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TITLE: Martin van Buren: The Romantic Age of American Politics (Easton Library of the Presidents, No. 8) AUTHOR: Niven, John AUTHOR 2 (if applicable): n/a AUTHOR 3 (if applicable): n/a ILLUSTRATOR (if applicable): n/a PUBLISHER: The Easton Press, Date: 1987 ISBN: N/A (pre-ISBN publication) FORMAT: Leatherbound, 715 pages EDITION: First Edition Thus PRINTING [if applicable]: 1st Printing (No Later Stated) BOOK CONDITION: Very Good JACKET CONDITION: No Jacket (As Issued) DIMENSIONS (if available): 9.25 x 6.50 x 2.25 in. approx. KEYWORDS: President, United States, Easton Library, Martin van Buren, 8th President, America, 1800s, 19th Century, Biography, History, First Americans, DESCRIPTION: From the Collector's Notes: The popular assessment of Martin Van Buren that has lasted for nearly 150 years was largely dictated by his bitterest political ene-mies. Their nicknames for him - "The Little Magician," "The Red Fox of Kinderhook," and "America's Talleyrand," among others — emphasize his political cunning but obscure the man's unflagging devotion to Jeffersonian ideals and his very real accomplishments in and out of the White House. Indeed, Van Buren was a masterful politician, a brilliant manager and organizer who was largely responsible for the development of the American political party system. Emerging as the leader of the "Albany Regency" which ran New York State poli-tics, he welded regional interests into the first effective national party. In 1828, this organization gave its support to Andrew Jackson and ensured his election as President. A pivotal figure who served as Secretary of State in Jackson's first term and Vice President in his second, Van Buren followed the fiery general to the White House. Loyalty prevented him from pointing out that the financial crash of 1837 was precipitated by unbridled land speculation during the previous adminis-tration. Instead, he took full responsibility and acted with courage to ease the pain and suffering of his countrymen. Henry Clay's celebrated remark, "I would rather be right than be President," certainly applies to Van Buren. For here was a man who repeatedly eschewed the politically expedient course. During the depression, he established what later became the United States Treasury. His instincts told him that such a move would outrage the financial community, but his moral sense told him it was in the public interest, and the latter prevailed. Like-wise, it was a matter of principle that led him to speak out against the annexation of Texas in 1844, when he was the leading contender for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Four years later, knowing that he faced certain defeat, he accepted the nomination of the anti-slavery Free Soil Party because he believed it was morally right. An entirely new image of Martin Van Buren emerges from John Niven's comprehensive biography. Subtitled "The Romantic Age of American Politics," it is an in-depth study of the man set against the backdrop of his times. As Harold Hyman of Rice University noted, the book "adds fresh dimensions to the political history of the United States for the half-century ending with the Civil War." University of Illinois' Robert Remini adds, "The Little Magician has at last found a biographer worthy of his stature and significance in American history." ********** These are the Easton Library of the Presidents reprints Niven's biography of the 8th President, originally published by the Oxford University Press in 1983. For convenience, I have numbered these volumes based on the order of the Presidencies; numbers do not reflect the order in which the volumes were originally released. This copy includes the original collector's notes and the unusued custom bookplate. CONDITION: Light shelf-wear to covers, fading to the top edges of the leather covers, some faint wear and mild foxing to the all of the edge gilt, the interior appears clean and unmarked. Accompanying documentation displays some ageing around the edges. A solid VG copy. FROM THE BOOKSELLER: Thank you for visiting the Dactyl Books eBay Store! We are a virtual second-hand and antiquarian reseller of books specialising in History, Science, Literature, and Mystery & Detective Fiction, but we have a little bit of everything in our stocks! 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