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Paul Kahan

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Born

in The United States

Website

https://www.paulkahan.com

Twitter

paul_kahan

Genre

History, Biography, Nonfiction

Member Since

November 2012

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Dr. Paul Kahan is a leading expert on U.S. political, economic, and diplomatic history, with a particular interest in the half-century between Andrew Jackson's election to the presidency in 1828 and the so-called end of Reconstruction in 1877. He earned his Ph.D. in U.S. history from Temple University, an M.A. in Modern American History & Literature from Drew University, and B.A. degrees in history and English from Alfred University.

Dr. Kahan has published several books, including "Eastern State Penitentiary: A History," "Amiable Scoundrel: Simon Cameron, Lincoln's Scandalous Secretary of War," "The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant: Preserving the Civil War's Legacy," and "The Bank War: Andrew Jackson, Nicholas Biddle, and the Fight for Ameri ...more

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Paul Kahan Read, write, market yourself - everyday.

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Paul Kahan In the wake of the Great Recession of 2008, voices on both the right and the left criticized the Federal Reserve, often arguing that it exercised too …moreIn the wake of the Great Recession of 2008, voices on both the right and the left criticized the Federal Reserve, often arguing that it exercised too much control over the American economy. Some went so far as to call for the United States to return to the gold standard.

A few semesters later, during a lecture in my American history class, a student commented that history was repeating itself, noting that the rhetoric and concerns about the Bank War were reflected in memes he saw on the Internet. When the student asked where he could find out more about the Bank War so as to better understand contemporary events—the section in the textbook was rather anemic.

I was at a loss. Though there are many fine recent biographies of Andrew Jackson and excellent studies of the Jacksonian period, the most recent study of the Bank War is nearly fifty years old. When I mentioned this to the student and commented that it was unfortunate that no one had reinterpreted the Bank War in light of current events, he jokingly said, “Well, you should do it.”(less)

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Paul Kahan’s books

Average rating: 3.9 · 195 ratings · 51 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	Philadelphia: A Narrative History 4.10 avg rating — 50 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eastern State Penitentiary: A History by Paul Kahan (Goodreads Author), Dr. Richard Fulmer (Foreword) 3.82 avg rating — 50 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Bank War: Andrew Jackson, Nicholas Biddle, and the Fight for American Finance 3.91 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Amiable Scoundrel: Simon Cameron, Lincoln's Scandalous Secretary of War 3.65 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2016 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant: Preserving the Civil War's Legacy really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2018 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Enjoying Tequila: A Tasting Guide and Journal 3.60 avg rating — 10 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Enjoying Gin: A Tasting Guide and Journal 3.60 avg rating — 10 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Homestead Strike: Labor, Violence, and American Industry 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2014 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Seminary of Virtue: The Ideology and Practice of Inmate Reform at Eastern State Penitentiary, 1829-1971 it was ok 2.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Buchanan: The Life and Times of Lincoln's Predecessor 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Paul Kahan made a comment on Thomas Glasoe’s status in James Buchanan " Reading up on old Jamie B, are you? "
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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The History Book ...: * #7 (US) ANDREW JACKSON (PRESIDENT) 1829 - 1837	73	456	Jan 29, 2025 11:23AM
The History Book ...: * #18 (US) ULYSSES S. GRANT (PRESIDENT) 1869 – 1877	97	582	May 20, 2026 03:21AM
The History Book ...: * #16 (US) ABRAHAM LINCOLN (PRESIDENT) 1861 – 1865	316	762	Aug 20, 2026 03:28PM