Rating: 
Summary: Well-researched and interesting
Review: As a historical fiction lover I enjoyed this for its high points. Byrd does a great job of capturing the facts of Jackson and creating a believable character. Overall, I enjoyed Byrd's take, but it is something of a slow read -- at points becoming too academic. Being a fan of Grant I'm looking forward to Byrd's next work, this one didn't discourage me.
Rating:
Summary: Postulates the Under Currents Used to Elect Jackson
Review: As with several of his books, Max Byrd uses the interesting technique of using the writing of fictional characters to tell true stories of heroes of the past. This book is set in 1827-1828 as Andrew Jackson is running for President against John Quincy Adams. David Chase in this book serves a similar role as Nicolas Trist in the book "Grant" where a writer returns from abroad and is given the job of writing about the central character. In this book Chase's employer is hoping for a hatchet job on Andrew to prevent the "uncultured" forces of the West from gaining access to the White House. Similar to "Grant" there's also a smattering of romance among the fictional characters to keep the story spicey. Byrd is a well-educated man and it is easily reflected in his work. One doesn't have to know Latin but there is more than one example where it would help..."Veni, vidi, vici." What's most enjoyable is how Byrd weaves tid-bits of facts into his historical profiles. I had never thought about how the cast-iron frame had extended the life of pianos because a complete wooden frame would be destroyed by the masters in short order. One of the central themes involves rumors and truths about Jackson's wife, Rachael. Will her early indiscretions be enough to sink Jackson's bid for the White House? Byrd does a nice job of addressing this with known facts, interspersed with supposition. Finally, there's a great deal in this book about a man whom history has mostly forgotten...General Coffee. Coffee was with Jackson throughout many years of his adult life, serving with him at New Orleans and back into civilian life through Jackson's presidency. If you're interested in those that shaped this Union during the early 1800s you'll enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Postulates the Under Currents Used to Elect Jackson
Review: As with several of his books, Max Byrd uses the interesting technique of using the writing of fictional characters to tell true stories of heroes of the past. This book is set in 1827-1828 as Andrew Jackson is running for President against John Quincy Adams. David Chase in this book serves a similar role as Nicolas Trist in the book "Grant" where a writer returns from abroad and is given the job of writing about the central character. In this book Chase's employer is hoping for a hatchet job on Andrew to prevent the "uncultured" forces of the West from gaining access to the White House. Similar to "Grant" there's also a smattering of romance among the fictional characters to keep the story spicey. Byrd is a well-educated man and it is easily reflected in his work. One doesn't have to know Latin but there is more than one example where it would help..."Veni, vidi, vici." What's most enjoyable is how Byrd weaves tid-bits of facts into his historical profiles. I had never thought about how the cast-iron frame had extended the life of pianos because a complete wooden frame would be destroyed by the masters in short order. One of the central themes involves rumors and truths about Jackson's wife, Rachael. Will her early indiscretions be enough to sink Jackson's bid for the White House? Byrd does a nice job of addressing this with known facts, interspersed with supposition. Finally, there's a great deal in this book about a man whom history has mostly forgotten...General Coffee. Coffee was with Jackson throughout many years of his adult life, serving with him at New Orleans and back into civilian life through Jackson's presidency. If you're interested in those that shaped this Union during the early 1800s you'll enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Max Byrd's "Jackson" is 1997's finest historical novel.
