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josh_caporale's review
4.0
Gail Collins stepped up to a challenge when she took on writing a biography for William Henry Harrison. As a president, Harrison was known most for having the shortest tenure among any official president (David Rice Atchison does not count) with 31 days and was the first president to die in office. At the age of 68, he was also the oldest president at his inauguration, which would be surpassed in 1981 by Ronald Reagan (age 69) and then beaten again in 2017 by Donald Trump (age 70). Harrison also gave the longest inaugural address at over 8,400 words, which due to weather conditions and not having an overcoat and just carrying his hat, could have contributed to his death. However, this book did a good job conveying the 9th president of the United States beyond his short administration and did so in an accessible way.
William Henry Harrison's biography discusses elements to his childhood, but a greater concentration is placed on his family background. His father, one of many Benjamin Harrisons, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. While Harrison originally intended to go into medicine and went to college for such, lack of funds led him into the military. There is great emphasis on his governing of the Midwestern territory, particularly in Ohio and Indiana, where he served as governor before returning to the military as a general during the War of 1812. While the Battle of Tippecanoe has become the battle that defined his legacy, the Battle of the Thames was perhaps his shining moment. Following his military tenure, Harrison served as a diplomat, a representative, and a senator before running for president in 1836 and 1840. Great emphasis is placed in this book about Harrison's 1840 campaign and the great efforts the Whigs made on spinning details regarding his modest log cabin background and being about "the log cabin and hard cider." The 1840 campaign was also the first modern day election in how Harrison ran on a ticket with John Tyler ("Tippecanoe and Tyler Too") and a great deal of enthusiasm was stirred within the general public. This was the first election where over a million people voted and the one with the most first-time voters.
In essence, this biography about William Henry Harrison was very much about and very much defined by the supporting cast of players and just about everyone but Harrison.
When all is said and done, Gail Collins' argument in the introduction is quite valid in how William Henry Harrison was not bound to be one of our nation's greatest presidents. Between his military battles, his governing, his tenure as a diplomat, in congress, in the senate, and the little that we saw in the presidency, Harrison was never necessarily a standout player. He has been described as "naïve" and was brought down on plenty of occasions by plenty of situations. In the end, it almost felt like Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, or Winfield Scott would have developed a greater sense of forward progress for the Whig party. History is history, though. The Whigs formed into the Republicans and the rest took shape accordingly.
This book did a fine enough job giving me a greater sense of who William Henry Harrison was and what his presidency could have become, so as far as that is concerned I am satisfied.
William Henry Harrison's biography discusses elements to his childhood, but a greater concentration is placed on his family background. His father, one of many Benjamin Harrisons, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. While Harrison originally intended to go into medicine and went to college for such, lack of funds led him into the military. There is great emphasis on his governing of the Midwestern territory, particularly in Ohio and Indiana, where he served as governor before returning to the military as a general during the War of 1812. While the Battle of Tippecanoe has become the battle that defined his legacy, the Battle of the Thames was perhaps his shining moment. Following his military tenure, Harrison served as a diplomat, a representative, and a senator before running for president in 1836 and 1840. Great emphasis is placed in this book about Harrison's 1840 campaign and the great efforts the Whigs made on spinning details regarding his modest log cabin background and being about "the log cabin and hard cider." The 1840 campaign was also the first modern day election in how Harrison ran on a ticket with John Tyler ("Tippecanoe and Tyler Too") and a great deal of enthusiasm was stirred within the general public. This was the first election where over a million people voted and the one with the most first-time voters.
In essence, this biography about William Henry Harrison was very much about and very much defined by the supporting cast of players and just about everyone but Harrison.
When all is said and done, Gail Collins' argument in the introduction is quite valid in how William Henry Harrison was not bound to be one of our nation's greatest presidents. Between his military battles, his governing, his tenure as a diplomat, in congress, in the senate, and the little that we saw in the presidency, Harrison was never necessarily a standout player. He has been described as "naïve" and was brought down on plenty of occasions by plenty of situations. In the end, it almost felt like Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, or Winfield Scott would have developed a greater sense of forward progress for the Whig party. History is history, though. The Whigs formed into the Republicans and the rest took shape accordingly.
This book did a fine enough job giving me a greater sense of who William Henry Harrison was and what his presidency could have become, so as far as that is concerned I am satisfied.
agrinavich's review
3.0
I find myself pretty indifferent to William Henry Harrison - probably because he was president for one month before passing away. By all accounts he was a kind guy.
What was interesting for me reading this was learning that it was really the first time the candidates started to campaign for themselves (prior to that, it was considered to be in poor taste). It's also when people really started to embrace complete fabrication in campaigning .. which we all know has healthily continued on to this day.
What was interesting for me reading this was learning that it was really the first time the candidates started to campaign for themselves (prior to that, it was considered to be in poor taste). It's also when people really started to embrace complete fabrication in campaigning .. which we all know has healthily continued on to this day.
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