Waking Giant: America in the Age of Jackson by David S. Reynolds
If you want a general overview of life in the early 19th century in America, this is a good book for you. Comprehensive and informative, it covers a broad swath of subjects, from politics to religion to health and medicine. Reynolds also includes quite a bit of biographical detail from Andrew Jackson, Van Buren, and Polk.
I was warned by the person who lent me this book that because Reynolds covers the period of time by subject rather than chronologically, there’d be a bit of overlap and repetition. I didn’t mind the repetition, as it makes it easier to comprehend.
This is a dense book, full of information. I can’t say it’s fun to read; I had to take a break and read some novels in the interim. It does contain a lot of interesting facts, and if you’re interested in 19th century America, you should check this out.