Review: Forget Gore Vidal, Max Byrd's "Jackson" surpasses any of Vidal's historical novels. In fact, Byrd may be the finest author of historical novels now working in the United States."Jackson" is beautifully crafted, with a plot that siezes readers and fascinates them until the book is finished. Andrew Jackson is a man who has always deserved to be better known by us all. Byrd brings him to life with consumate skill. More importantly, he inserts readers into Jackson's time and offers an entire panorama of our burgeoning nation in 1828. Only four of the characters are invented, and the real people who surrounded Jackson speak, act, and react as they did when they were alive. This is a wonderful book, with characters who are works of art. It should be read by anyone with the slightest taste for history, true drama, or simply the finest writing on today's horizon.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely amazing
Review: Forget Gore Vidal, Max Byrd's "Jackson" surpasses any of Vidal's historical novels. In fact, Byrd may be the finest author of historical novels now working in the United States. "Jackson" is beautifully crafted, with a plot that siezes readers and fascinates them until the book is finished. Andrew Jackson is a man who has always deserved to be better known by us all. Byrd brings him to life with consumate skill. More importantly, he inserts readers into Jackson's time and offers an entire panorama of our burgeoning nation in 1828. Only four of the characters are invented, and the real people who surrounded Jackson speak, act, and react as they did when they were alive. This is a wonderful book, with characters who are works of art. It should be read by anyone with the slightest taste for history, true drama, or simply the finest writing on today's horizon.
Rating: 
Summary: Not my cup of tea
Review: I first need to confess that I only read about 20% of the book before I stopped. It is possible that the book significantly improved as the story progressed. I know very little about Andrew Jackson and I was hoping to learn some history in an entertaining fashion through the use of a historical novel. In the portion of the novel that I read almost every character seemed to have a similar almost interchangeable cynical and sarcastic manner. I did not find the novelistic elements particularly compelling and I did not feel that I was learning much history. Therefore I aborted the novel and ordered a straight biography of Andrew Jackson.
Rating:
Summary: A delightful biography.
Review: I'm not an authoritive expert on early American history by any means, but for anyone wishing to travel back in time and see for themselves the birth of the spirit of the Old West and the American 'Frontier-spirit', then "Jackson: A Novel" would be as good a choice as any I can think of. So rarely in modern film and literature do we as Americans get an oportunity to "re-live" in the United States during the 'Romantic Era' (circa 1800-1850). (And who in all of America's early portrait gallery of celebrities and rogues can be termed "Romantic" more than Andrew Jackson? This book provides the illusion to do just that. For a few brief moments, you will be wisked away to the 'post-Revolutionary-War' - 'pre-Civil-War' period of our country, which is so often overlooked, yet ironically stands as perhaps the most important era of our nation's beginnings. A very good book, I also highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A captivating historical novel, a real "page turner"
Review: Max Byrd distinguishes himself again in this historical novel of President Andrew Jackson and his ascent to the presidency. As a follower of Thomas Jefferson and having read Max Byrd's "Jefferson" I must say this is a better story. I could not put it down and read the entire book in a weekend. Well worth the time for anyone interested in Jackson, the War of 1812 or early American History. Max Byrd carries over the character of Mr. William Short from the Jefferson novel. The main plot involves William Short's commissioning a fictional Mr. David Chase to write a biography of Andrew Jackson for political purposes. Well written and detailed in Max Byrd style the book comes alive with scenes, plots and intrigue.
Rating:
Summary: A great work of historical fiction
Review: Max Byrd's latest book is a gripping and fantastic novel about the colorful Andrew Jackson. Byrd paints a vivid and memorable portrait of Jackson and his fellow characters, and Byrd's weaving of Jefferson into the story is absolutely wonderful. This novel is one of the best historical fiction works I have ever read, and I highly recommend it. I am eagerly looking forward to Byrd's next work--he is an extremely talented writer and a gift to historical fiction!
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite
Review: So often, with historical fiction, one finds the art lacking, even if the facts are firm; in this novel there are parts so fabulously poetic, so moving, one is later stunned to find they are not extrapolations, only the truth bested by Bryd's art. While this novel, Jackson, seems so much more compelling than Bryd's Jefferson, I believe these volumes should be read as companions because, as Bryd seems to have observed, these two higly ambiguous men, both major contributors to modern American democratic sensibility, oddly compliment and counterpoint each other in complexity and equivocation...and ultimately in pathos.
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