Zachary Taylor (Encyclopedia of Presidents)

Rating:
Summary: A look at Zachary Taylor's distinguished military career
Review: Of the eight chapters in Zachary Kent's juvenile biography of Zachary Taylor for the Encyclopedia of Presidents series the first six are devoted to his distinguished military career. The first chapter details the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexico War, where Taylor's American army won the day despite being outnumbered by Santa Ana four to one. It was this battle that earned Taylor the national reputation that would see him propelled to the White House, where he would serve only sixteen months before dying. But Kent makes it clear that this was only the final battle in one of the most notable military careers in American history. You have to wonder if Taylor would have been remembered as such even if he had not become the 12th president of the United States. This juvenile biography makes it clear that he should have been.

Following Taylor's military career of almost four decades also reveals a lot of the history of the United States during the first half of the 19th-century. Taylor was essentially a frontier officer in an army whose borders were expanding westward. The final two chapters are devoted to how Taylor ended up being elected president and what happened during his brief term in office. Kent provides the most detailed look at the accomplishments of his administration in any juvenile biography of Taylor I have read to date, showing how he was "a Southern man with Northern principles," and making clear what that meant in 1849 when he become president. However, President Taylor clearly seems an inconsequential figure when compared to General Taylor.

This volume is illustrated with period etchings, paintings, political cartoons, and sheet music (dedicated to General Taylor), which provide a sense of the times in which Taylor lived. There is even one showing the distinctive way in which the general sat on his horse, Old Whitey. Hopefully young readers will have a sense for where Taylor's presidency fits into the story of the nation hurtling towards a bloody Civil War. If they read about the other presidents who came between Jackson and Lincoln, most of whom are dismissed in history books as "dough faced" presidents (i.e., a Northern man with Southern principles) they should appreciate that Taylor was cut from an entirely different cloth and be left to wonder what might have been had he served out his full term.

Rating:
Summary: A look at Zachary Taylor's distinguished military career
Review: Of the eight chapters in Zachary Kent's juvenile biography of Zachary Taylor for the Encyclopedia of Presidents series the first six are devoted to his distinguished military career. The first chapter details the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexico War, where Taylor's American army won the day despite being outnumbered by Santa Ana four to one. It was this battle that earned Taylor the national reputation that would see him propelled to the White House, where he would serve only sixteen months before dying. But Kent makes it clear that this was only the final battle in one of the most notable military careers in American history. You have to wonder if Taylor would have been remembered as such even if he had not become the 12th president of the United States. This juvenile biography makes it clear that he should have been.

Following Taylor's military career of almost four decades also reveals a lot of the history of the United States during the first half of the 19th-century. Taylor was essentially a frontier officer in an army whose borders were expanding westward. The final two chapters are devoted to how Taylor ended up being elected president and what happened during his brief term in office. Kent provides the most detailed look at the accomplishments of his administration in any juvenile biography of Taylor I have read to date, showing how he was "a Southern man with Northern principles," and making clear what that meant in 1849 when he become president. However, President Taylor clearly seems an inconsequential figure when compared to General Taylor.

This volume is illustrated with period etchings, paintings, political cartoons, and sheet music (dedicated to General Taylor), which provide a sense of the times in which Taylor lived. There is even one showing the distinctive way in which the general sat on his horse, Old Whitey. Hopefully young readers will have a sense for where Taylor's presidency fits into the story of the nation hurtling towards a bloody Civil War. If they read about the other presidents who came between Jackson and Lincoln, most of whom are dismissed in history books as "dough faced" presidents (i.e., a Northern man with Southern principles) they should appreciate that Taylor was cut from an entirely different cloth and be left to wonder what might have been had he served out his full term.