Reviews call Jon Meacham's American Lion the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson. Although it is the only biography I have read of Jackson, I suspect the designation is accurate. Meacham portrays Jackson's virtues and flaws as he recounts Jackson's journey to the White House and his actions as president. His virtues included intelligence, charisma, and loyalty, but loyalty and a touch of paranoia hurt him in the end, as he championed the Secretary of War Eaton, whose wife was snubbed by the Washington elite. He made the presidency as important as the other branches of government. In this sense, he is a modern president. Meacham has written an engaging biography of an important president. Recommended for book clubs that enjoy biographies or history.