Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor

The American Presidents Series: The 12th President, 1849-1850

John S. D. Eisenhower

The rough-hewn general who rose to the nation's highest office, and whose presidency witnessed the first political skirmishes that would lead to the Civil War Zachary Taylor was a soldier's soldier, a man who lived up to his nickname, "Old Rough and Ready." Having risen through the ranks of the U.S. Army, he achieved his greatest success in the Mexican War, propelling him to the nation's highest office in the election of 1848. He was the first man to have been elected president without having held a lower political office. John S. D. Eisenhower, the son of another soldier-president, shows how Taylor rose to the presidency, where he confronted the most contentious political issue of his age: slavery. The political storm reached a crescendo in 1849, when California, newly populated after the Gold Rush, applied for statehood with an anti- slavery constitution, an event that upset the delicate balance of slave and free states and pushed both sides to the brink. As the acrimonious debate intensified, Taylor stood his ground in favor of California's admission—despite being a slaveholder himself—but in July 1850 he unexpectedly took ill, and within a week he was dead. His truncated presidency had exposed the fateful rift that would soon tear the country apart.

So Far from God

The U.S. War With Mexico, 1846-1848

John S.D. Eisenhower

The Mexican-American War of the 1840s, precipitated by border disputes and the U.S. annexation of Texas, ended with the military occupation of Mexico City by General Winfield Scott. In the subsequent treaty, the United States gained territory that would become California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. In this highly readable account, John S. D. Eisenhower provides a comprehensive survey of this frequently overlooked war. NOTE: This edition does not include photographs.

They Fought at Anzio

John S. D. Eisenhower

Italy, from the toe to the Alps, was the scene of the longest, bloodiest, most frustrating, and least understood series of battles fought by the Western Allies during World War II. Now, John S. D. Eisenhower offers a new look at the Italian campaign, emphasizing the Anzio offensive—an operation pushed by Winston Churchill that fell largely to American troops to carry out. It was visualized as an amphibious landing of two Allied divisions behind German lines that would force the Wehrmacht to evacuate all of Italy. But the Germans held on and, with the arrival of reinforcements, nearly wiped out the Allied troops pinned down at Anzio Beach. By portraying that struggle from the perspectives of both commanders and foot soldiers, this prominent military historian focuses on the experiences of the individuals who fought in the Italian campaign to reveal what the battle at Anzio was all about. But more than the account of one operation, They Fought at Anzio covers the entire Italian campaign, from the landings at Salerno to the capture of Rome. Eisenhower brings a trained eye to reconstructing the difficult terrain of battle, approaching the Anzio campaign as a contest between opposing commands striving to anticipate and counter the opponent’s moves—not as a field exercise but as a deadly struggle for survival. He analyzes the command decisions that brought about the Anzio stalemate, interspersing his account with personal experiences of the men in the trenches, the nurses of the 56th Evacuation Hospital, and the young officers witnessing the horrors of war for the first time. As a study in command, Eisenhower’s narrative gives new credit to generals Lucian Truscott and Fred Walker and assesses both the strengths and weaknesses of General Mark Clark, allowing us to grasp the situation as it appeared to those in command. He also offers compelling portraits of German commanders Field Marshal Albert Kesselring and General Frido von Senger und Etterlin. It has been said that Anzio was a soldier’s battle, remembered more for blood shed than for military objectives achieved. By focusing on the experiences of the soldiers who fought there and the decisions of commanders in perilous circumstances, They Fought at Anzio offers a new appreciation of the contributions of both and a new understanding of this unheralded theater of the war.

General Ike

A Personal Reminiscence

John S. D. Eisenhower

Table of contents

Allies, Pearl Harbor to D-Day

John S. D. Eisenhower

"A satisfying history, at once colorful and clear . . . [of] of the grand strategy of the war".--"The New York Times Book Review". "Already a proven military historian, the son of General Dwight Eisenhower enhances his reputation with this study".--"Choice"

Soldiers and Statesmen

Reflections on Leadership

John S. D. Eisenhower

Intro -- Contents -- Maps -- Acknowledgments -- Author's Note -- 1. Churchill, a Formidable Ally -- 2. John Foster Dulles: The Presbyterian -- 3. Harry S. Truman as Commander in Chief -- 4. Mark Wayne Clark, the American Eagle: A Very Personal View -- 5. George S. Patton Jr.: A Zest for War -- 6. Terry Allen and Theodore Roosevelt Jr.: The Terrible Two -- 7. Douglas MacArthur: The Effect of Personality on Strategy -- 8. Omar Nelson Bradley -- 9. Matthew B. Ridgway: Mr. Airborne -- Appendix. Home Movies -- Bibliography -- Index.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

The text of this celebrated work by the early American statesman and inventor is supplemented by notes on its creation and influence.

After the White House

Former Presidents as Private Citizens

Max J. Skidmore

What exactly has Bill Clinton been doing since he left office? What can he expect to accomplish? What have his predecessors in his position done? Many presidents have had enormous impacts on the course of history after their terms ended, but not until After the White House by Max J. Skidmore has their role been examined. Thirty-two completed their terms. Four became presidential candidates again (one was even elected), two served in Congress, one abandoned his country to accept election to the Confederate Congress, one became Chief Justice, and one has the unique distinction of having his First Lady become a United States senator. Former presidents almost always remain influential, but their post-term activities have received little attention or scrutiny until now.

