician" to occupy the presidential seat. His expressed capacity for political intrigue, strategic pragmatism and politically expedient “non-committalism” has earned him his fair share of critics and detractors. The darkness of his times (the first depression, the question of slavery, the forceful relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands) easily come to mind, but America was also hurtling towards the future we live in during Van Buren’s reign. The seeds of the modernity we recognize so well – railway networks, democracy, the printing press – were sowed in his era. Six small townships and cities – in Maine, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Arkansas – still bear his surname. To understand the history of American politics, one must understand Van Buren’s often overlooked legacy. This book will give you an in-depth understanding of this man, born a tavern owner's son, who became one of the founders of the Democratic Party. Some of the topics covered in this book Early LifeThe Skilled LawyerThe Albany RegencyWashingtonSecretary of State; Vice President In-WaitingThe Panic of 1837American GothicTriumphs and DefeatComebacksRetirementAnd much more!Scroll to the top and select the "BUY NOW" button for instant download

Genres: Biography, History, Presidents, Nonfiction, Politics, Us Presidents, American History

79 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2018

Reviews

[Rachel Jorgensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the shortest biography I’ve listened to.. in some ways it was nice and more concise, but I wanted more. The author notes it is a less known president.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited but got it on a freebie day. Knew less about him than most but not totally familar with most anyway, and not to this degree.

Explore the Captivating Life of Martin Van Buren - Free History BONUS Inside!
History chiefly remembers Martin Van Buren as the eighth president of the United States (1837– 1841). He was also, however, notable for achieving many firsts in American politics. He was the first American president to be born a citizen of the country, and not a British subject. He was the first Dutchman and the first man without Anglo-Saxon ancestry to serve as president. He was the first and only American president to have been raised in a language other than English. He was also the first New Yorker to ascend to the Oval Office in the White House, at a time when Manhattan was becoming the urban heart of a future America (as it is today). Historians have also recognized him as the first "professional politician" to occupy the presidential seat. His expressed capacity for political intrigue, strategic pragmatism and politically expedient “non-committalism” has earned him his fair share of critics and detractors.

The darkness of his times (the first depression, the question of slavery, the forceful relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands) easily come to mind, but America was also hurtling towards the future we live in during Van Buren’s reign. The seeds of the modernity we recognize so well – railway networks, democracy, the printing press – were sowed in his era. Six small townships and cities – in Maine, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Arkansas – still bear his surname. To understand the history of American politics, one must understand Van Buren’s often overlooked legacy. This book will give you an in-depth understanding of this man, born a tavern owner's son, who became one of the founders of the Democratic Party.

Some of the topics covered in this book include:
Early Life - The Skilled Lawyer - The Albany Regency - Washington - Secretary of State; Vice President In-Waiting - The Panic of 1837 - American Gothic - Triumphs and Defeat - Comebacks - Retirement And much more!

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[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to take in a short biography of Van Buren to get to Harrison. While Harrison was President for only a short time, his career is interesting to me, while Van Buren's really is not. I opted for the audio version. My rating is for the book itself, but I have to comment that the narration is deplorable. The number of words - common, oft-used words - that are wildly (usually phonetically) mispronounced is staggering. This was very distracting, taking the listener away from an already thin narrative. If I did rate the audio, and Goodreads allowed it, I would give a half-star rating.

[Martin Wickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life and Presidency of Martin Van Buren, the eighth U.S. president (1837–1841), seems to be largely overlooked. Some reviews of this book note that not much seemed to happen during his presidency.

However, there were some notable firsts in his life and political career and there significant events that occurred. Also, there was much that happened that shaped the nation as it continued to put down roots and develop it's own culture.

Van Buren was the first president born a U.S. citizen, the first of Dutch descent, and the only president raised speaking a language other than English. A New Yorker, he rose to power as the nation shifted toward modern urban life. Known as the first "professional politician," Van Buren was a master of strategy and compromise.

This book, though brief, explores his pivotal role in shaping American democracy during a turbulent era marked by economic depression, slavery debates, and westward expansion.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I had a pretty difficult time finding a biography of Martin Van Buren that was available on audio. I grabbed this as a last resort, knowing that I wasn't going to get the personal details that I love. That being said, this was quite a surprise. It certainly was not up to the books I've read so far, but I learned a lot of fun facts that I will enjoy bringing up at dinner parties (did you know there was a rumor throughout his life that he was the illegitimate child of Aaron Burr??), and I think it did exactly what it wanted to do. The audio was also great, although some pronunciations were a little odd (for example, memoir was seemingly pronounced memwire). If you want to take a couple of hours and learn about a president, this is not a terrible read!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointing biography of the 8th President. I knew I was taking a risk selecting this very short bio, but, after a long break, I wanted to get back on track with my goal of reading a bio of each US President in chronological order. I thought a short read on a President I knew little about would whet my appetite.

I feel like I learned nothing. This was less a bio and more a reporting of some facts with no details or analysis. I may have been spoiled by the authors of the previous POTUS bios, but the standard has been set so I’ll be more discerning in future selections.

In fairness, it is likely that simply less is known of this man. Perhaps I’ll read another book of him in the future after finishing the remaining POTUS.

[Mellissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 ⭐️’s I chose this book on Van Buren because it was the only one I could find in a digital format. Books in print on the 8th president were also hard to find and expensive. I wouldn’t say I recommend this book if you are looking for an in depth analysis. However, this one-term President didn’t leave much of a legacy. There are no major policies remaining, and he spent most of his time appeasing political partied and playing middle ground. He ran for president 3 times and was successful only once, which is due to his close relationship with Andrew Jackson. He continued to support Jacksons native american removal measures and only became opposed to slavery later in life. Altogether a ‘meh’ president. (4/100) #2021readlist

[Gregg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was short and to the point. This was the 8th President but there did not appear to be much substance to his term. The first significant financial crisis occurred but he is largely a caretaker. There was not a large selection of bios for MVB which is indicative of the fact that he is a tough subject. The best thing I took from this was the origin of the term “ok” as shorthand for “Old Kinderhook” which was Van Buren’s nickname.

Power Rankings Through 8 bios:
Washington, Monroe, Adams, Jefferson, Jackson, JQA, Madison, Van Buren.

[Jennifer Hilliger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the 8th President of the United States, that I really wasn't familiar with at all. The book was easy to read and kept my attention. It was interesting to find out that he was the first president to write his political memoir with the assistance of Thomas Hart Benson.

[George Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is short but surprisingly well written. Reminds me of the style of Chernow. The author(s) had a tough road given the president's lackluster life (in comparison to other presidents), but did well at bringing out the big points and doing a decent job at storytelling.

[Steve Rice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The shortest of the presidential biographies that I’ve read, as I’m limited to what’s on audiobooks. Still, a good overview on the 8th President, but lacking in details. Interesting tidbit; MVB was the first President to be born an American citizen. The previous seven were born English subjects.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and solid review of Martin Van Buren

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactly what I wanted. Just a brief guide to Van Buren and how he became President. This is a good synopsis of him without trying to give you too much.

[Mike Rogers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful, awful audiobook riddled with errors and mispronunciations. Unfortunately, it’s the only audio”book” I could find about the guy.

[John Reuschlein]

The first President who was born and raised on American soil. Those who came before were all british citizens first.

[Gregp · Rating 3 out of 5]

6 out of 10

[Gary L. Blodgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and you feel you got to know this man and his presidency.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very bare-bones account of his life. I know the encyclopedic version now but still don’t really know anything about his personal life.

[Moira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for what it is. Wish it was longer and more in depth, but this was the only one readily available.

[Michael Delaware · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative summary of the life of the 8th President. I gained a lot of basic knowledge of him. I am interested in reading his memoirs.

[BoB Lever · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief overview of the 8th President without much depth. There may not be a lot of depth to explore. Notables - first American born President. first ESL President. Aaron Burrs son?

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short read. Not that informative on this president other than he made the 10 hour work day a law. I would recommend reading Andrew Jackson American Lion to learn more about MVB

[Enoch · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read other biographies of other US presidents, I got insights into different lives and their decision-making processes. This book was too short. A descent “Reader’s Digest version.”

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

If a 7th grader wrote and presented this as biography, it would earn a D. Sparse information, leans heavily on more influential people of the era, and used words the narrator could not pronounce.

[Jesse Varas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fair opening guide to the study of who Martin Van Buren was.

[Jeffrey Jackman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very in depth

[Jen Wehr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoopla had this set as a 9 hour audio book so imagine my surprise when it was only 148 pages and 2 hours. Highly disappointed from that aspect. It seems that he was a boring president and no one is writing about him because all the books I’ve found have been ridiculously short…and geared towards children?

Upon further research, MVB had the highest unemployment rate - 25% and is responsible for the Trail of Tears. Maybe that’s all I need to know about him.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this short biography, Martin Van Buren: A Captivating Guide to the Man Who Served as the Eighth President of the United States, to be interesting and informative. I wasn’t aware of him being first in various presidential categories — first born in the U.S. (i.e. after July 4, 1776), first Dutchman, first not of Anglo-Saxon ancestry, first with English as a second language, first from New York. Also, some historians consider him to be the first professional politician.

I enjoyed reading about his personal life (parents, wife, children, etc.) as well as his professional life. He was older than usual when he married. Also, it was interesting to note that, in the Dutch community, marriages were within the community. Martin Van Buren married Hanna Hoes, his first cousin once removed.

He came from humble origins. He and Grover Cleveland were the only presidents not to go to college or have a military career. Even so, he had access to people like Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr from their presence in Van Buren’s father’s tavern. He made other acquaintances which helped him along in his career.

The book is well researched. There are 85 references to primary and secondary sources. For a brief study of a U.S. President, I recommend it. It has inspired me to consider reading the biography of Martin Van Buren written by Ted Widmer, as part of the presidential biography series started by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. In a way, it is sad that there will likely not be a biography of Martin Van Buren by one of the current historians whose presidential biographies are regularly on the best seller lists.

[Jim Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin Van Buren was the 8th President of the US, the first President to be born an American (as opposed to a British subject), and the first whose first language wasn't English (it was Dutch).

Van Buren is surprisingly well presented here (it's a short book). In a biography I read of James K Polk (the 11th US President), Van Buren is presented in a... more glowing way, while here the issues he had as President Van Buren are... more realistically discussed.

So all in all, it's a surprisingly decent read. It's just, being so short, it can feel a little brief and breezy.