The Shoemaker and the Tea Party

Memory and the American Revolution

Alfred F. Young

Young pieces together this extraordinary tale from memoirs Hewes dictated to writers near the end of his life, from the recollections of Hewe's descendants, and from rare archival sources. He completes the telling with poignant reflections on the historical value of oral testimony, memory, and myth, and explores key questions about the times: What was the life of a shoemaker and a poor man in Boston) What moved an ordinary person to participate in the Revolution? Did patriotism or another ideology play a part What did it mean to be a veteran of the Revolution His answers give us an exciting read and a priceless chapter in Revolutionary history.

The Roman Revolution

Ronald Syme

The Roman Revolution is a profound and unconventional treatment of a great theme - the fall of the Republic and the decline of freedom in Rome between 60 BC and AD 14, and the rise to power of the greatest of the Roman Emperors, Augustus. The transformation of state and society, the violent transference of power and property, and the establishment of Augustus' rule are presented in an unconventional narrative, which quotes from ancient evidence, refers seldomly to modernauthorities, and states controversial opinions quite openly. The result is a book which is both fresh and compelling.

The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin

Gordon S. Wood

Wood scrutinizes the less typically American traits possessed by Franklin--such as his longtime loyalty to the Crown--and why he still became one of the Revolution's necessary men.

Dreams of Africa in Alabama

The Slave Ship Clotilda and the Story of the Last Africans Brought to America

Sylviane Anna Diouf

In the summer of 1860, more than fifty years after the United States legally abolished the international slave trade, 110 men, women, and children from Benin and Nigeria were brought ashore in Alabama under cover of night. They were the last recorded group of Africans deported to the United States as slaves. Timothy Meaher, an established Mobile businessman, sent the slave ship, the Clotilda , to Africa, on a bet that he could "bring a shipful of niggers right into Mobile Bay under the officers' noses." He won the bet.This book reconstructs the lives of the people in West Africa, recounts their capture and passage in the slave pen in Ouidah, and describes their experience of slavery alongside American-born enslaved men and women. After emancipation, the group reunited from various plantations, bought land, and founded their own settlement, known as African Town. They ruled it according to customary African laws, spoke their own regional language and, when giving interviews, insisted that writers use their African names so that their families would know that they were still alive.The last survivor of the Clotilda died in 1935, but African Town is still home to a community of Clotilda descendants. The publication of Dreams of Africa in Alabama marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.Winner of the Wesley-Logan Prize of the American Historical Association (2007)

Zachary Taylor

Twelfth President 1849-1850

Mike Venezia

A biography of President Taylor, a hero of the Mexican War, who decided that the residents of newly acquired territories should decide whether or not to allow slavery.

President Zachary Taylor

The Hero President

Elbert B. Smith

Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 - July 9, 1850) was an American military leader and the twelfth President of the United States. Taylor had a 40-year military career in the U.S. Army, serving in the War of 1812, Black Hawk War, and Second Seminole War before achieving fame while leading U.S. troops to victory at several critical battles of the Mexican-American War. Taylor's short Presidency was shadowed by the issue then dominating all aspects of American national affairs - that of slavery. However, the immediate issue was the admission of New Mexico and California as states. Taylor confounded his Southern supporters, who had assumed that since the President owned slaves, he would support the pro-slavery position and refuse entry into the union to two states settled by Northerners and likely to be anti-slavery. Taylor recommended that the two territories develop their own constitutions and then request admission based on those constitutions. When Southern states threatened secession he warned them that he would use all his resources as commander-in- chief to preserve the union. He stated that if they seceded he would track them down like he had the Mexicans, and handle them in the same manner that he had deserters. Taylor's brief term in the White House also featured the still on-going question of balancing power between the Congress and the presidency.

Zachary Taylor

A Short Biography: Twelfth President of the United States

Doug West

Zachary Taylor or "Old Rough and Ready" as his men called him, came up through the ranks in the U.S. army with the culmination of his career occurring at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican-American War. His military exploits brought him national notoriety and propelled him to the office of the president in the election of 1848. A bit of an enigma, he was a southern slaveholder who vehemently opposed the expansion of slavery into the new western territories that had been won in the war with Mexico. The political arena was a new domain for Taylor, having never held a political office or even voted in a national election. Just sixteen-months into his presidency he was suddenly stricken with a severe gastro-intestinal ailment that killed him - some questioned if he had not been poisoned. Though Zachary Taylor will never rank as one of the great presidents like Washington or Lincoln, he will always be remembered as a strong nationalist who worked to preserve the Union.The book "Zachary Taylor: A Short Biography" gives a concise look at the life and times of the former president of the United States. To illustrate the story there are numerous pictures of the people, places, and events that were part of this man's fascinating life. In addition the book contains: a list of reference books for further reading, a timeline of President Taylor that puts the events of his life and that period of history in sequence, and a section that contains short biographical sketches of the key individuals in the book.

The Life of Major General Zachary Taylor

Henry Montgomery

This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Derby & Hewson in 1847 in 368 pages; Subjects: Presidents; United States; Biography & Autobiography / Presidents & Heads of State; Biography & Autobiography / Military; Biography & Autobiography / Presidents & Heads of State; History / United States / General; History / United States / State & Local / General; History / United States / 19th Century; Juvenile Nonfiction / Biography & Autobiography / Political;

Zachary Taylor, Twelfth President of the United States

Zachary Kent

A biography of "Old Rough and Ready, " hero of the Mexican War, who became the twelfth president of the United States.

The Presidencies of Zachary Taylor & Millard Fillmore

Elbert B. Smith

"In this book Elbert B. Smith disagrees sharply with traditional interpretations of Taylor and Fillmore, the twelfth and thirteenth presidents (from 1848 to 1853). Smith argues that Taylor and Fillmore have been seriously misrepresented and underrated. They faced a terrible national crisis and accepted every responsibility without flinching or directing blame toward anyone else."--Publisher.